Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
DANNY
It felt strange not to be at work on a weekday, but Danny wasn’t in the right frame of mind to deal with people today.
More significantly, Elena. Avoiding her wasn’t overly mature, but it was the safest option until he could work out his next move.
His life was unravelling at an alarming speed and he needed to resolve things fast.
‘Ever heard of the saying “a watched pot never boils”?’
Danny looked up at his best mate sitting across from him at the fancy breakfast counter with a wry smile on his face, sipping a strong espresso. ‘Sorry?’
Hugh nodded to Danny’s phone lying on the worktop. ‘You’ve been staring at that all morning. It doesn’t take a therapist to deduce you want to talk to Elena. She hasn’t called you, so call her. Be an adult and take control of the situation. Resolve this.’
Danny ran a finger around his shirt collar, except he wasn’t wearing a shirt so his fingers met with bare neck above his long-sleeved T-shirt. ‘She doesn’t want to talk to me.’
Hugh took another sip of coffee. ‘How do you know?’
Danny raised an eyebrow. ‘How do I know? She yelled at me. She accused me of being an insensitive bastard and told me her first assessment of me had been correct. I’m a boring suit, apparently, rigid and uncaring.
And to use your own analogy, it doesn’t take a therapist to work out she hates me and she doesn’t want to talk to me. ’
‘She doesn’t hate you.’ Hugh smiled indulgently.
‘She was angry. You had a fight, it happens. It’s what grown-ups do, in case you hadn’t realised.
I hate to break it to you, but if you’re hoping for a relationship where you don’t fight, then you’ll die alone.
Some fights are relationship ending, that’s true.
Others are a blip, a bump in the relationship road that needs careful navigating.
This is not a relationship-ending argument. It’s a blip.’
‘It doesn’t feel like a blip, and we’re not in a relationship.’ Danny got up and refilled his mug from the fancy machine that made a loud hissing noise when it dispensed coffee. ‘It feels terminal.’
‘That’s because you’re out of practice. When was the last time you fought with a woman?’
Danny rested his hip against the counter. ‘Not since Maisie.’
‘My point exactly.’ Hugh swivelled on the high stool to face him. ‘That was nearly two decades ago. View this as a learning curve. Face the issue head on and deal with it.’ He held Danny’s phone out to him. ‘Call her.’
Danny shook his head. ‘I can’t.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because the problem hasn’t gone away,’ he said, returning to the breakfast counter. ‘I’m still representing Sofia’s employers at the ET hearing. The minute she knows that she won’t listen to anything else I have to say.’
Hugh tilted his head. ‘Have you considered withdrawing from the case?’
‘Of course I bloody well have, I’ve thought about little else.’ So much so, it had kept him awake all night. ‘Especially now I know Sofia’s the woman Connor’s interested in. Talk about rotten coincidences. I mean, what were the chances?’
‘It’s unfortunate, I agree, but surely the solution is simple. Withdraw from the case.’ Hugh rested his forearms on the countertop. ‘It’s a conflict of interest, if nothing else.’
‘It would be if I’d formally acted for Sofia, but I merely gave her some off-the-record advice about contacting ACAS,’ Danny replied, morosely.
‘I never discussed the details of her case and I wasn’t ever appointed as her solicitor, so the grounds for claiming a conflict of interest are flimsy.
I doubt a judge is going to appreciate my withdrawal based on the fact that I fancy the defendant’s sister. ’
Hugh sighed. ‘It’s a little more than that. It sounds like you’re making excuses.’
‘Maybe, but when you agree to a cancellation slot it’s bad form to back out, you’re obliged to continue with the case. If I quit now, I’ll piss off the court staff, alienate my client and ACAS, and be liable for everyone’s costs. Not to mention the damage it’ll cause my professional reputation.’
‘All irrelevances if you site a conflict of interest.’ Hugh took another sip of coffee. ‘Are you sure there isn’t another reason?’
Danny folded his arms. ‘Such as?’
‘You’ve been on your own for a long time, Danny. You were resistant to dating. Being with someone is scary, and exposing, and it renders you vulnerable and open to heartbreak. You said it yourself, it’s easier to live alone than be in a relationship. It’s the safer option.’
‘Your point?’
Hugh shrugged. ‘Maybe this is your subconscious giving you a way out. You’ve listed the professional reasons why withdrawing from the case wouldn’t be in your best interests, but what about the personal fallout?
What impact will continuing with the case have on your relationship with Connor?
And if Connor and Sofia become a couple, how do you think your actions will impact on the relationship you have with them?
