Page 91 of Two Hit Wonder

"Have you spoken to her?"

"No." The word came out flatter than she intended. "She's in Scotland. Feeding her horrible sheep and glaring at a loch, presumably."

"From what I’ve heard, the sheep isn't horrible. It's just protective."

"It bit me, Ellie."

"You were a stranger on its territory. I suppose that's what sheep do."

"That is absolutely not what sheep do."

Ellie sighed. "I spoke to her, you know. She rang yesterday. She apologized for how she reacted when everything came out."

"That's… good." Iona wasn't sure if it was good. She wasn't sure of anything anymore.

"She didn’t mention you. Not really. Nor… the other thing."

"The fact that she punched me?"

"That’s the one."

Iona rubbed at her face. "I should have told her," she said. "Years ago. When it happened. When she came back. At any point, really."

"Should you, though?" Ellie's voice was gentle but firm. "What purpose would it have served? She was sick. She didn't know what she was doing. Telling her would have just given her more guilt to carry, and God knows she was carrying enough already."

"She deserved the truth."

"Perhaps." Ellie conceded the point with a small nod. "But not the way it came out. Not from Cam, in the middle of everything else falling apart."

"No," Iona agreed quietly. "Not like that." She took a breath. "Shepherd's still working on Lakeside," she said, changing direction because she really didn’t want to talk or think about Maeve anymore, even though Maeve was all she could think about. "Calling in favors, threatening people with his reputation, the usual."

"Do you think it'll work?"

"I think he's very stubborn."

Ellie was quiet for a minute. "Do you think Maeve will come back for it? The festival, I mean."

Iona stared at her coffee, which had gone cold while she wasn't paying attention. "I don't know. What did she say when you spoke to her?"

"That she didn't know. That she didn't think so. Then that she didn't know again." Ellie shrugged. "So, about what you'd expect."

"Maybe I should talk to her."

"No." Ellie's voice was firm. "You did it last time. Went all the way to Scotland to drag her back. If anyone should do it, it's Cam. She's the one who caused the final blow-up. Let her fix something for once."

Iona wanted to argue, but she was too tired. "Fine. We'll talk about it Monday. At rehearsal."

"If there's a rehearsal."

"There'll be a rehearsal. Even if we have to hold it in someone's living room while ignoring each other."

Ellie finished her coffee and set the bowl down. "That does sound like us."

IONA CAME HOME to silence.

Which wasn't unusual. Mo had perfected the art of silent contempt over the past few weeks, communicating entirely through closed doors and aggressive headphone usage. But this silence was different. This silence was empty.

"Mo?" Iona called, dropping her keys on the hall table. "I'm back. I got those crisps you like, the ones with the ridiculous amount of salt."