Read Online Accidental Reunion by Carol Marinelli - Free Book Online Page A

Declan’’ and the next minute you’re slapping my face. I’ve had a bellyfull of you, Lila Bailey. I’m up to here with you.’ His hand jabbed at his neck.
    ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me, my drunken housemate needs a lift to the casino and the obliging guy I am looks like I’m going to be playing taxi.’
    ‘Your housemate?’
    Declan paused, his shoulder rigid as he turned. ‘That’s right.’
    ‘But I thought…’ Lila said slowly. ‘I mean, Yvonne said that you and she…’ Her voice trailed off.
    ‘Yvonne said what?’ His voice was suddenly menacing. ‘Come on, Lila, Yvonne said what exactly?’
    ‘She said that you were on together, that you were living together.’
    ‘She said that?’
    Lila nodded.
    ‘You didn’t mishear. I mean, you didn’t just take it the wrong way?’
    The shock in his voice was so raw that unless Declan had done a double degree in drama and medicine, Lila knew this was a revelation.
    She shook her head grimly as he stood there, staring at her. ‘No, I didn’t mishear, Declan. Yvonne was very clear in what she said.’
    ‘But why would she say such a thing?’
    ‘You tell me.’ Although Lila had been proven wrong the animosity of the argument still hung in the air, the anger of a few moments ago hadn’t quite abated. ‘Perhaps you led her on, too.’
    ‘Led her on? Is that what you think I did to you? When am I supposed to have led you on, Lila? Come on, you can’t throw a pearl like that at me and not back it up.’
    ‘Let her think you cared about her, loved her even.’
    His whisky was sitting on the wall and he reached for it. Swirling the amber liquid around the heavy glass, he shook his head. ‘Perhaps I did,’ he said slowly. ‘Maybe I should have seen this coming, but to compare Yvonne to you and I…’ He exhaled deeply. ‘Well, it doesn’t compare.’ He looked up, his eyes dark hollows in the shadows of the night. ‘The difference is I did love you, Lila, did care about you.’ He moved forward an inch. ‘The saddest part of it all is that I still do…’ He laughed, but it was so shallow Lila knew he didn’t mean it.
    ‘I really ought to give her a lift, though, or heaven knows where she’ll end up.’
    ‘Oughtn’t you to take her home?’
    ‘She a big girl, she can take care of herself. And anyway, Mr Hinkley’s pretty gone himself so I doubt he’ll even notice how out of it she is. I’d better go now…’ But he didn’t move. Lila could hear him jangling his car keys in his jacket pocket as if weighing up whether or not to continue. ‘Come on,’ he said eventually. ‘I think we need to talk.’
    Yvonne really was the worse for wear. Thankfully she had extracted herself from the party and was sitting somewhat forlornly on one of the planters at the front of the hotel.
    ‘You stay with her,’ Declan instructed. ‘I’ll go and bring the car around.’
    ‘Would you rather we get a taxi?’ Lila suggested. ‘In case you’ve had too much to drink.’
    She had seen him angry, seen him annoyed and irritated, but she had never seen such contempt emanating from the steely grey eyes as he faced her. ‘Lila,’ he said, his voice deathly quiet, his cheeks quilted with tension, ‘I did grow up. I’m not the twenty-something medical student you seem to recall. I’m an emergency registrar now. Do you really think I’d be so stupid as to get behind the wheel loaded?’
    ‘Of course not. I was just making sure.’
    ‘Well, there’s no need. Unlike some people I could mention, some of us grew up a while ago.’
    As he stormed off to the car park she stood there trembling and confused. Somehow she had got it all wrong.
    ‘I’m sorry.’ Yvonne’s voice broke into her confused thoughts. ‘I’ve ruined your night.’
    Lila sat down on the planter beside Yvonne. ‘Don’t worry about it. I think it was ruined long ago.’
    ‘Declan’s going to be furious with me…’
    ‘If it’s any consolation, he’s furious with me as well.