Promises in Moonlight

Part 28

Seth rubbed the back of his neck. "Evie, what the hell was that about?" Seth turned to face his wife. He couldn't understand why Evie had not run after her friend, and apologise. "She's your friend, Evie. A good loyal friend." 

"Not if she's going to hassle you. That is not a good, loyal friend. And she has no right to hassle you. And don't tell me she wasn't doing that. I heard her." Evie told him, and she was still really angry with Gabriella. Her thoughts were spinning in her head. She knew that Ella was not happy about her marrying Seth and she was furious when she heard that Seth give Jane a valuable trinket just before he married Evie. But even so, Evie was shocked to hear Ella lecturing her new husband.

He rubbed his jaw and was not sure how he could recover this situation, with a win-win for Ella and Evie. "Gabriella, you know she was protecting you. Evie, come on, you know that."

"I don't need her lectures..."

"Evie!" He ran fingers through his hair, "She was not lecturing she was telling me to my face..."

"That doesn't make it right." Evie cut him off. But she knew she reacted badly when she heard Ella.

"I asked her!" Seth sighed. He was not sure how he was going to recover this situation.

Evie rubbed her ear, "Still..."

"She's one of your best friends. I know that. You know that."

"Not anymore." Evie snapped.

"Evie! Come on."

"I won't have her call you a fuckwit! She has no right to say that."

He asked, sighing, "Hear anything else?"

"No." She muttered. Wondered whether there were more damaging insults.

Seth sighed again. "A pity." He came toward her. He cupped her face, and tipped it so that their eyes met, and his rueful smile accompanied his statement, "I called her a shrew." Evie's eyes widened. Seth's smile grew, "She called me a lying bastard." He snorted. "I called her a frigid bitch. A cold-hearted venomous Barbie doll!" Evie blinked. Seth smiled wryly, "So I'd say I'm ahead on the insult quota!"

"She had no right." Evie said with less heat.

"Gabriella had every right. She's your friend. A true friend. Willing to stand up for you." He tugged her arm. "Come on. We need to go find her and apologise." He hugged her to his side, "And what was that crack about David. She looked upset."

Evie cringed. She should never have said that. And in the back of her mind, she was starting to worry, that what she said, would have long term impact on her relationship with Ella. Ella was careful with her social circle and was very selective in choosing her friends. And Evie was pretty sure the circle of friends were people who were the outsiders. Amelia was very clever, and she went to university when she was very young which meant she had very few friends. Mallory was ballet dancer who had an accident that ruined her career and she returned to her home town where most people remembered she shunned a local man and both left the town, and now both were back. Ella was beautiful, but was good at holding her admirers at arm lengths, and was obviously avoiding David. Ella had been here for just over two years, and during that period she had adopted Amelia, Mallory and her. 

"I was stupid. I should not have said that." Evie 

"But obviously it has clout. She was visibly upset." He drawled, "Why?"

"I am not sure. Well, not sure." She knew a bit about it, but she was not sure that Ella would want her to share it with Seth, given she already called him a fuckwit!

"But you have some idea." he asked silkily, "You know it, right?"

"Yes."

Seth raised a single eyebrow, "But..."

Evie interrupted, "I think I have already said too much today." Evie mumbled. 

Seth ignored that statement. "I am waiting for your explanation."

Evie sighed, "You will have to ask her. Or David." Evie said. 

"Another cryptic statement, Evie?" He mused.

She glanced at Seth. She hoped he would help her, because she knew she would need his help to get Ella back onside. Of course, she would need Seth to apologise too, but to do that, they both would need to persuade Ella to listen to their apology.  "Would you mind if we go find her? I need to apologise to her. And I would need to you to also apologise too. Face to face. Is that ok with you?"

Seth nodded. "Yes. I must apologise about the scene back there, and what I said, and the fact I encouraged the shambles. I prodded her. She was not talking. I asked her for her opinion, and when it was negative, which I was expecting, I reacted. "

Evie smiled, and said reassuringly, "I am sure she would accept your apology," and she froze. As her statements to Ella repeated in her brain, and Evie was pretty sure she had burnt her boats. She glanced at Seth and her eyes revealed her concerns, " Not sure she would  accept my apology."

"What makes you think she would accept mine but not your apology." He said dryly but his eyes watched her eyes. And her eyes showed she was worried.

She smiled at him weakly, " Because you are not in her friend circle! She knows me. And she knows I put you before her. That I did not wait to hear the reasons, and what was said, before she insulted you. That I supported you." She muttered." I am such an idiot."

"I am pretty sure she, like everyone, would expected you to support your new husband!" 

"Yes. But I did not support her either. She is a good friend." Then paused then grudgingly admitting, " As you said, she was protecting me. I could have thanked her, to tell her that I appreciated her standing up for me, but that I also expect my friends to support my husband and not lecture him." Evie groaned. "Instead, I basically told her, that she does not count. That her view, her defence for me, was not welcomed. That she was not counted in my heart or brain. That you do. But not her. I was such an idiot! She has always been a good friend to me. I never had to hide my true personality."

"Your true personality? Being what exactly?"

"Illusion, that being poor is ok." She mumbled. "My public moods, my attitudes, and my opinions are influenced by the fact I am poor, so I rarely argue with anyone! But below that, I want to discuss things, really discuss things. I want to share my attitudes and my opinions, and challenge other people if I do not agree with their views.  But I only do that with Ella, Amelia, and Mallory.  Ella liked me, the real person. Even though she is beautiful, can afford to dress with the recent, current fashions, and she had no concerns about people seeing me in her company and had no concerns if I argue with her. We talk about things, and if we do not agree, we argue but has no effect on our friendship."

"Well, in that case, given you have just had an argument with her, so I am sure she will accept your apology."

"No, not sure about that. What I said to her, was not an argument, I was cruel. I was really stupid. I was just lashing out. I just need to see if she will accept my apology."

"Ok. We should go." Seth said, and Evie nodded. " And we find her and we can both offer our apologies and if needed, stay until she accepts it!" Seth teased.

They tried her home. She wasn't there. They tried Amelia's place. She wasn't there. By the time they returned to the house, Evie was mortified by her behaviour. She phoned and left a message on Ella's answer phone. And in the back of her mind, she knew she had lost a friend.