AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Costa...’ she tried one last time.
Mary turned and saw that Yolanda was crying and couldn’t manage the door. In silence he went over and saw her out.
‘She broke down in tears halfway up the mountain and told me what was happening back here,’ Costa explained when he returned to the bedroom, his face the colour of putty. ‘Things going missing, Nemo ran a background check...’
‘But I have no background.’
He just stood there.
‘Costa...’ She took a breath. ‘You know I’ve never slept with anyone else and you know I’d never steal.’
He would not even attempt to unscramble that one. He was cross, for there was drama, and there was panic, and all of this he most definitely did not want.
He had flown down that hill in a fury when Yolanda had confessed, and still he could not catch his breath...
‘We could have met when the ancient civilisations built that pool and I still would not have worked you out by now.’
He looked at the bed and the jewels and the watch and the shells and the scatter of sand. He was cross still, but for different reasons than he’d expected.
‘Surely you could have come to me if you needed more?’
But Mary clearly had more important things than money on her mind and she snapped, ‘How does Yolanda know about our agreement?’ She felt ill at the very thought.
‘I don’t know.’
He surveyed her half-packed cases and figured she’d been about to do a runner with the items. He thought of the plans he’d had for tonight and suddenly felt like the biggest fool who’d ever lived.
‘You were clearly about to leave.’
‘Yes.’ She was all shrivelled up inside again; all the confidence she had found had simply evaporated, but there was anger brewing too.
The injustice of it all! Costa stood, watching, as she started to put the rest of her things in her case. She did not cry, nor try to defend herself. Instead, her face was pinched, and he felt sideswiped again.
Because instead of feeling his usual world-weary indifference, he was crushed. He couldn’t summon up an angry word, nor bear to see her out to the car.
Costa took hold of her shoulders. ‘Mary, listen...’
He had never felt this close to anyone—never wanted to be this close to anyone...never been so desperate not to lose someone... He had never had to ask a woman to stay in his life. Usually he was the one ensuring they would leave as soon as possible.
‘Look, I’m not going to lose you over Yaya’s earrings. She was a miserable old cow...’
Not going to lose her?What was he talking about?
She was shaking now with anger and shame. ‘We can get past this,’ he told her.
‘Your mother won’t.’
‘I love her, but I long ago stopped answering to her. All that matters is us and that I forgive you.’
‘How generous of you,’ Mary sneered.
‘What the hell?’
What had he done wrong now? Because whatever it was she was shaking off his touch and pulling on her clothes.
‘I’m telling you that we can get past it, that—’
‘I don’t need you to forgive me, Costa.’ He watched her snarl. ‘I needed you to believe me. Isleptwith you...’
