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Carts’ face lit up.“Hi.”
Judith opened her mouth, the words about to tumble out, when the toilet flushed.Carts’ gaze flicked past her shoulder, a sharp crease forming between his brows.The creak of the bathroom door, then footsteps strolling along the corridor.
“You’ve got company.”Carts’ voice was strangely expressionless.
“I—oh.No.I mean yes, sort of.But he’s just leaving.”It was almost unbearable seeing the deep pain in Carts’ eyes as they met hers.She longed to reach out, but it seemed like a huge void yawned between them and there was no way to cross it.
Then her whole body jolted as a hand landed on her shoulder.“Hallo there.”Biscuity breath stirred her hair.“I’m Mark and you are…”
Carts’ head jerked like he’d been punched.He swept a hand across his forehead, stepped back and almost stumbled on the stone wall next to the path.“Obviously, not good timing,” he mumbled.
Yanking his collar up, he turned and strode down the path.
The words screamed inside her head.No, no, no.
Pitching headlong after him, she grabbed his arm as he reached the gate.“Please don’t go.”
Carts stared at her hand, then at her face.But it was like he didn’t see her at all.“I’ve got the message, Judith,” he said quietly.
“No, no you haven’t, it’s not how it looks.”
He paused, hunkering into himself as if barricading against a storm.“I’ve made a fool of myself before in a situation like this.”His mouth twisted into a bitter little smile.“And you know what I’ve learned?”He tugged his arm gently from her grip.“It’salways worsethanit looks.”
