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Authors: Sheila Bugler
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surge of loathing hit her. The breath left her body. She pictured herself knocking him to the ground and punching that ugly face of his. Hitting him over and over, smashing his features, turning him from man into bloody, pulpy mess. Saliva filled her mouth and she had to swallow several times.
He was on the other side of the road, head down. He didn’t see her. At the front door, he paused and looked around, like he was searching for something. Like he knew she was right there, across the road, watching him. She hunkered down behind the car, waited until she heard the front door open and slam shut before she got up.
At the house, she rang the doorbell again. She pictured him inside, hearing the bell and wondering who was there. They never had visitors. Another thing that had ended when her mother left. He said he preferred it like that. Didn’t like any unexpected interruptions to his days.
Well he was about to get one heck of an interruption today. She smiled. Was still smiling moments later when the front door opened and there he was, mouth opening and closing ashe tried – unsuccessfully – to say something.
‘Hello, Adam,’ she said. ‘Surprised to see me? I’ve got a bit of news for you. Mind if I come in?’
His mouth was still moving, but there were no words. Pathetic. She stepped forward. His eyes flitted past her, like he was looking to see if there was someone who might help him. There was no one, of course. She could have told him that.
Thirteen
She needed to get out of the office. Away from Nathan. He was driving her mad with his endless chat and his overly attentive questions. ‘Are you okay?’ ‘Are you sure you wouldn’t rather go home?’ ‘How about a nice cup of tea?’
How about you go away and give me some space to breathe, she felt like screaming at him. But she knew that wasn’t fair. He was being kind and good because he was a kind and good person. It was just, sometimes, he could be a bit full on.
When lunchtime came around, she told him she needed to pop out to the chemist. It wasn’t true, but she knew it was the only way to make sure he didn’t offer to come with her. She made a show of putting her hand across her stomach, implying it might be her time of the month. He’d be mortified if he saw her buyinga packet of tampons.
It did the trick. He smiled and told her to take her time and she was out of there before he had a chance to change his mind. Except now, walking around the shops on her own, she sort of wished she’d let him come with her.
She couldn’t shake off the feeling someone was following her. Eyes watching her, burning into her back. She kept stopping and turning around suddenly, scanning the faces in the crowd, watching to see if there was anyone she recognised.
Outside, it was sunny but cold and she had wrapped up warm. Here in the shopping centre, the air-conditioning was set to high and the heat was making her feel sick. She unbuttoned her jacket and loosened her scarf, but it didn’t seem to make much difference.
A big woman brushed past her, banging into the shoulder already sore from last night. Chloe swayed, but managed not to fall. Further along the row of shops, a man was standing near the entrance to Holland and Barrett. She wouldn’t have noticed him at all but his jacket was familiar. A pale blue Ralph Lauren blazer. Everything shut down. Her breath caught in her throat, legs refused to move. She stood frozen to the spot.
When he smiled, her stomach folded in on itself and she couldn’t stand. She tried, but there was no strength left in her body to keep her standing. The shopping centre seemed to tilt and shift sideways but she knew it wasn’t the building that was moving, it was her.
As she fell, Ricky started walking towards her, still smiling.
A hand grabbed her arm, steadying her. A man’s voice asked if she was all right. Carl. He held onto her, steered her across to one of the benches that formed a line down the centre of the
He was on the other side of the road, head down. He didn’t see her. At the front door, he paused and looked around, like he was searching for something. Like he knew she was right there, across the road, watching him. She hunkered down behind the car, waited until she heard the front door open and slam shut before she got up.
At the house, she rang the doorbell again. She pictured him inside, hearing the bell and wondering who was there. They never had visitors. Another thing that had ended when her mother left. He said he preferred it like that. Didn’t like any unexpected interruptions to his days.
Well he was about to get one heck of an interruption today. She smiled. Was still smiling moments later when the front door opened and there he was, mouth opening and closing ashe tried – unsuccessfully – to say something.
‘Hello, Adam,’ she said. ‘Surprised to see me? I’ve got a bit of news for you. Mind if I come in?’
His mouth was still moving, but there were no words. Pathetic. She stepped forward. His eyes flitted past her, like he was looking to see if there was someone who might help him. There was no one, of course. She could have told him that.
Thirteen
She needed to get out of the office. Away from Nathan. He was driving her mad with his endless chat and his overly attentive questions. ‘Are you okay?’ ‘Are you sure you wouldn’t rather go home?’ ‘How about a nice cup of tea?’
How about you go away and give me some space to breathe, she felt like screaming at him. But she knew that wasn’t fair. He was being kind and good because he was a kind and good person. It was just, sometimes, he could be a bit full on.
When lunchtime came around, she told him she needed to pop out to the chemist. It wasn’t true, but she knew it was the only way to make sure he didn’t offer to come with her. She made a show of putting her hand across her stomach, implying it might be her time of the month. He’d be mortified if he saw her buyinga packet of tampons.
It did the trick. He smiled and told her to take her time and she was out of there before he had a chance to change his mind. Except now, walking around the shops on her own, she sort of wished she’d let him come with her.
She couldn’t shake off the feeling someone was following her. Eyes watching her, burning into her back. She kept stopping and turning around suddenly, scanning the faces in the crowd, watching to see if there was anyone she recognised.
Outside, it was sunny but cold and she had wrapped up warm. Here in the shopping centre, the air-conditioning was set to high and the heat was making her feel sick. She unbuttoned her jacket and loosened her scarf, but it didn’t seem to make much difference.
A big woman brushed past her, banging into the shoulder already sore from last night. Chloe swayed, but managed not to fall. Further along the row of shops, a man was standing near the entrance to Holland and Barrett. She wouldn’t have noticed him at all but his jacket was familiar. A pale blue Ralph Lauren blazer. Everything shut down. Her breath caught in her throat, legs refused to move. She stood frozen to the spot.
When he smiled, her stomach folded in on itself and she couldn’t stand. She tried, but there was no strength left in her body to keep her standing. The shopping centre seemed to tilt and shift sideways but she knew it wasn’t the building that was moving, it was her.
As she fell, Ricky started walking towards her, still smiling.
A hand grabbed her arm, steadying her. A man’s voice asked if she was all right. Carl. He held onto her, steered her across to one of the benches that formed a line down the centre of the
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