London by Patricia Evans

Author:Patricia Evans [Evans, Patricia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2024-11-02T00:00:00+00:00

It was almost nine before they’d gotten out of the house and picked up a takeaway for dinner. Jaq carried it and Bronwyn’s bag up the stairs and let them into her loft. Bronwyn looked lost as she walked over to the front wall of windows and looked out, still and pale as a ghost.

Jaq turned on the lamps, then went to the bar and poured her a brandy, handing it to her and returning to make a scotch for herself.

“Well,” Bronwyn said, piling her hair on top of her head and squeezing the back of her neck. “Today went a bit tits up, didn’t it?”

Jaq laughed, clinking her glass to Bronwyn’s as she sank down beside her on the leather couch.

“Tell me what you’re thinking?” Bronwyn looked over at her, then leaned her head onto her shoulder.

Jaq slowly tipped the amber scotch in her glass and thought before she spoke. “I think there’s something you’re not telling me.” She picked up Bronwyn’s hand and stroked the center of her palm with her thumb. “And that’s okay, you don’t have to tell me anything at all, but I can’t keep you safe if I don’t know what’s going on.”

Bronwyn looked out the windows at the London skyline, and it was a minute or two before she answered. “I lied to you.”

Jaq didn’t say anything, just waited.

Bronwyn sat up, finished the rest of her brandy, and gave the glass back to Jaq, who went to refill it. There were tears in Bronwyn’s eyes as she sat back down.

“It’s okay, Bella,” Jaq said gently. “I know you. You had reasons. Just tell me.”

She caught a tear on Bronwyn’s cheek with her thumb and handed her the glass. Bronwyn sat back on the couch while Jaq slipped her shoes off and pulled Bronwyn’s feet into her lap, warming them in her hands.

“When we were in Blackpool, you asked if Ian had ever done anything else to hurt me after that time I went to stay at my parents’.” She looked down into her glass. “I told you no, but that wasn’t the truth.”

“I knew that then,” Jaq said gently.

“I was ashamed,” Bronwyn said. “After he hit me again, I knew if I backed out of the wedding, he’d do something worse, and I couldn’t bear for you to know I was that weak.”

Jaq leaned forward and tipped her chin up with her fingers. “Don’t ever let me hear you say that again.” She waited until Bronwyn met her eyes. “You’re the bravest girl I’ve ever known, and doing what you had to in order to stay safe isn’t weakness. It’s strength.”

Bronwyn set her glass down and waited. She knew what Jaq was going to say.

“Tell me what he did, Bella.”

She took a deep breath and let it out, her eyes closed. “We were arguing, I honestly don’t even remember what about, but what I do remember is that he got so angry so fast. I don’t even know what happened. I was backing out of the room to go downstairs, and he told me not to take one more step toward the door.

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