You risk losing not just Elena over this.
’ Hugh’s expression turned serious. ‘So, let me ask you this: which is more important, your career or your family?’
Danny glared at his best mate. ‘You sound like Elena.’
Hugh smiled. ‘Have you considered she might be right?’
Danny lifted his hands in the air, exasperated. ‘Why d’you think I feel so crap?’
Hugh slid Danny’s phone across to him. ‘So call her. Resolve this.’
Danny rubbed his face, weary beyond belief. He felt trapped between two opposing decisions, damned either way.
The front door slammed and a flustered Connor appeared in the kitchen, looking upset. His hoodie seemed to swamp him, and he looked like a small child standing there, wounded and tearful.
Parental instinct kicked in, and Danny jumped up from the breakfast counter and raced over. ‘Connor, what’s wrong?’
Connor moved away before Danny could reach him, heading for the opposite side of the breakfast counter, creating a barrier between them. ‘You’re representing Sofia’s employers at the ET hearing?’
A weight fill Danny’s stomach. He’d hoped to break the news himself. ‘I was planning on telling you—’
‘When?’ Connor was vibrating with anger. ‘When were you going to tell me? After you’d won the case and ruined Sofia’s chances of getting her job back?’
Danny flinched at the angst in Connor’s voice. ‘I was going to tell you today, after I’d worked out what to do about the case.’
‘Worked out what to do?’ Connor’s hands laced into his wild curly hair. ‘You mean you’re considering going ahead? Even now you know who Sofia is?’
Danny glanced at Hugh, hoping for an ally, but Hugh’s ‘I told you so’ expression left him in no doubt he was fighting this argument solo. ‘It’s complicated.’
‘Complicated?’ Connor began pacing. ‘It’s not complicated. It’s cruel. You’d be deliberately hurting the woman I’m in love with.’ His voice broke on the word love and he slumped against the counter.
Hugh leaned across and rubbed Connor’s back, providing the comfort Danny wanted so desperately to offer but couldn’t. He’d become the enemy. It wasn’t a great feeling.
‘You love her?’ Danny’s voice was barely a whisper.
Connor rubbed his eyes harshly. ‘Not that it matters. It’s over. She knows about what happened. Everything’s ruined.’ The sound of his sob broke Danny’s heart.
Hugh continued to comfort Connor, offering soothing noises.
Danny wracked his brain, trying to work how to deal with the situation. ‘Sofia knows? How did she find out, did you tell her?’
Connor shook his head. ‘I never got the chance, her sister told her.’
Connor’s words struck hard.
Elena had told her sister about Connor’s past? After he’d specifically asked her not to and she’d promised to keep quiet? A buzzing sound began ringing in his ears, the pounding like a repetitive hammer striking over and over.
Connor leaned into Hugh for support, the only thing seemingly keeping him upright. ‘I knew this would happen. She says she doesn’t care, but how could she not? She’ll never look at me the same way again. I’ve blown it.’
Hugh stood up and pulled Connor into a hug, rubbing his back and continuing with the soothing noises. ‘It’s okay, Connor. I’m sure if you talk to her and explain—’
‘What’s the point?’ Connor pulled away. ‘There’s no chance she’ll want me now, not after learning about the ET hearing.’ He turned to Danny, his face drawn and tearstained. ‘Besides, you’re dating Elena. You don’t need me complicating your life for you.’
‘I’m not dating Elena,’ Danny assured him, even though his brain was still tied up in knots trying to process Elena’s betrayal. ‘She ended things when she found out I was representing Sofia’s employers at the ET hearing.’
‘I’m not surprised!’ Connor slapped his hand down on the countertop. ‘You’ve upset Sofia. You’ve upset me, and now you’ve lost Elena. And you’re still going through with it? Jesus! What’s wrong with you?’ He ran from the room and headed upstairs, hurdling the stairs two at a time.
The silence that followed was almost as bad as the yelling. It felt like a part of Danny had disappeared along with Connor upstairs. They never fought, not like this. It was torturous. And people wondered why he’d avoided dating? This is what happened when you let your guard down. Chaos ensued.
‘It’s okay, I’ll deal with this.’ Hugh followed Connor upstairs.
Danny let him go. He knew Connor needed space, his presence wouldn’t help or reduce the tension, it would only inflame things further.
Besides, he had his own anger to deal with.
Grabbing his keys and phone, he left the house, his disgruntlement increasing with every step. Every second that ticked by, he sped up, reminded of what Elena had done. The anger bubbled inside of him, fuelling his outrage.
