Chapter 53
As soon as Kitty left, Nick slipped out the back entrance of the pub and waited.
When she walked down the narrow path that led to the beach, he followed, glancing behind him to make sure James hadn’t had the same idea.
He kept enough distance on the curving path that when Kitty looked over her shoulder to check no one was following her, she didn’t spot him.
Nick waited a few minutes before running after her.
Kitty must have been walking quickly because by the time his feet met sand, she was a distant figure on the empty beach.
She’d taken off her sandals, and they dangled from her fingers as she splashed her way along the shoreline.
From the amount of spray pluming around her, he assumed whatever James had said had left her pretty riled up.
He jogged towards her, and when she turned at the sound of thudding feet on the wet sand, her mouth fell open in an ‘oh’.
‘Nick, what are you doing here?’ she asked.
He stopped a few metres away. Kitty’s eyes were red and puffy, distorting the smattering of freckles on her cheeks. Her hair was in a messy halo around her head. Her forehead creased in a frown as her lips turned down.
‘I wanted to make sure you were all right,’ he said.
‘And why wouldn’t I be?’ sighed Kitty.
‘Because you just met up with your ex. The ex you told me you’re frightened of. The ex you thought followed us home from the hospital. The ex who left a note on your windscreen.’
‘I also told you,’ said Kitty, her voice rising, ‘I had to deal with this alone. Have you been following me?’
‘No, no.’ Nick took a step back, ignoring the cold seawater which was soaking through his trainers. ‘OK, fine.’ He threw out his palms. ‘I confess. I was sitting inside the pub, keeping an eye… to make sure nothing awful happened.’
‘What?’ Kitty let out a harsh laugh. ‘You’re my knight in shining armour, are you? You thought I might need rescuing?’
‘Hang on,’ said Nick. He felt miffed. He might love the woman standing in front of him, but there was no denying she was being unreasonable. ‘After everything you told me about James, what did you expect me to do? You were walking into the lion’s den. You needed someone to watch your back.’
‘I needed to be left alone,’ said Kitty. ‘God, why can’t you all leave me alone?’
‘All?’ said Nick, stepping toward her. ‘Are you seriously lumping me in with that idiot ex of yours?’
‘Of course not,’ she said. ‘That’s not what I meant. I told you I needed space, and from where I’m standing, you’re not giving me any.’
Her words stung. She might as well have slapped him across the face.
‘I was only trying to look out for you. What’s he doing here? Why did he want to see you?’
‘Not that it’s any of your business,’ said Kitty, ‘but I’ll tell you if it’ll get you off my back.
’ She stared out to sea, her lips pressed tight.
When she spoke, her voice had softened. ‘He came to tell me that my stepdaughter is… she’s ill…
very ill. They don’t know what’s wrong with her, and it’s a huge worry.
She’s been in and out of hospital, and I feel awful I haven’t been there for her. ’ Kitty gazed at the sand.
Nick wanted to comfort her. ‘You understand that’s not your fault, right?’
‘I left her.’ Kitty’s tone silenced the arguments on his tongue.
He tried a different tack. ‘Could he be lying?’
‘I can’t be sure,’ said Kitty, glancing out to the waves again. ‘I doubt he’d make up something like that. Too low to stoop, even for James.’ She let out a wobbly breath. ‘I feel terrible that I left her.’
‘Did she live with you? When you were with James, I mean?’ asked Nick.
‘No,’ said Kitty. ‘She came for weekends. That’s hardly the point though, is it? Just because you’re not with someone twenty-four-seven doesn’t mean you don’t love them.’
Her cheeks turned pink, and Nick wondered – no, he hoped – the sentiment might be directed at him. But her next words pushed any foolish nonsense from his mind.
‘I need time to think about Rae,’ said Kitty, ‘and you’re not helping standing there giving me the Spanish Inquisition.’
‘I’m trying to help,’ said Nick. ‘I’m trying to be a friend.’
‘Well, I don’t need friends,’ said Kitty. ‘I’ve managed without friends for the past five years. And I’ve done fine.’ She straightened, glaring at him. ‘I didn’t have friends when I had to escape London. I did that myself. And now I need to deal with this alone. Why can’t you understand that?’
‘I do,’ said Nick. He reached out to take her hand. She pulled away, half turning her back on him.
‘Shouldn’t you be getting back to Emily?’ she said.
Nick winced. ‘That’s a low blow.’
‘I’m right, aren’t I, Nick?’ said Kitty.
‘Emily should be your priority, not me. I told you if anything happened between us, it would drag you into my mess, and I’m being proved right.
’ She waved her hand as though she was shooing chickens.
‘You need to leave, Nick. You need to turn and walk away and forget all about me. Whatever there was between us is over. Over. Do you understand?’ Her voice hardened.
‘I don’t want you calling at my house. I don’t want you watching me through pub windows.
I want you to get on with your life, concentrate on your daughter, and leave me to live mine. Am I making myself clear enough?’
‘Crystal,’ said Nick. Over. Just like that. As if none of it ever mattered.
Cheeks smarting from humiliation, anger and pain, he pivoted on his heel and trudged along the beach toward the school field.