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‘Come on, then,’ he ordered impatiently. ‘It’ll be pitch black by the time we get to the top if we don’t set off now. And we don’t want to be stumbling around in the dark up there, do we? It’s a long way down...’
*****
Lance took my hand and started leading me along the path that would take us to the top of the waterfall.
The track led steeply uphill and soon I was gulping painfully for air because he was moving so fast, dragging me behind him, my hand locked firmly in his tight grip.
‘Can we slow down a bit?’ I gasped. ‘I don’t work out like you do.’
He laughed and mercifully slackened the pace. ‘That’s true. But now we can work out together, can’t we.’
He said it as a statement, not a question, and panic buzzed in my head.
In Lance’s mind, it seemed we were already a couple. What hope did I have of persuading him otherwise?
I wanted desperately to get away from him. The thought of what he’d do at the top of that waterfall was making me feel a level of fear I’d never experienced before. But he was holding my hand so tightly. I knew he wouldn’t let me go. And he had the car keys, so where would I run to, even if I could? How could I escape from this lonely place in the middle of nowhere? I could try, but if he chased after me, he’d probably find me and I dreaded to think how he’d react...
Finally, we reached the top. Even Lance was out of breath by this time, and he pulled me down beside him onto a rock to rest.
I needed to talk to him... to make his see that what he was doing was wrong.
‘Lance?’
‘Yes?’
‘Was it you I saw in my back garden that night, staring up at my window?’
‘Of course it was. I thought you knew that. You saw me, didn’t you?’
‘But why?’
‘Why do you think? I wanted to make sure you were okay.’
‘So... did you follow me sometimes, at a distance? To make sure I was okay?’
‘I did. I had to make sure Janey didn’t suspect where I was going. I didn’t think she’d understand that I just wanted to protect you from harm, the way that bastard Nash was neverable to do.’ He laughed. ‘You’ve no idea how much persuasion it took for Janey to agree to move to Buntingford. She wanted to stay in Guildford, but I eventually convinced her that country living would be much better for us.’
I stared at him. ‘You moved to be closer tome?’
‘Of course.’
‘And Janey knows nothing of this, obviously.’
He shrugged. ‘Well, she will when she gets back from her mum’s. We’ll be there waiting for her and we’ll tell her together.’
In the silence that followed, my head was reeling. ‘You left me the single flower on the doormat,’ I said grimly. ‘And you sent me the bouquet at the spa.’
‘Yes. I just wanted you to know I was thinking about you.’
‘But Lance, I didn’t even know theywerefrom you. This... this thing between us... it’s all in your imagination.’ I took his hand and squeezed it gently. ‘You do see that, don’t you?’
He snatched his hand away. ‘Don’t do that, Rori. Just don’t do it.’
‘Don’t do what?’
‘Try to pretend you don’t return my feelings. Because I know you do. I felt the connection the day after the fire. I felt it when we werehereand I can feel it again now. And I know you do, too.’
I swallowed hard. ‘But, Lance, we’refriends. That’s all. That day you and Janey drove me here and we hiked up to the waterfall, I was just so grateful to you for caring. Grateful to youboth.’
