AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No, not at all. I wanted to hear your voice.”
“Why? You’ve got Jess’s squeaky voice in your ear all day now. Isn’t that enough?” That was the thing that had tormented Kate the most after their split. How could he have left her for someone with a voice so high pitched it could break glasses? Surely that would be a deal breaker for any sane human being?
“There’s no need for that.”
No need? Kate felt there was every need, the familiar anger of the past few months bubbling up once more. Kate waited in silence until Alex was forced to break it.
“Look, Maddie told me you’re leaving. What the hell are you thinking, Kate? Is this a reaction to us?”
Bloody cheek of the man. “No, Alex, it’s not. Funnily enough I’m not still pining over you and basing all my life decisions on my toad of an ex.” That wasn’t strictly true, not the pining bit anyway, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of letting him in on her true feelings.
“So what happened? You’re not really going, are you?”
“I’ve got a house, is what happened. And yes, I am going. I’m leaving today.”
“But you can’t!”
“Really?” Kate spat the word, despite the deep breaths she was taking to remain calm.
“No, I didn’t mean… I just meant…”
“Spit it out.”
“I’ve still got your jumper. You know, the mustard one I bought you for your birthday? I thought you might want it before you go?”
Kate loved that jumper. She regretted leaving it behind to spite him every time she felt a chill in the air. A nice thick jumper would be useful in the draughty Bodmin house.
“You can post it to me.”
“Come on, Kate, don’t be ridiculous. Posting it would cost a fortune. Can’t you come over and collect it?”
“Fine. It shouldn’t take me long to pack up here. I’ll be over around two-ish.”
“Great, it will be good to see you again...”
Kate’s thumb hit the red button and cut him off.
CHAPTER SIX
IT ONLY TOOKa few hours to clear the house, load the van and leave the flat presentable enough to get her deposit returned. Kate checked her watch. One-thirty. She decided to head straight to Alex’s rather than hang around the depressing flat longer than necessary. Alex was spitting mad when she rented a flat on the next street to his. Kate enjoyed watching him squirm every time she bumped into him in the corner shop, small victories and all that. A few times she saw Jess in there, but found a good hiding spot nestled between the wine and frozen ready meals. It would be too humiliating to confront the upgraded woman in Alex’s life.
Kate’s steps slowed as she neared the house, a house that had been her home for the best part of a year. Tears pricked her eyes as she remembered Alex talking about starting a family, what colour they could paint the nursery. They even argued over baby names. Sadness was no use to her now. She needed to turn it into fighting fuel, anger. Far crueller than his affair had been Alex’s ability to raise her hopes. She had truly believed she would get the kind of family she’d longed for. How gullible can a person be?
He must have spotted her from an upstairs window, for before she reached the door, it was flung open. There he stood in his M&S lambswool jumper and chinos. (Never trust a man in chinos was Flo’s motto.) His hair had that carefully coiffured just-out-of-bed look that, from experience, Kate knew would have taken him the best part of an hour to perfect. She wondered if he’d been away, as his face was bronzed, making his blue eyes all the more startling.
Before she could stop him, Alex grabbed her by each arm and planted a stubbly kiss on each cheek. He held her at arm’s length, studying her face. Kate looked away, refusing to meet his intense gaze.
“Darling, you look so tired. What’s all this nonsense about moving away? Mid-life crisis?”
“You said you had my jumper?”
“Don’t be like that. How about a coffee? You can tell me all about your plans.”
“I’d like my jumper please, then I need to be on my way. I’m meeting Maddie in a bit.”
“Oh, you know what Maddie’s like, always late. Come on in, I can’t remember where I put the jumper, so you may as well have a coffee while I look.”
Kate knew that was bollocks. Alex was a neat freak, on at her all the time about her mess, despite how hard she had tried to tidy up after herself. She contemplated waiting on the doorstep, but part of her was curious about what Jess might have done with the place.
