The Perfect Retreat

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN




Kitty sat despairingly on the bed where she and Ivo had spent the afternoon in bliss.

‘Why did you tell them?’ she asked for the thirteenth time.

‘Because I had to stand up for you,’ he explained patiently.

‘I didn’t want anyone to know,’ she cried again, shaking off his arm when he tried to comfort her. ‘Now everyone knows that I’m stupid.’

‘Nobody thinks you’re stupid; just that you can’t read yet.’

‘I won’t ever be able to read,’ she said, and she stood up defiantly. ‘And you know what?’

‘What?’ he asked, her swollen eyes and pale face breaking his heart.

‘It doesn’t matter. I’ll be a cleaner or something,’ she said.

‘How will you read the instructions on the bottles?’ he asked gently.

‘Then I’ll be a chef.’

‘How will you read the recipes?’ He looked at her little face and wanted to kiss her, but he knew she would push him away.

‘I’ll find something to do, something that doesn’t require f*cking reading,’ she said, and she walked to the door.

‘Where are you going?’ he asked.

‘Back to Middlemist,’ she said, nervous at facing Willow – that was, if she was still there. She had heard the way Merritt had told her to leave, and it broke her heart.

‘What’s there? I’m here,’ he said, suddenly fearful.

Kitty looked him in the eye and set her small shoulders. ‘I know you thought you were doing the right thing, but I can’t forgive you for telling everyone, including that awful Eliza, the most gossipy person in the world.’

‘Kitty please,’ implored Ivo. ‘Don’t do this.’

‘You did this Ivo,’ she said, and she walked out of the room and down to the bus stop to wait for her ride. If she could read then she would be able to pass her driving test, she thought to herself, and then she wouldn’t have to sit at the bus stop like some sort of sad backpacker.

Ivo chased her across the street. ‘Why are you punishing me when all I did was try to help you?’ he demanded, his face angry.

Kitty saw the bus coming in the distance and felt in her pocket for some loose change.

‘Just leave me be Ivo, it’s not like we were ever going to be forever anyway.’ She turned to him.

‘Why not?’ he asked. ‘Why do you even assume that?’

‘Because I know about you and your life, and there’s no room in it for an illiterate girl, I’m guessing,’ she spat at him.

‘Well I guess you’ll never find out, will you?’ he yelled at her.

The bus pulled up and Kitty got on. She paid her fare and sat down at the back, away from the side Ivo was on.

Ivo jumped onto the steps.

‘Fare please,’ said the driver.

‘Um, I don’t have it. Can I pay you back tomorrow?’ asked Ivo.

‘No fare no ride,’ said the driver, looking ahead.

Ivo swore under his breath and stepped off the bus. ‘You’re making a huge mistake Kitty!’ he yelled, and she looked away as the bus pulled onto the road.

I already made it, she thought, when I let you into my life. And she steeled herself for her reunion with Willow.