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I leave the shower and catch my phone flashing on the nightstand. It stops just as I approach. On the screen, it says I’ve got four missed calls. I’ve had it on silent for days but I have been checking it, so these must all be recent.
Yep. They’re all fromher.
I tighten my towel and take a seat on my messy pile of bedding, dialling her number.
She answers, “Oh, finally woken up after your sexathon, have you?”
“I was busy,” I growl.
I swallow. How would she—
He’s there?
“You’re on speaker with us, love. Now, tell her what you just told me, Albie, dear.”
Knives of fear drop into the bottom of my gut and I don’t like her celebratory tone, almost like she kept a trump card all this time and finally, she’s had to use it.
“We shouldn’t see one another again, baby. It was a mistake. You should walk away. Get free while you can.”
The tremor in his voice tells me how upset he is. What does she have over him?
“I’m going to murder you, Sharon,” I promise. “I’m going to actually murder you.”
“If I’m lying six feet deep then I can’t send this £5,000 severance cheque your way, can I?”
The pained noise that comes out of me, a gasp, maybe a gulp, perhaps a mixture—makes Albie kick something. I hear piles of things in her office topple over.
“I’ll take the money,” I ground out.
“Good girl, you know it makes sense. I’ll have someone send all your bits and pieces over. I’m sure we’ll easily find another PA. Maybe the next one ought to be a bloke. Someone whose legs remain firmly shut.”
“Sharon,” he warns, his voice so gravelly, even I’m scared—on the other side of a phone call.
“I want to say something before I never see either of you ever again.”
“Make it quick,” she spits.
“You’ll get what’s coming to you,Shazza.And you, Albie? There aren’t enough words in the English language. Goodbye!”
I hang up, my entire body shaking violently. I cry like I just waved goodbye to my only chance at happiness.
I know without the shadow of a doubt, I’ll never ever love anyone quite as I love him.
I knew it, I always knew this would happen.
I should have known better.
Part Two
The Rebound
Chapter One
The twenty-third of December and none of us will be in the office tomorrow. I ought to be ecstatic about that. Ought being the operative word.
The whole team finished early today and took off to the pub for festive drinks late afternoon, then Miles and I sloped off together when people started to depart for families, other parties, journeys to their loved ones in other boroughs, cities or counties, etcetera, etcetera.
I’m not quite sure how I got here, to be honest.
