She opened the door and Paul, the other side, beaming one of his smiles her way, looked as though the past six months of separation hadn’t happened at all.
‘What are you doing here?’
‘What kind of a welcome is that?’ He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. ‘I’ve flown thousands of miles to see you.’
His familiar smell enveloped her and she hugged him back, the moment surreal.
‘I got your text.’ He’d closed the door behind them and Amelia was aware of him taking in the fact she was dressed in very little.
‘You could’ve replied rather than fly all the way here. I don’t mean…I don’t mean I’m not pleased to see you.’ Her voice softened and he pulled her in closer. But when he pressed his body against hers a funny sensation zipped right through her. It wasn’t the same excitement as the first time they’d been intimate, but rather a feeling of unease most likely brought on by the fact that this was out of the blue. ‘How did you even know where I was?’ she asked, scrambling for answers as she tried to make sense of this.
‘I called your sister’s number – figured she’d ignore a text – lied and said I wanted to send you a Christmas card. She sounded terrible actually, if you don’t mind me saying, drunk maybe, that or really sick, couldn’t get me off the phone quick enough.’
Connie had never been his biggest fan so no wonder she’d kept the conversation short when he called. But it wasn’t like Connie to party quite so much even if they were coming up for Christmas and it wasn’t like her to give out Amelia’s address without asking questions. Maybe she had come down with the flu rather than a mere cold, but Amelia couldn’t worry about it right now, she had to shake it off, because Paul was here, standing in front of her. A few months ago she would’ve fallen into his arms and not let go but, now, she wasn’t so sure what to do.
‘I got a flight easy enough,’ Paul rambled on, ‘although I had to fly cattle class.’ He shuddered. ‘That wasn’t pleasant, but I’m sure I can book us both into business for the way home. My treat.’ He took in the apartment. ‘This is a nice place, bit shabby but it’s true New York, and nice and cosy for one. My hotel cost a lot this close to Christmas, but it’s huge, great view, you’d love it.’
‘I’m sure I would.’ Did he ever take a breath? And judging by what he’d said about this apartment being cosy for one, he had no idea she was here with Kyle. Connie must have really wanted to get him off the phone.
He stepped forwards, smiling, and cupped her cheek with one hand before he ran it down her neck and across her collarbones. ‘I’ve missed you.’
‘Really?’
‘Don’t sound so surprised. When I got your text…’
‘But you ended it between us, I don’t understand.’
‘Your text said as much.’ He sighed. ‘I guess I didn’t explain myself very well.’
She gripped her towel tighter. ‘Explain it now.’
Taken aback with her serious tone, he said, ‘May I sit down?’
‘I’ll get dressed.’
‘Don’t, the towel suits you.’
‘I’m being serious, Paul.’ Maybe she’d forget getting dressed, she wanted him to talk, now. ‘Why did you end it between us? You said we wanted different things. That I always put everyone else first.’ Why couldn’t he have turned up in England and done all this? Perhaps then she’d have some idea how she felt. Why couldn’t he have talked before she’d moved all her things out of his place, before she’d been so emotionally confused that it had begun to impact her work life too?
‘I told you the way I felt at the time. I was being honest.’
‘So it was about me putting my family first all the time.’
‘Family, and work.’
‘It’s my job, you must get that.’
‘Kind of, but I always worried about you too, some of the families you were involved with…’
‘Families who’ve had a tough time.’ Who weren’t born into money, with two parents who stayed the course, without family in their corner. She’d never told him about the black eye she’d got trying to restrain a teen who was out of control and taking his anger out on chairs and tables in the community centre, throwing them around as though they were confetti. A chair had clocked her high on the cheekbone and the bruise had come up a treat. Paul had been away on a work conference for a fortnight and so by the time he returned the swelling had decreased and the discolouration was easily covered with a good dose of foundation.
‘You put everyone else before us,’ he claimed again.
She shivered in just a towel, but now he was here, she wanted to process the reasons behind the breakup. ‘So you didn’t think you got enough attention?’
‘You make me sound like a petulant child, Amelia.’
‘I didn’t mean it to sound that way. But I’ve always been the same person ever since we first got together.’
