by SL Beaumont
Chapter 9
Stephanie saw James again sooner than she expected. He was leaving the café, just as she was arriving to start her shift, the next day. After an evening to reflect, she felt guilty that she had responded so badly to him the previous day. Her grandmother was right. Those revelations would have been hard to hear. She imagined that she would have reacted in a similar way if it had been the other way around.
“James?” she called, a feeling of nervous anticipation running through her.
“What?” he said stopping and glaring at her, his voice hard and his eyes distant. He didn’t so much say the word as spit it at her. Oh great, she thought with a sinking feeling, he’s still angry.
“I’ve come across some of Sophie’s old journals – they are fascinating. Edward is mentioned quite a lot. Would you like to look at them?” she said. Just say you are sorry, an internal voice was telling her, but she just couldn’t make the words come out.
He looked at her coldly and said, “No – I’m not interested in anything your family has.”
Stephanie flinched and felt the sting of rejection hit her. Ouch, she thought.
“Good to see you’ve cooled off then,” she said sarcastically.
“What? I think I’m entitled to be pissed off after what your grandmother, and you, insinuated yesterday,” he said angrily.
Yeah that’s right, take the moral high ground, Stephanie thought, annoyed. She slowly shook her head. “I see the Knoxes have taught their sons to hold grudges,” she retorted.
“Us hold grudges?” James said incredulous. “Your grandmother’s been harbouring one for seventy years.”
“Whatever, James – let me know when you decide to stop being such an arrogant git,” Stephanie said, turning and walking quickly into the café, tears stinging her eyes. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of making her cry.