‘Spying onus,’ Sam interjected, making herself appear the injured party.
Alex shifted uneasily in his seat.
‘No. If it hadn’t have been for trying to find my bracelet I would never have even looked at the recording.’
‘So you looked. What did you see?’ Sam folded her arms, waiting for Lisa’s response.
Lisa swallowed.
‘Me … taking the bracelet,’ Alex’s voice came out as an uneven whisper.
Sam looked at Alex taken aback, while Lisa nodded silently.
‘What?’ Sam’s cheeks flushed as she looked at Alex, and then at Lisa. Her reaction confirmed she had no idea Alex had taken the bracelet, or what to say next.
‘Do you still have it?’Please say yes.Lisa hadn’t thought that he might have discarded it, until now.
Tears formed in Alex’s eyes as he nodded.
‘But, why? Whywould you do that?’ Sam turned from Alex to Lisa. ‘He’s never taken anything before.’
Lisa thought about the engagement ring and wondered if that was true.
Alex took a shaky breath. ‘I saw it in the kitchen. It’s got Nate and Uno on it.’
‘Yes, Nate showed us. You remember how happy he was when he bought it for her?’
Knowing Nathan had shown her bracelet to Sam and Alex stung alittle, but Lisa welcomed the fact Sam acknowledged it made him happy to get it for her.
Alex nodded.
‘Then why would you do this, after all he’s done for us? How do you think Nate will feel about you taking it?’ Some of the anger had gone from Sam’s tone. As confusion took over, she looked at Alex questioningly.
Lisa was surprised. She had seen Sam as an enemy over the previous months,not truly recognising her role as Alex’s mum and Nathan’s friend.
‘Sad. Angry,’ Alex mumbled.
‘I don’t think he’d be angry,’ Lisa interjected. ‘Though he might want to know why?’
Sam looked gratefully at Lisa before turning her attention back to Alex. The boy bit his bottom lip. Lisa wondered if it might bleed as his teeth sunk in turning the pressure points white.
‘I would liketo know why, too,’ Sam added.
Alex sniffed. He looked at Lisa. ‘Because she’s taking Nate away from us. He won’t have time for us when she lives here with the baby.’ Alex pointed an accusing finger at Lisa’s bump. ‘She already made him change the house, and we won’t be able to stay any more.’
‘Alex, you know Nate will always have time for you. He loves you.’ Sam put her hand on the boy’sleg.
Lisa didn’t know what to say. She had spent weeks thinking that Sam wanted to infiltrate her relationship with Nathan and hadn’t stopped to consider the impact her presence might be having on the relationship he already had with Sam and Alex. Had she pushed them out? Should she have tried harder to get to know them properly? Lisa thought about the day she had returned to find a semi-nakedSam in Nathan’s flat. On that day at least, Sam had intended to make her feel uncomfortable, of that she was sure.
‘But it won’t be the same.’ A single tear spilt from Alex’s eye.
Sam slipped her hand around the boy’s shoulder. ‘No because things change, and people change.’ She looked at Lisa. ‘But change can be a good thing. There’ll be a new baby, but you can teach it the things Natehas taught you, like how to surf – when it’s older.’
‘And there’ll always be a place here for you to stay, not in a separate flat but in the house. We’ll have spare rooms,’ Lisa added. ‘Nathan would be sad if you couldn’t come to stay again. And I want him to be happy. Don’t you?’
Alex wiped his hand across his face. ‘Yes.’
‘Then you’d better give Lisa her bracelet back.’ Sam spokecalmly but decisively.
