CHAPTER ONE
He had promised her the world. Yet,
she’d been left with nothing…
Less than
nothing.
Weeks ago it
happened. She’d stopped counting the days by now. Stopped checking her phone
for messages. Stopped whispering his name under her breath. She couldn’t bear
it now. It had been so long she wasn’t even sure it happened.
“It probably
didn’t,” Ava said sullenly, pushing the trolley of boxes. “I probably made it
all up. In my stupid little head.”
This wasn’t
exactly turning out to be a good day for Ava.
She currently
worked as a floor supervisor inside a dress factory, a job that seemed less
distinguished every year that went by. She and four of the other supervisors
took orders from the factory manager, who in turn reported to the company
director, who then – well, it just kept going on and on. Everyone was stressed
out. Especially at this time of year.
Tonight Ava
was working by herself, cleaning up after the day’s crew who had all been let
out at five pm. It was now six thirty and Ava could see that there was at least
another three hours worth of work for her to get through, unless she wanted to
come back here and finish it on the weekend, which she definitely didn’t want
to do.
Outside, as
the sun fell behind the clouds and a dense winter’s chill gripped the city, Ava
envisaged the crowds of people swarming the streets. Everyone was dressed up,
out and about. With their friends and families. A couple of Ava’s friends had
wanted her to join in for the new year’s celebration, but Ava somewhat
selfishly declined. She’d thought that by being out there with everyone and
seeing how happy they were, that it would remind her of how she’d felt when she
met him. And how it was over so quickly.
No.
No, being
here in this maze of tables and piles upon piles of clothes, this was where she
belonged tonight. She didn’t deserve happiness. She didn’t even deserve the
memory of it. Perhaps when it passed, so would her pain. And that name would
never leave her lips again.
There was one
thing, however.
One thing
that could pull Ava out of the sandpit she’d created for herself.
And that very
thing, just so happened to be…
Right around
the corner…
CHAPTER TWO
“I found him.”
Ava’s whole
body stiffened and she stopped wheeling the trolley. She didn’t turn at first,
unsure if the voice had come from her own mind.
“I found your
boy, Callum. I know where he is.”
Now she
turned.
Standing
twenty feet away, dressed up to perfection, was her best friend Ruby Wittrock.
Grinning cheekily.
“What are you
doing here?” Ava asked, ignoring Ruby’s statement. “How did you get in?”
“The front’s
still open,” Ruby replied. “You must have forgotten to lock up.”
“Someone
forgot,” Ava muttered. She left her trolley and walked over. “So you’re here to
break me out then?”
“That’s what
I do,” Ruby beamed. “That’s what friends are for.”
“Yeah, yeah,
yeah.”
Ava felt her
eyes twitch. She wondered if Ruby was going to say his name again.
Or if Ava
would have to mention it first.
“So?”
“So, I found
him,” Ruby repeated. “I found Callum.”
“How? Where?”
“It’s a long
story,” Ruby said. “But we sort of have to get going now. If you want to see
him tonight that is.”
Ava shook her
head.
“What are you
thinking?” Ruby asked.
“I’m
thinking, ‘Would you lie to me about this?’”
“And what did
you come up with?”
“I don’t
know. Probably.”
“I’m not
lying,” Ruby insisted. “Why would I lie? You know I’ve been saying you just
have to get over him and find someone else. Why would I try and … bring him up
again?”
“Well, you’re
not really painting a clear picture for me,” Ava said. “You should expand a
little I think if you want me to go anywhere.”
“Okay,” Ruby
sighed. “Well, let’s just say Kirsten and I got the three of us passes to one
of the
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