AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Finally, I angle my neck so I can see his face and say, ‘Well. That was nice.’
‘Nice?’
His eyes widen, and for some reason I give a little snort of laughter, and then we’re both laughing, tittering like naughty school children until eventually he wipes his eyes and grunts.
‘Urgh, my leg’s gone to sleep. Shift, Ellis!’
I sit up and we both grope for our clothes which are scattered across the floor, and pull them back on. Then we look at each other again, a little sheepishly this time.
‘Erm … do we need to talk about this?’ I say. ‘I mean, Megan … I feel dreadful …’
‘I think Megan and I might be done, actually,’ he says quickly. He’s standing up, refastening his belt buckle, and he sits down heavily on the sofa and reaches for his half-full glass of champagne. He takes a mouthful, swallows then adds, ‘I just don’t think we’re on the same page. She’s been going on about us moving in together, as you know, and …’
He pauses, takes another drink, then continues.
‘Well, I like her and everything, and things were going really well for a while, but now I just don’t know … Sorry, Mary, I’m not explaining this very well. But I think this’—he gestures vaguely at me, and then at himself—‘well, this just proves it, I suppose. I can’t be in love with her if I’ve just done that with you, can I? And we need to talk about what’s just happened, yes. But maybe not right now? I think I need to end it with Megan first, and then … God, I’m not looking forward to that though.’
He sighs, looking anguished, and I sit down beside him and squeeze his hand. I’m not sure how I’m feeling.Do I want Pete and me to be a thing now? Or did I just need sex, something to take my mind off everything that’s going on?I’m so confused. I really have no idea, but I look at Pete, my lovely, lovely friend, his head in his hands now, and I feel a wave of sympathy.
‘Look, don’t stress about it tonight. You and I are fine, OK? We don’t need to talk about this now at all. And just sleep on it, the Megan thing. We’ve been drinking, and you’ve had a long week, and things will be clearer in the morning. Are you seeing her tomorrow night?’
He nods.
‘Supposed to be, yes. It’s one of her mate’s thirtieth birthday, and she’s rented a private room at Hotel du Vin for a bit of a party. Ahh, shit, Mary. You’re right. Let’s have another drink and I’ll forget about it ’til tomorrow. And you’re sure we’re OK? It’s a bit of a weird one, you and me, after all this time, isn’t it?’
He raises an eyebrow and gives me a cheeky grin, and I smile back.
‘Very,’ I agree. ‘But, well, it’s just one of those things, isn’t it? Let’s not analyse it too much, not tonight. Go on, top me up.’
He taps his hand to his forehead and stands up.
‘Aye aye, cap’n,’ he says, and I laugh.
We settle down again, and I decide that, having not wanted to talk about it earlier, this might actually now be a good time to finally tell Pete what I’ve decided to do on the 1st of April, so I do. His eyes widen as I explain that I’m not going to go anywhere; that I’m going to stay here and let the killer come to me, if he dares. For one crazy moment, I wonder if I should just carry on and tell himeverything, the whole truth about me and my life; tell him that I’m not Mary Ellis at all, and that’s why I’m taking this chance. But the moment passes, and I know I can’t. How can I, after all these years? It would be impossible, horrendous. So I just tell him that I’m going to risk it. That the killer will obviously know the police will be waiting for him, and that if he comes after me anyway and is apprehended, what a story it will make. And that the police are currently making plans and will fill me in as soon as they can. At this point, he raises a hand.
‘Well, I hope those police plans include me staying here in the house with you, because there’s no bloody way I’m going anywhere.’
My stomach rolls.
‘Pete, look, that’s so lovely of you. But I don’t know … I mean, the police …’
No!I think.No! How can I tell the killer I’m not Mary Ellis if Pete’s here? I should have known he’d offer to stay. I didn’t even think …
‘Mary, I’m staying with you, end of. Don’t ask them,tellthem, OK? You’re the one putting your life at risk here so they can catch their killer. Although, as you say, he’s going to know they’re going to be protecting you, isn’t he? I don’t really understand how he thinks he can get to you.’
I swallow hard.
OK. It’ll be OK. It will look too odd if I say I don’t want him here. I’ll find a way round this somehow. Don’t panic. Don’t. Panic.
‘Right, well, I’ll have to run it past the police, but … thanks Pete,’ I say. ‘And yes, we’re just going to have to wait and see, I suppose. I’m trying not to think about it too much, to be honest. One day at a time, you know?’
There’s silence for a moment, Pete nodding slowly. The he leans towards me, and his lips brush my cheek, before he sits back against the cushions again.
‘OK,’ he says. ‘But it’s a lot, all this. So, I’m here, right? For whatever you need, over the next few weeks. You only have to ask.’
His gaze is fixed on my face, and he looks so serious suddenly, an intense look in his eyes that I’ve never seen before. Still trying to calm myself down, I stare back at him, and a shiver goes through me.
Why is he looking at me like that? Is it lust? Fear? Or something else?
Then he smiles.
‘Right, Mary Ellis. Time to open that last bottle, I reckon.’
He leaps from the sofa, and heads for the door.