So much so, that by the time he reached the building where he worked, the pain of her betrayal had morphed from shock into full-blown rage.
So what if he was a suit? At least he’d never deliberately hurt anyone. If that was what being ‘open’ entailed, he’d rather stay closed off and rigid. It was safer that way.
He was in such a state, he hadn’t thought through his actions, and it was only after he’d entered the building he realised Elena was on the second floor, and if he was going to confront her then he needed to use the elevator or climb the stairs.
Fine. Whatever it took.
He was so mad, he wasn’t going to let his anxiety stop him.
Despite this show of rebellion, it didn’t stop the onset of panic consuming him as he jabbed the button and waited for the elevator to arrive. The familiar clawing of unease prickled over his skin, sucking the air from his lungs and creating beads of sweat on his forehead.
In an effort to distract himself, he jogged on the spot and shook his arms, like a boxer prepping for a fight. He was primed and ready for battle.
He was puffing heavily by the time the door pinged open. Without paying any attention to his surroundings, he propelled himself forwards and nearly collided with Elena as she stepped out of the elevator.
He swore loudly and careened backwards.
Elena dropped the heavy holdall she was carrying, which landed on her foot. ‘What the hell, Danny? Watch where you’re going!’ She began hopping about, rubbing her foot.
As bad as he felt, there was no way he was going to let her take the high ground and steal his thunder. It was his turn to be mad. He’d earned this.
‘I’m sorry about your foot,’ he barked, not sounding sorry at all, and still jogging about trying to channel his anger. ‘But that’s what happens when you mess with people’s lives. There are consequences. People get hurt!’
Elena drew back, looking somewhat confused. ‘What are you on about?’
He pointed a finger at her. ‘You had the audacity to barge into my office and accuse me of betraying you by representing Sofia’s employers.
Even though I had no say in the matter, and it’s what I do.
It’s my damn job. But no, as far as you were concerned it was the biggest crime on the planet, and it warranted you calling me a boring suit.
You accused me of being a lowlife and deliberately hurting you and your sister, which is absolute bollocks! ’
‘Whoa, calm down.’ Elena lifted her hands and took another step backwards. ‘Where’s this rage coming from, Danny? I’ve said my piece, it’s done. There’s no need to go over it again. What’s the point? We’re over. Finished. Why are you bringing it up again?’
He was physically shaking. ‘Because however much you think I betrayed you, it doesn’t compare to the way you’ve betrayed me.’
Her eyes grew wide. ‘How have I betrayed you?’
‘You told Sofia about Connor’s secret.’ He could barely get the words out.
She looked shocked. ‘I didn’t—’
‘Don’t bother denying it. Connor’s just told me. How could you, Elena?’ His hands went into his hair. ‘You know how fragile he’s been, how he’s struggled. How could you be so cruel?’
She flinched.
‘And after I’d specifically asked you not to tell anyone. You go and tell the one person Connor feared finding out.’
‘Danny, I didn’t—’
‘He’s in love with her, did you know that?’ He lowered his hands, rubbing his sweaty palms on his jeans. ‘Connor is head over heels in love with Sofia, and I’ve just left him at the house bawling his bloody eyes out because you told Sofia about his past before he had the chance.’
Elena stepped forwards. ‘Danny, I promise you—’
‘I don’t care that you betrayed me. I get it.
You wanted payback. Fine. Do what you want to me, I can take it.
But to hurt Connor like that is unforgivable.
’ He shook his head, trying to hold it together.
‘What did you say me the other day? “When presented with the option to do the decent thing, you didn’t take it.” Well, neither did you, Elena.
You’ve also displayed your true self, as you put it.
And you’re right, I am a boring suit.’ He opened his arms. ‘I don’t like mess and drama and chaos in my life.
You want to know why? Because someone I love always ends up getting hurt.
And this time, it’s Connor. And that’s something I can never forgive you for. ’
Leaving Elena looking dumbstruck, he turned and walked away, mostly because he’d choked on his final words and he feared he was about to mirror Connor and start crying.
He hadn’t cried since the night Connor had nearly died, and he had no desire to repeat the act now.
Certainly not in front of the woman he’d stupidly fallen for.
This was why he avoided drama. It bloody hurt too much.
His phone pinged with a message from Hugh.
We have a problem. I can’t find Connor. He left the house while I was in the loo and he hasn’t taken his phone or keys with him. I’m worried.
Danny stopped walking.
His worst nightmare was happening all over again.