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“I think I'd like that. But before we can leave, we need to have a shower and have breakfast.”
“I like the sound of that – especially if that shower has you in it as well!”
Allee giggled, her heart full to overflowing. She could not believe that she had been fortunate to find such happiness. They playfully tussled on the bed before Allee jumped up and ran to her en suite, Noah chasing close behind.
That afternoon, as they sat cuddled up on Allee's couch, Piddle curled up between the two of them, purring contently.
“I was an arsehole,” said Noah, “I couldn't get past how your revelations would affect me and how you might be comparing me to him. I knew it was downright selfish, but it wasn't until you didn't come in to work on Monday that I realised just how badly I'd treated you.” he took a sip of his coffee. “It was the slap in the face that I needed. I can’t even begin to show you have genuinely sorry I am for my actions.”
“It's okay, “she placed her hand over his knee. “I should have warned you, told you that I was going to tell you the whole sordid history, and done it over the weekend, rather than all in one go. That was part of the reason I was so upset. I dumped everything on you without considering how you'd feel about it all. It was cruel of me, even if it was unintentional.”
“Let's just agree that we both didn't think of how the other might feel, and that from now on, we'll both try and be more aware. How does that sound?”
Allee laughed, burrowing into Noah's side with pure contentment. Her pleasure and happiness were echoed by Piddle, who rearranged herself to expose her throat and belly for rubs and scratches, her rumbling purr never missing a beat.
Several kilometres away, near where Allee had first stayed when she'd arrived in Brisbane, Stuart sat on a bed in a motel room, fuming with rage.
He'd turned up late the previous night and had been so tired that he'd booked into the first available motel that he'd found. It was modest and comfortable, but Stuart felt it beneath him. However, he could not justify the expense of a more expensive motel, so he stayed put. He had spent that morning searching for information on Black Bugs Studios and was surprised and even slightly pleased that he wasn't going to need to journey into Brisbane itself to find its office. Since it wasn't too far away, Stuart had decided that he would have an early night before making his way to the Brisbane Business and Technology Park to find a place where he could watch the studio without being seen.
He had been waiting months for this and could feel the fiery fury building inside him from having been foiled in his previous attempts to come face-to-face with his absent and recalcitrant fiancée.
Allee wouldn’t escape this time.
Chapter Sixteen
Late June, Last Year
Stuart had arrived back at the apartment late. He was not pleased with Allee's text but hadn't been able to do much about it. He would make sure that she knew how he felt, although he would need to be careful to ensure that he did not lose control again. Not like he had the last time. He frowned at that memory.
Although he had enjoyed dominating Allee, and teaching her a lesson she would not soon forget, he had been angry at himself for putting himself at such a risk. After he had slaked his lust, he had let Allee go from where she'd dangled against the wall. She had fallen in a heap, and he had walked away to get himself a wine. When he'd returned, she was still slumped where he had dropped her. Stuart had nudged her not that gently with his foot, and her head had lolled back, exposing her battered face and bruised throat. He hadn't even been sure that she had been breathing. When he had knelt to check, he had heard the faint and thready sounds of air being drawn down her bruised windpipe. Stuart had laid Allee on the bed and cleaned her up. He'd left cool, damp cloths over her upper face, as well as over her ribs and stomach.
If his mother ever found out about his violent tendencies, she would convince his father to disown him. His mother wouldn’t risk shame bringing down on their family's name. The cost of such humiliation had tempered his nature to an extent.
Stuart had poured himself a glass of wine and relaxed on the new armchair he'd bought himself. He could not see the cat anywhere, and he was glad. Allee's best friend Cass had presented it to her for her last birthday. Unfortunately, his mother had been present at the time, so he could not actually remove the cat without comment. Stuart hated the thing with a passion, not only because he disliked cats but because it took Allee's focus and attention away from him. Stuart flicked the television on and turned to the 24-hour news channel, as he liked to keep abreast of what was going on. It wouldn’t do to become one of the ignorant masses. It also passed the time until Allee would be home to make his dinner.
Sometime later, Stuart looked at his watch and frowned. Allee should have been home by now. He pulled out his mobile, to find out where she was when he noticed that his mother had left a message. As Stuart listened to his voicemail, his face darkened.
“Stuart dear, is everything alright with Allee?” his mother’s clipped voice seemed worried. “She sent me a text earlier today cancelling our appointment, and she isn't answering when I try to call. Please call me back when you get this.”
Stuart dialled Allee's mobile but only got the pre-recorded message that the phone was either switched off or unavailable. He got up, striding into the bedroom, but couldn't see anything out of place. Back in the kitchen, he realised that the cat bowls were no longer in their usual spot. Stuart raced into the bedroom, going through Allee's drawers and wardrobe space. He couldn't be sure, but they seemed emptier than they should. He then thought about the storage room downstairs.
Running down the stairs, he threw the garage door open and angrily unlocked the storeroom. The boxes, suitcases, and cat-crate were gone. Stuart roared. How dare she leave without his permission?
Turning to walk out, he noticed an envelope addressed to him in Allee's handwriting. Picking it up, he stalked back out of the storage room and up to his apartment. He had to take a deep breath before continuing through his front door, as he did not want his volcanic mood to erupt in public. As soon as the door closed behind him, Stuart ripped open the envelope, feeling as something heavy fell out and onto the floor. It was the ring he had bought for Allee, the huge solitaire chosen for the status it would bring. He picked it up with shaking fingers. She had left it, like a piece of detritus, in an envelope.
Stuart once promised Allee that he'd never let her go, and it appeared that it was time to teach Allee that he always kept his promises.
August, Last Year
Stuart had been unable to do much regarding Allee's betrayal until the second week of August. He had managed to wrangle a long weekend on the pretext of a family emergency, which he used to travel up to where Allee's parents lived. There was no point in speaking to them. Allee would have told them outrageous lies about him to get them to take her side. However, he watched the house driving past all times of the day and night, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. He even tried calling their number, as she had not turned her mobile back on since she'd left, hoping to hear her voice answering. But all this was to no avail. She had obviously hidden elsewhere, as there was no sign of her or the wretched cat.
Stuart had gone back to Albury, impotent in his fury and frustration. Through his friend at NSW Roads and Maritime Services, Stuart learned that Allee's car had been sold, but nothing had come up regarding her driver’s license. His friend promised to let him know if anything cropped up, so he had to be satisfied with that.
Stuart first told his mother that Allee had rushed to Sydney for a family emergency and pretended that all had been well between them. However, when he'd arrived back from Sydney, his mother had appeared at his door. Struggling to control his anger, she revealed that Allee had sent her a letter stating that the engagement had been broken. Stuart's mother had not been impressed at all, as she felt that Stuart should have informed her of such an enormous change and berated him for not anticipating that Allee was unhappy. She said that it was Stuart's responsibility, that he was the one who should shoulder the blame for the relationship's deterioration, and that he should work hard to win Allee back.
December, Last Year
That Christmas had been very tense, as it was supposed to be the first that he and Allee spent as man and wife. He had planned for an October wedding, as he thought the spring flowers would provide a nice backdrop for the photos. As it was, Stuart's mother kept pointedly looking at the empty spot at their table, tutting under her breath on the fickleness of young people these days and how they were not willing to put in the hard yards to make their relationships work. The blame fell firmly on Stuart's shoulders after he had told her that Allee would not return his calls. He had tried to explain that he was the innocent party in all of it, but his mother was not having a bar of it. Allee had driven a wedge between him and his mother, and that was unforgivable.
