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‘Running,’ she said without thinking.
Eloise waited.
‘I used to get him to run to and from school. We’d race. Even if we’d had nothing to eat, he was like a whippet. I never let him win but as soon as I shouted “go” he’d run like the wind. Whenever I caught him up, his face would be flushed, he’d be panting, but his eyes would be alive with happiness as though he’d just managed to outrun the devil. I always did it to make him smile.’
‘And that’s how he looks now,’ Eloise said, nodding.
Kim felt the sob rising in her throat. She desperately wanted to believe Eloise, but there was a major obstacle.
‘I had an incident recently. I was—’
Eloise held up her hand to stop her speaking. ‘You have questions?’
‘Just one?’
Eloise’s eyes crinkled at the corners as she met Kim’s gaze. ‘He knows and he understands. He said to tell you, he will be.’
Kim allowed the sob to escape from her lips as Eloise leaned back into the pillows with a contented smile.
Within seconds, her breathing signalled that Eloise was in a deep sleep.
Kim was in no rush to leave.
She sat back in the chair and enjoyed the feeling of warmth from the gift she’d just been given.
‘I love you, Mikey,’ she whispered and for once she felt sure that he’d heard.
EIGHTY-TWO
Terence Birch zipped up his jacket as he leaned back against the wall.
Although the curtains were closed, the light was on and he could see shadows moving around inside the room.
He already knew her routine from the lighting switching on and off throughout the flat.
She got home from work, removed her satchel and coat in the kitchen before heading into the bedroom to get changed. The light wasn’t normally on long enough for her to be showering but he suspected she liked to have one before dressing for work. There was an eagerness in her to shed the work day, instantly revert to her home self. Once they were together, he’d make sure her favourite outfit was clean, pressed and waiting for her on the bed. Their bed.
Next, she would have a glass of wine, either with that foul woman or alone. He made a mental note to find out her favourite wine and send her a bottle. It was easy enough to file through someone’s rubbish and find out pretty much everything you needed to know: what food they liked; where they did their shopping; what they bought from Amazon; the soap they liked to use; little lists of things to do; letters with appointment dates and times. Not a clean task but one he was prepared to do every day so that he could plan for their time together. Such a gesture, such effort, would just prove to her how much he already loved her. Even more so after their recent encounter.
He smiled as he remembered the spirit she’d shown. How she had pretended to be angry with him but secretly she loved the attention. She thought he didn’t know but he had done this dance before. He knew the steps and he would lead because that’s exactly what she wanted him to do.
The whole exchange had reminded him of his time with Charlotte. Oh, Charlotte, how he missed her, but she would understand that it was time for him to move on. She would forgive him. Destiny was not aligning their stars, and he needed another love in his life. Someone who could brighten his days just as she had.
This new love would not be as pure and gentle or comforting as it had been between him and Charlotte. He could feel that already. This attraction would be more passionate, fiery. There would be heat, flames, aggression. He felt excitement stir within him at the thought of it.
His love for Charlotte had been formed of pastel rainbows and hearts; images of moonlit walks, summer picnics, laughter and light before going home to tender caresses.
His attraction to Stacey was darker, filled with black and red explosions, pain, rage, lust, desire. He could feel the heat that would engulf them and he relished it.
He sighed, feeling the anticipation build within him.
He stared hard at the window, willing her to appear, to see him, appreciate him.
She hadn’t yet looked out of it.
Eventually she would, and then she would know.
They were meant to be together.
* * *
