The Liberation of Alice Love - Abby McDonald [150]
“You will,” Alice declared. “And guess what? I’ve found Ella, she’s in L. A.!”
Flora gasped. “No!”
Alice quickly explained the accidental discovery, painfully aware that she was due at the airport in a matter of hours. “So, what do you say?” She grinned at Flora. “Come with me?”
A thoughtful look crossed Flora’s face. “No, thanks.” She shook her head slowly. “I think…you better do this on your own.”
“You’re sure?” Alice checked. “It could be fun. I booked the hotel Cassie’s always raving about, and we could do some things together too…”
“No.” Flora smiled. “But thank you for asking.”
“OK.” Alice took a deep breath to calm herself, full of excitement. “I can’t believe I’ve finally found her!”
Flora frowned slightly. “But you’ll be careful? Don’t get your hopes up,” she added quickly. “It’s just…she might not have the answers you want. She did steal from you, remember, and run away. It’s not like she wants you to find her.”
“Relax.” Alice leaned over and hugged her. “I’ll be fine!”
***
Although Alice’s excitement swept her to the airport, Flora’s words returned as she sat, waiting nervously in the departure lounge with a thick stack of magazines and a makeshift dinner of sandwiches and lemonade.
Just what was she expecting from Ella?
Flora was right, of course; Alice had built a whole new picture of who Ella was now, complete with Safe Haven volunteer sessions and regular cookery classes, but in the end, Ella had still betrayed her trust and vanished, leaving debt and destruction in her wake. Alice knew some of her secrets, and the good intentions fueling at least a little of the crime, but if she’d learned one thing, it was that she could never be certain how significant she was in somebody else’s life. She may have spent the past months poring over Ella’s every action with an intensity that almost bordered on obsession, but who was to say Ella had even given her another thought at all? To Ella, she may be just another in a long line of victims, and while Alice had been telling herself that their friendship was genuine, she couldn’t know for sure.
A small part of her wondered whether Ella’s new life could come crashing down as easily as her own.
Alice filed that thought away to ponder during her ample twelve-hour flight time to Los Angeles. She was contemplating one last trip to the bookshop when her phone rang; the display showing a number she hadn’t expected to see. Nathan.
Alice caught her breath. “Hello?” she answered gingerly, turning away from the busy waiting lounge in an attempt for some privacy. Of course, after wanting to hear from him for so long, he would choose now to call, when she was surrounded by impatient tourists and the loud call of announcements. “Nathan?”
There was a pause, and then his voice came, steady and somehow reassuring even after everything. “Hey.” He stopped, and gave a low, rueful sort of laugh. “I’ve been nearly calling you so long, I figured I should just go ahead and dial this time.”
“No, I’m glad you did,” she said quickly. “How have you been?”
“OK, I guess.” Nathan paused again. “I, uh, got your letter.”
“Oh. I wanted to explain,” she said uselessly. “So, you’d understand.”
“Well,” he sighed. “I’m not sure I do.”
Alice felt an ache.
“But I want to.” He added, and just like that, she had hope again. “Do you maybe want to get some coffee? Or a drink. We’re probably going to need alcohol for this,” he added wryly.
“I do, but…” Alice tried to think of what to say, but then a loud blast of the announcement system rang out, demanding that passengers keep baggage with them at all times, otherwise risk controlled detonations and general chaos. Nathan stopped.
“Where are you right now?”
“The airport,” Alice ventured reluctantly. “I…found Ella. I’m going to see her.”
“Alice!”
“I stopped looking, like I told you!” she protested quickly. “But a friend found out by accident.”
Nathan muttered something under his breath. “Have you told the police yet?” he demanded.
“No.