Chapter 7

I’ve been back a couple of days and have pretty much kept my head down, except for the first night when I went to the pub for something to eat. All I’ve done is give the house a good clean and get groceries to stock the empty fridge and cupboards. It was easier to have the food delivered than face the real world. The news of my return will have got back to Drew. What kind of reception will I get from him? I haven’t forgotten the photo of Kate he sent me, still curious as to why he had. My apology has to come with an explanation and a huge dose of humble pie.

It can’t put it off any longer. I have to get it over with. I open my front door and dash to my truck. The weather is foul with the wind and the rain coming straight from the sea. I shake my head to dispel the raindrops, splattering them on the inside of the windscreen. As I search for a cloth to wipe them away, someone pulls up behind me.

It”s Drew.

Is he getting out, or are we having a pissing contest?

After a few moments of him not moving, I get out and walk to him, he switches the truck off and opens the door.

“Would you believe me if I said I was on my way to see you?” I wipe the rain from my face, only to have it get soaked again.

“Actually, I do.” He points towards my front door. “Any chance of us doing this inside.”

“Yeah, probably a good idea.”

When we’re both inside, dripping water on the carpet, silence surrounds us. In the twenty-odd years I’ve known Drew, I’ve never felt as bad as I do now. It’ll be up to me to break the ice.

“Coffee? It’s only instant.” Lame start, but it’s the only thing that comes to mind. I take off my coat and hang it back up, then hold my hand out for his.

“Where have you been? What happened?” Okay, Drew is going in full force. After knowing him all my life, I’m not surprised.

“I did some work for the Forestry Commission. I needed to get away. It seemed like a good idea.” I turn the kettle on and grab the mugs. “What happened? I lashed out, said some dumb things. I was angry, Drew. You’d turned away from me and picked Merrick. Whenever I wanted to hang out or even surf, you couldn’t because you weren’t around. Yes, I was jealous. You’d made finding your man look so easy. I had no clue what I was doing. I’m sorry I was a dick to Merrick and that I said the shitty things I did.”

The kettle clicks off, and I make our drinks, aware of Drew’s eyes on me. When I hand him his cup, I gesture to the living room.

He’s quiet for a long minute. “Thank you for your apology.” He takes a sip but stops when it’s still too hot. “I’m sorry about that. It wasn’t just being with Merrick. The job was huge and took up so much time. I should’ve made time for you.”

Maybe now’s the moment to ask him about the photo he sent me. If I can be honest about how I felt then, he can give the reason behind it. “What was with the photo of Kate? Why would you send me that?”

Drew scrubs the back of his neck. “I know you and she had an on/off thing going. I thought maybe you should know she’s pregnant. Y’know, in case it could be yours.”

“There’s no way. Kate was on the pill, and I always wore a condom. We weren’t into anything serious. I haven’t seen her for months. Where did you see her?”

“She was on the high street by the bank. I didn’t speak to her, though. She looked in a hurry.”

“Well, I haven’t heard anything from her, and I doubt I will now. Good luck to her, although I’m surprised. She always said she never wanted kids. She likes to flit around the world on her parents’ money.”

“You can never say never. It only takes a moment to meet the right person, and your life changes completely. It did for me.”

Yeah, it did for me too. One night with the perfect man, only to be left with nothing but a cold bed in the morning. I went back to the club whenever I could, but he was never there. Sometimes I wish it had never happened. Then I wouldn’t regret falling asleep or not getting his bloody name. But his body, the way he moved under me, over me, was nothing but incredible. I dream of him, of what we did, of how he tasted, of how he looked at me with hooded eyes when he came, shooting cum over his stomach.

I blink the memory away and get back to the present.

“I need to apologise to Merrick too.”

Drew is quiet, sipping at his coffee. Have I hurt Merrick too much to be his friend? He gives me a small smile. “He’d appreciate it. He’s behind me being here. Merrick doesn’t hold grudges. Life’s too short, he says. Look, let’s get together, maybe at the pub, neutral ground, and all that. What do you think?”

“Yeah, that sounds good. Let me know when. Thank you, Drew.”

He stands and claps me on the shoulder. “Hey, we’ve been friends for far too long to let it go over something dumb. We’re good.”

“I saw Stacey and a couple of others the other night in the pub. I’m surprised Stacey didn’t tell you.”

We walk to the front door. “I’ll let you know when we can get a sitter for Willow. Brodie will probably be happy to do it.”

“Yeah, Stacey said something about him, that a friend of Merrick’s had moved down here. A fitness guy or something.”

“He’s cool. He started a running club. You should come along. He’s a hard taskmaster. And hot as fuck, just your type.” Drew waggles his eyebrows.

“I’ll think about it. I’m not looking for anyone right now.” Not when my head is still full of the best and worst night of my life. If only I hadn’t fallen asleep.

“What’s going on? Have you met someone? Spill.”

“Nah, it’s nothing. A hot hook-up one night that’s screwing with my head.”

“That good, eh?”

“Yeah, that good.” I shrug. “The one that got away and all that shit. Add Kate into the mix, and I’m staying away from any drama.”

Drew’s phone rings, stopping me from saying anything else about my fucked-up life. By the soft smile on his face, I’m guessing it’s Merrick. “I can ask him.” He holds his phone away from his ear. “Would you like to come to dinner tonight? Nothing fancy, just a few drinks and some good food.”

Do I? Can I put myself back in their lives again? Only one way to find out. “Yeah, that would be good, thank you.”

Drew confirms to Merrick and ends the call. “Seven thirty tonight. Willow will be asleep by then.” He grabs his coat and runs back out into the rain.

At just after half past seven, I knock on the impressive oak door of Mill House. Drew opens it. “Come on in. You’re the last one.”

The last one? How many people have they invited? I follow Drew through the beautifully restored house. Credit where it’s due, Drew has done an exceptional job. He’s an extremely talented builder, and Merrick obviously has amazing taste and style. And money. Nothing here has been done on the cheap.

We enter a stunning kitchen, where Merrick is talking to Merlin, a new guy I met briefly in the pub on my first night back. “Ivan, it’s great to see you again. You know Merlin, don’t you?”

I nod and shake his hand. “Thanks for the invite. It smells amazing.”

“It’s only lasagne, but thank you.”

I hold out a bottle of wine. “This is for you.”

The hairs on my arms and neck stand up, and footsteps approach me from behind.

“She’s fast asleep, Merr.”

Every synapse in my body is on alert. I recognise the voice. It’s one I’ve had on repeat every night for the last three months. I spin around.

And there he is.