Read Online The Witches of Cambridge by Menna van Praag - Free Book Online
Authors: Menna van Praag
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straight to the bedroom. Then you can tell me your news.”
Tommy stands, still holding his tea-towel, and grins at her. “BBC Films just optioned my book. For rather a lot of money.”
Cosima gapes at him. “Really? Oh, my God, that’s amazing! Congratulations! I’m so happy, I’m so happy for you.”
“For us, Cosi, this means we can buy the flat outright and you can own your café and—”
“Seriously?” Cosima gasps. “That is a lot of money.”
Tommy grins. “That’s what I said.”
“We could use it to pay for IVF, so we don’t have to wait forever.”
Tommy pulls Cosima into a tight hug and kisses her. “Whatever you want, my darling, whatever you want.”
Cosima is sighing a sigh of deep contentment, and thinking that this is the happiest moment of her life so far, when a phone begins to ring. Tommy roots around in his jeans. When he sees the number, he frowns.
“Sorry, sweetheart,” he says, stepping away, “I’ve got to take this. It’s…my editor.”
Cosima nods as he walks out of the living room and into the hallway, and starts unwrapping the champagne. The cork pops across the room when she hears Tommy exclaim then begin saying “Oh, God” over and over again. Still holding the bottle, Cosima hurries into the hallway to find Tommy leaning against the staircase, tears falling down his cheeks.
“What’s happened, my love, what’s going on?” Cosima rushes up to her husband and hugs him. “What’s wrong?”
Tommy pulls away, shaking his head.
“What is it?” Cosima persists. “What’s wrong?”
Tommy crumples onto the stairs. After several very long minutes, he wipes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and looks up at her.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispers. “I’ve done something unforgivable.”
Silence stretches out between them.
“What is it? What have you done?” But, even as she says the words, Cosima knows. She can’t believe it, not for a second, but she knows.
Tommy drops his head to his knees. “It was over. A long time…months ago. It was just a silly flirtation. Nothing was going to happen…”
“But, but, but it did,” Cosima says, unable to understand how she can still speak while her world is falling apart. “Didn’t it?”
Slowly, Tommy nods.
“How…how many times?”
Tommy looks up. “Only once. I promise. It was only once.”
“ Only? ” Suddenly Cosima shrieks, her voice almost as piercing as the smoke alarm. “So, so, that makes it all right? Because it was only once?!”
“No, of course not,” Tommy says, stricken. “That wasn’t what I meant, I just, I just…”
“What?” Cosima’s voice breaks. “You what? You broke our vows. And you’re breaking, breaking my heart…and you what? What are you going to say?!”
Tommy shakes his head and lets out another sob. “I’m so sorry, I’m so, so sorry.”
Cosima looks at him, still unable to believe it. “I don’t, I can’t…”
Her head is spinning, she can’t catch her breath, her palms are suddenly sweaty, and she’s shaking. Cosima starts to hyperventilate. She bends over to drop her head between her knees.
Tommy leaps up and puts his arms around her shoulders. “Oh, Cosi, I can’t, I can’t bear to—”
Cosima pulls away from him as if she’d just received an electric shock. “Don’t. Touch. Me.”
“Sorry, I…”
Cosima shakes her head. “No. You don’t ever get to touch me again. Ever.”
Tommy shakes his head, tears running down his cheeks. “No, no…Please, I couldn’t stand it, I couldn’t…”
Cosima sobs. When she looks at him, all she can see is her Tommy, her boy, her love, and the thing he says he’s done seems suddenly impossible. It was once. One horrible thing. And if she takes it away, if she rubs out the stain and forgets it was ever there, then he’s still as pure and beautiful as the day they met. Once. Only once.
“Cosi…”
Tommy reaches up to her and, all of a sudden, Cosima is overcome with the need to
Tommy stands, still holding his tea-towel, and grins at her. “BBC Films just optioned my book. For rather a lot of money.”
Cosima gapes at him. “Really? Oh, my God, that’s amazing! Congratulations! I’m so happy, I’m so happy for you.”
“For us, Cosi, this means we can buy the flat outright and you can own your café and—”
“Seriously?” Cosima gasps. “That is a lot of money.”
Tommy grins. “That’s what I said.”
“We could use it to pay for IVF, so we don’t have to wait forever.”
Tommy pulls Cosima into a tight hug and kisses her. “Whatever you want, my darling, whatever you want.”
Cosima is sighing a sigh of deep contentment, and thinking that this is the happiest moment of her life so far, when a phone begins to ring. Tommy roots around in his jeans. When he sees the number, he frowns.
“Sorry, sweetheart,” he says, stepping away, “I’ve got to take this. It’s…my editor.”
Cosima nods as he walks out of the living room and into the hallway, and starts unwrapping the champagne. The cork pops across the room when she hears Tommy exclaim then begin saying “Oh, God” over and over again. Still holding the bottle, Cosima hurries into the hallway to find Tommy leaning against the staircase, tears falling down his cheeks.
“What’s happened, my love, what’s going on?” Cosima rushes up to her husband and hugs him. “What’s wrong?”
Tommy pulls away, shaking his head.
“What is it?” Cosima persists. “What’s wrong?”
Tommy crumples onto the stairs. After several very long minutes, he wipes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and looks up at her.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispers. “I’ve done something unforgivable.”
Silence stretches out between them.
“What is it? What have you done?” But, even as she says the words, Cosima knows. She can’t believe it, not for a second, but she knows.
Tommy drops his head to his knees. “It was over. A long time…months ago. It was just a silly flirtation. Nothing was going to happen…”
“But, but, but it did,” Cosima says, unable to understand how she can still speak while her world is falling apart. “Didn’t it?”
Slowly, Tommy nods.
“How…how many times?”
Tommy looks up. “Only once. I promise. It was only once.”
“ Only? ” Suddenly Cosima shrieks, her voice almost as piercing as the smoke alarm. “So, so, that makes it all right? Because it was only once?!”
“No, of course not,” Tommy says, stricken. “That wasn’t what I meant, I just, I just…”
“What?” Cosima’s voice breaks. “You what? You broke our vows. And you’re breaking, breaking my heart…and you what? What are you going to say?!”
Tommy shakes his head and lets out another sob. “I’m so sorry, I’m so, so sorry.”
Cosima looks at him, still unable to believe it. “I don’t, I can’t…”
Her head is spinning, she can’t catch her breath, her palms are suddenly sweaty, and she’s shaking. Cosima starts to hyperventilate. She bends over to drop her head between her knees.
Tommy leaps up and puts his arms around her shoulders. “Oh, Cosi, I can’t, I can’t bear to—”
Cosima pulls away from him as if she’d just received an electric shock. “Don’t. Touch. Me.”
“Sorry, I…”
Cosima shakes her head. “No. You don’t ever get to touch me again. Ever.”
Tommy shakes his head, tears running down his cheeks. “No, no…Please, I couldn’t stand it, I couldn’t…”
Cosima sobs. When she looks at him, all she can see is her Tommy, her boy, her love, and the thing he says he’s done seems suddenly impossible. It was once. One horrible thing. And if she takes it away, if she rubs out the stain and forgets it was ever there, then he’s still as pure and beautiful as the day they met. Once. Only once.
“Cosi…”
Tommy reaches up to her and, all of a sudden, Cosima is overcome with the need to
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