Page 65 of Plot Twist

‘In the area,’ he repeated. ‘You haven’t been “in the area” for over two years, Jackie. You should have told me you were coming. And you should definitely have told me you were going to pick Ivy up from nursery.’

‘She’s my daughter.’ She shrugged. ‘I brought her straight here but you obviously weren’t home so we’ve just been waiting around outside. Anyway, I don’t have your number.’

I blinked. How could she not have his number? The father of her child? I stole a glance at Bridget, who shook her head while staring at the ground.

‘I’ll take Ivy home with me,’ Bridget announced. ‘Let the two of you talk.’

‘No!’ Ivy protested. ‘I want to stay and be all together as a family again. Just like you promised, Mammy. See, I told you, Becca.’

Ivy looked up and beamed at me. Riley frowned and I died a little bit inside.

‘Nice to meet you again, Becca. I hear you’ve been staying. Ivy’s very fond of you,’ she said.

Her voice was strained when she addressed me and I realised, to Jackie, I was the elephant in the room.

‘Er, nice to meet you, too,’ I replied. ‘Look, I’d better go. Somewhere.’

‘You can come back to ours,’ Bridget said. ‘Stay with us tonight.’

‘Thanks,’ I mumbled in appreciation.

I tried to catch Riley’s eye, but he was preoccupied, sporting a deep frown. His broad shoulders slumped in defeat. I remembered his carefree smile as he’d closed his eyes in the hot tub earlier and all the writing he’d managed to do that afternoon. The words had been flowing, he’d said. Now, with his ex back on the scene, I wondered how long that would last.

I thought of his mouth on mine. The tingling that spread across my body as we touched.

It felt like I’d imagined the whole thing.

‘Come on now, Ivy. Let’s leave Mammy and Daddy to talk things through here,’ Bridget said.

‘Aaawwww,’ Ivy protested. ‘Mammy said she would tuck me in tonight.’

‘Tomorrow night, baby girl,’ Jackie said.

Riley’s eyes widened in surprise, but he said nothing.

‘Come on, let’s leave them to talk,’ Bridget said quietly, pulling at Ivy’s hand.

Ivy pouted but, reluctantly, nodded and leaned up to give her mum a cuddle. Jackie knelt down and gathered Ivy into her arms, inhaling the scent of her hair.

‘Will you stay for the whole night tomorrow?’ she asked. ‘Bathtime and bedtime too?’

‘I will,’ Jackie said. ‘I promise.’

Riley raised his eyebrows but again, said nothing.

‘Right, we’ll be off then,’ Bridget said, leading Ivy away. ‘Night. Text me later, Riley.’

I followed dutifully behind. Riley put a hand in the air to wave goodbye. Then he walked into the house with Jackie following closely behind.

Wait, what? They were letting Riley and Jackie stay together? Overnight, in the same house? This clearly was not a good idea. I mean, he’d been all fired up with me just an hour earlier and now he was in a house on his own with his ex? But no one seemed to think it was the wrong thing to do, apart from me. And I didn’t seem to have a vote.

Ivy walked in the middle and asked us to swing her all the way to Auntie Bridget’s house. She chattered about her day at nursery and how her mammy had turned up to take her home. Again.

‘What do you mean, again?’ Bridget asked, trying to sound casual.

‘She’s been coming to visit me when I play outside,’ Ivy explained. ‘I saw her yesterday. She stood on the other side of the gate and we talked.’

‘And what did she say?’