AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She giggles and takes his hand, pointing to the screen. “It’s coming on, look, Unky Cam!” It's my turn to bug my eyes now. Unky Cam. Hell no!
“Beau, sweetie, he’s not your uncle,” I say quietly and move to take my seat. Emily passes my prosecco, and Cam stares right at me, Beau’s little hand in his larger one.
“How was your first day at big school?” Cameron asks.
Beau wipes at her hair, and Cameron tucks it away, his other hand looking far too big in her tiny lap. “My teacher likes to read!” she replies. “I played with Grace.”
“She showed me the picture she painted.” Cameron's eyes flick between my little girl’s and mine, as I sit ramrod straight in my deck chair.
“And I painted too,” Beaus chirps.
“Wow. I’d love to see it!”
“Oh god, in coming,” Emily whines quietly. I look up to see his wife storming over.
“Please leave before your wife gives me more attitude.” I use my glass to indicate she is coming. He doesn’t even flinch.
“Enjoy the film, Beau.” He removes his hand and slowly stands, holding my gaze. “Nadine’s not my wife.” He sighs before turning and walking the short distance to where she is.
He takes her hand and steers her away. I watch them go for a minute, then look to find Jeremy. I see the back of his head over the top of a seat a few chairs in front. It’s ridiculously self-absorbed of me to think I'm the cause of his and Cameron’s fallout, but I wonder if that's why they share a common distaste for one another.
“Well, that was something,” Emily comments, sipping her glass.
“What was?”
“He wants you.”
“What?”
“Don't ‘what’ me.” She laughs. “Cameron isn’t over you, Holly.” I gawp at her.Cameron!
“Give up. Cameron can't stand me and?—”
“Because he can't have you.”
“He’s in a relationship,” I whisper. “It’s old news. I'm old news. You’re reading into it all wrong,” I tell her and grab the prosecco and fill my own glass up.
“Okay.” She smirks.
“You are,” I protest.
“Uh huh. Oh, look at the film starting. No more talking,” she tells me, and Beau shushes me when I open my mouth to argue more. I roll my eyes and drop back in my chair, annoyed.
We don’t speak any more of Cameron. Halfway through the film, Beau scrambles into my lap, and I wrap us up in my blanket. “Can I have a cake?” she asks me tiredly. I nod and handher a fairy cake. When I look around, I find Cameron watching me briefly.
I stare at the big screen, not seeing the movie.
“I'm going to whip home to the loo.” Emily grimaces. “I don’t want to break the seal, but I'm desperate.” Her legs are crossed tight, and she shifts uncomfortably.
Laughing, I find my shop keys. “Go in the shop, it’s nearer,” I offer and hand the keys over.
“Thanks!” she winces and scuttles off quickly. The film is ending, and Emily isn’t yet back, so I start packing her things away when I see her walking across the green with Grace in her arms. The little girl is snuggled into her chest and Emily is smiling happily.
I lift her handbag, showing her that I'm putting her things away when Dan charges over and rips Grace from her arms. “Get the fuck off of her!” he bellows, shoving Emily hard. She stumbles and trips over a tree root, screaming out in pain. Oh my god!
“Mummy!” Beau cries at Dan’s loud boom. Swinging her up in my arms, I run over.
“What on earth, Dan!” I snap, rushing to Emily whimpering on the floor, tears pooling in her eyes.
