Chapter 25
TWENTY-FIVE
We walk in silence back to the house, each of us with our own thoughts.
I’m reeling from all he’s just told me. Do I believe him?
I think I do. He couldn’t have made up what he’d said about Natalia, the way she was, the issues she struggled with, on the spur of the moment.
As for his aggressive reaction to all that Lina had said, she’d accused him of killing Natalia at the end of the day. Hadn’t he every right to be furious?
After a moment, he slows his walk to a stop and I turn to face him.
‘So, do you still want to be with me?’ he asks.
There’s such uncertainty in his eyes, I don’t feel I can stay angry with him.
I love him, even through all the confusion and the hurt.
He didn’t tell me everything, but I suppose he would have been embarrassed, perhaps telling me as much as he thought he should on a need-to-know basis.
He was right about Lina. Before she’d crash-landed into our lives, loving each other, being with each other, had seemed the most natural thing in the world.
‘I’m not going to run away at the first blip,’ I assure him. ‘Albeit a complicated blip.’
His taut body relaxes a little. ‘It’s certainly that,’ he concedes.
‘I’m having a baby,’ I remind him, reaching for his hand and bringing it to my growing bump. ‘And I happen to be in love with his father.’
Relief floods his features, swiftly followed by surprise as he feels our baby say hello by way of an energetic kick. ‘He’s moving,’ he says, looking at me in wonder.
‘Frequently,’ I tell him.
Jack’s mouth curves into a delighted smile. ‘Thank God for little miracles,’ he murmurs. He hesitates for a beat, and then moves towards me, wrapping his arms around me and pressing his forehead to mine. ‘Thank you,’ he says throatily, ‘for not running away. I wouldn’t have blamed you.’
As he holds me, I lean into him. I can trust him, I reassure myself, working to oust the doubt that’s been niggling away at me. ‘We’d better go back inside,’ I suggest.
‘I suppose,’ he agrees reluctantly. A frown crosses his face as he looks past me to the house. ‘I have a feeling we’re being watched,’ he says.
I twist to follow his gaze, just in time to see the front door closing, and trepidation creeps through me. ‘Do you think that was Evie?’ I glance anxiously at him.
‘Possibly.’ He looks perturbed. ‘She must have wondered where we’d got to.’
‘Do you think she might have heard our conversation?’ I ask, a new worry surfacing. I desperately don’t want her to be further affected by all of this.
He shakes his head. ‘I don’t think so. We were far enough away from the house. At least I hope not,’ he says, his thoughts obviously on a par with mine.
‘Did Lina know about Natalia?’ I ask him before we go inside. ‘She said you were claiming she had mental health issues, but she was adamant she didn’t.’ I’m fishing out of concern for Evie, wondering how much Lina is likely to tell her.
‘Honestly? I think she turned a blind eye to it,’ Jack replies with a sigh. ‘If she didn’t know, it will be because she didn’t want to.’
Once we’re through the front door, I head straight for the lounge, where I almost leap out of my skin as I see Lina standing stock-still at the back of the room, her small frame partially obscured by the stairs. ‘Is everything all right, Lina?’ I ask, forcing a bright smile.
Lina doesn’t answer.
‘Everything’s fine,’ Evie assures me, giving me the briefest of glances as she appears from the spare room. ‘She’s nervous, that’s all.’
Going to Lina, she wraps an arm around her and steers her back to the spare bedroom. Nervous of Jack? I wonder, my own nerves still jangling. Distractedly, I turn to head back to the kitchen, and my heart jars as Jack yells, ‘Evie! Why the hell have all the gas rings been left on?’