AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Quick as a flash, I stepped back and pulled the door closed.
I could feel my heart thudding against my ribcage.
Had she seen me?
What the hell was shedoinghere?
My mouth felt as dry as dust. I’d been living in dread of seeing anyone I knew from my old life – for one reason and one reason only: I didn’t want Nash to know where I’d moved to.
He’d already been back a second time to Milo’s, looking for me, although luckily, I was out that time. Jaz had answered the door and she recognised Nash from the time he came round that night yelling threats and banging on the door. She’d told him she didn’t know where I’d gone exactly but she thought I might be staying with friends in Cornwall. This was quick thinking on her part. She’d obviously remembered I’d told her that my best friend from school now lived in Truro. Nash would know this, too, although he’d have no idea where exactly she lived. So there was no danger of him hot-footing it down to Truro to try and track me down.
But now, Janey – who I’d got to know through Nash – was right here in the café!
I stood outside the door, my mind racing, feeling trapped. I couldn’t go back in. Janey had been Nash’s friend first so her loyalty would likely be to him. She’d be sure to report back to him that she’d seen me here...
Janey and Nash had had a fling before I met him but it hadn’t lasted, although they’d stayed friends, and the last I’d heard, Janey was still going out with her new boyfriend, Lance.
At first, when I’d started seeing Nash myself, I’d worried there might still be something between him and Janey. Nash always claimed he was the one who broke up with Janey. But after a while, when I’d got to know what Nash was really like, I’d begun to suspect that maybe it was Janey who’d ended it. And I’d been right. Months later, I’d learned from Janey herself that it was she who’d called time on their relationship. She’d decided she couldn’t cope with his endless dark moods and explosions of anger, and that being friends with him was far better all round.
Sensible girl . . .
I hadn’t actually seen Janey and Lance since the day last summer when we’d walked up to Tumbling Dell Waterfall together. It was the night after the terrible fire and I was still in a real state, so when Janey had suggested I needed to get out, I’d agreed immediately.
She and Lance would have heard from Nash that we’d since split, but I hadn’t told anyone who knew Nash – including Janey – where exactly I was living.
What if she’d seen me coming down from the flat?
Janey was lovely but she had no clue about the trauma I’d been through with Nash. She might have suspected it was his mood changes that caused the split, but she’d gone out with him for such a brief time, I doubted she’d have any idea of the terror he’d stirred in me, the frequent target of his terrifying rages.
What if Janey told Nash, in all innocence, that the Little Duck Pond Café was where he could find me?
*****
I couldn’t go back downstairs. Not until Janey had gone.
I couldn’t face her questions. And the fear that she’d reveal my whereabouts to Nash was churning my insides up and making me nauseous.
Feeling terrible for lying, I texted Milo and said that an emergency with my sister Blossom had come up and I needed to talk to her, but that I wouldn’t be too long. I knew he and Ellie had plenty to talk about. Then I slumped down on the sofa, lay back and stared miserably at the ceiling, hoping Janey wouldn’t stay too long...
CHAPTER SEVEN
It was the day of my first art class and I was trying to psyche myself up to go along.
But giving myself pep talks about already being fairly good at painting watercolours just wasn’t working. I wasscared... scared of getting out there among strangers who’d judge me... scared of being useless and making a fool of myself... just scared of everything these days, really...
I’d managed the work at Roastery by volunteering to carry out the tasks in the kitchen that no one liked doing. It suited me well because it meant I didn’t have to be out on the floor, greeting the customers and serving them their drinks. Milo could tell I was terrified at first and he was really kind and made allowances for me. If it had been any other job, I’d probably have been sacked on the first day. Now, working mostly from home meant I was in my safe place, so I felt much better.
But as I forced myself to walk over to the village hall, my heart was pounding so hard, I worried it was about to make a break for it and burst through my chest.
I hesitated at the door and – hearing the chatter and laughter coming from inside the hall – I almost lost my nerve altogether. But a little voice was in my ear, stopping me from walking straight on, past the building, instead of going inside. The voice was struggling to make itself heard over the din of self-doubting chatter that was going on in my head. But it made sense.
If you walk away, Nash has won.
Don’t let him stop you getting on with your life!
I swallowed hard, took a deep breath and walked into the hall.
The room where the art class was happening was cosy and welcoming. Children’s paintings – bold and colourful – were pinned up around the walls, presumably the results of thecommunity kids’ art competition I’d seen advertised recently. A dozen or so easels and stools had been set up in the middle of the room, several already claimed by the students. They were smiling and chatting together, so I slipped in and took a seat in the back row, happy to be inconspicuous, but then the teacher – sitting behind a trestle table at the side, reading a pamphlet – noticed me, took off his reading glasses and came over.
