Page 52 of Highland Getaway
Her pretty face arranges itself in a pout.
‘I also wanted to apologise for how I’ve been since we got here,’ she says, in a voice so quiet I think I must have misheard at first. ‘The whole “Wrong Rosie” thing,’ she goes on, still looking at the floor. ‘I know you didn’t like that, but I kept doing it. I was just being horrible. I’m sorry.’
‘It’s—’ I’m about to assure her it’s fine, but then I remember what Hunter said about asserting myself, and I straighten my shoulders, figuring now’s as good a time as any to make a start on that.
‘I appreciate the apology,’ I say instead, wishing he was here to see me.
‘I’m reallynothorrible,’ Bex says, looking up at me, her eyes swimming with tears – which are so unexpected coming from someone like her that I momentarily forget we’re supposed to be in the middle of a heartfelt apology here. ‘Honestly, I’m not. I just . . . I’ve been having some issues.’
‘Do you want to talk about it?’ I ask, remembering the argument I saw her having in the grounds yesterday. ‘Is it Daniel?’
‘Daniel? No. No, Daniel’s a sweetheart,’ Bex replies, wiping her eyes. ‘No, it’s me. It’s all me. We’ve been trying to get pregnant,’ she goes on in a rush. ‘But it hasn’t happened yet, and honestly, I’m starting to think it might not happen at all. It’s been making me quite .?.?. well,emotional, I suppose.’
‘Well, that’s understandable,’ I reply, touching her lightly on the hand. ‘It can take a bit of time, though, can’t it? Trust me, I have three sisters, and not one of them has a filter, so I .?.?. well, I know quite a lot about this, for someone who doesn’t have kids herself.’
‘That’s the thing, though,’ she says tearfully. ‘I don’thavea lot of time. I’m .?.?. well, I’m a bit older than the rest of you, Rosie.’
For the first time since I met her, Bex looks embarrassed. I arrange my face into what I hope is an appropriately surprised expression, not wanting to let on that Zara’s already dropped this particular bombshell.
‘That’s why this Face of the Chrysalis contest is so important to me,’ Bex continues earnestly. ‘Because we’ve been saving up for IVF, but God, it’s so expensive, Rosie. So expensive it feels like we’re never going to get there. What if we never get there?’
She turns her wide, panicked eyes towards me and, for the first time since I stumbled across her YouTube channel a few years ago, I realise Bex Foster is just a human being, like the rest of us. An unfairly attractive, and occasionally kind of annoying one, sure, but still, just a human. And, right now, she’s a human who needs a little bit of kindness.
‘Of course you’ll get there,’ I tell her, patting her tentatively on the arm, as if she’s one of the ponies from yesterday’s beach ride. ‘Your content’s amazing, Bex. Everyone knows that. You’re going to win this contest; and even if, for some reason, you don’t, I’m sure the hotel will still pay to use some of your photos in their advertising.’
I’m not sure of this at all, actually; especially after every-thing Izzie and Ian had to say about the hotel’s future with the bawbag nephew in charge. Right now, though, Bex looks so miserable that I mean every word.
‘Thanks, Rosie,’ she says, hugging me impulsively. ‘You’re being so sweet, and I know I don’t deserve it after the way I’ve been treating you. I think it’s just the stress of it all. It’s making me a bit crazy, really. And my period’s due, too, so I suppose it could be hormonal. Oh, by the way,’ she adds, brightening as she pulls away, ‘I know you probably think no one wants you here after that weird cucumber video, but it’s OK: I spoke to Sabrina and Dante, and they want you to stay. Well, actually, theydidn’twant you to stay at first.’ She tilts her head thoughtfully. ‘They both wanted you to leave. But I told them that if they kickyouout, they’ll have to kick me out too, and they obviously don’t want to loseme—’
‘Obviously.’
‘—so it’s all agreed: you’re staying.’
She beams at me, pleased with her work.
‘Thanks,’ I reply, not sure if I should be happy to be staying, or worried that Sabrina and Dante only agreed to it under duress. ‘That’s .?.?. great.’
‘It was the least I could do after you saved my life,’ Bex says, getting to her feet. ‘I wouldn’tactuallyhave gone, obviously, because I do really want to win the competition, but they don’t know that, so it all worked out. I’ll never forget what you did, though, Rosie. Never.’
I watch as she heads for the door, still pale, but looking a little more like her old self now that she’s got this apology out of the way. She sounds totally sincere but, then again, she always sounds sincere in her videos too, and now I know how fake they are.
‘Um, Rosie,’ Bex says, halfway through the door. ‘Can I ask you a favour?’
‘Sure,’ I reply, hoping it’s not going to be anything to do with Sabrina or Dante, both of whom I’m still scared of.
‘You won’t post that video, will you?’ she asks, sounding almost shy. ‘It’s just, it would be so embarrassing for me. I really don’t want my followers to see it.’
‘Video?’ I frown, wondering if we’re talking about the cucumber again, and what it has to do with Bex and her followers. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Oh. Haven’t you seen it yet?’ she replies. ‘Luna sent it to us both, earlier. She took it yesterday, on the beach.’
I pull my phone out of my pocket, and she gives a little shriek of horror at the sight of it.
‘No, don’t watch it in front of me,’ she begs. ‘I’m just going, anyway. But please, Rosie; don’t post it, OK? I feel silly enough about it already.’
She leaves, and I immediately open up my email app, scrolling quickly past a bunch of Klarna payment reminders and sale notifications until I find the message from Luna.
‘Thought you both might like to have these,’ she’s written, attaching a selection of photos from yesterday’s excursion, which I scroll through quickly, until I reach the video Bex mentioned, which turns out to be the full, unabridged version of her, Hunter and I all thundering along the beach, Bex screaming her head off and looking a lot like a wet tissue, while I come riding bravely to the rescue, at an angle which, thankfully, makes me look fully clothed. It ends with a short clip of Daniel struggling to pick Bex up on the beach after Hunter was forced to release her, and Bex yelling that she’s notthatheavy, her usual Little Miss Perfect act completely forgotten as she screams at her husband.
