Shatterproof by Lexi Greene

Author:Lexi Greene [Greene, Lexi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780648387459
Publisher: Lexi Greene
Published: 2019-10-15T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

“You must be tired.” Nick could see Emily’s exhaustion. She was done in, but there was a companionable truce of sorts between them and he was loath to disturb it. With the storm raging outside and the fire glowing inside, the room was a softly lit cocoon, cosy and warm. Alfie lay asleep at his feet and they each nursed a hot chocolate in front of the dancing flames.

“My body aches in places I didn’t know I had.” Her voice was a soft burr, like she was comfortable and relaxed.

“They’re big beasts, even the baby ones.”

“Thank you for your kind hospitality.” Her gaze was warm, friendly even.

“You’re welcome.” They’d had a good night, and her joy at winning Monopoly had outweighed his chagrin at losing. He found he liked her in his space. A lot. Too much. He was past a fool. He could see her here. He could imagine their life together as a couple. A married couple. And that’s when his head got involved with scathing words that left his heart smarting.

“Nick, I…” Emily stopped speaking and studied the flames. The light flashed and waned as the centre of a log disintegrated into a shower of sparks. The sound drew his attention away from her and he stood to stoke the dry wood at the periphery into the centre of the action. He loaded a marshmallow onto a long-handled fork and passed it to her.

“Thank you.” She settled herself on the hearth and held the marshmallow close to the bright red embers until it caught flame. She blew it out and tasted, her eyes closing to savour the sweetness.

The force of his reaction left him weak, scarcely able to lift his more carefully charred marshmallow to his mouth. Soft and gooey and good. He didn’t remember the last time he’d toasted marshmallows and he realised he’d let these moments slide. The small moments. The small moments that in hindsight were so big.

His mum had seen what he hadn’t. His need to reconnect with nature. His need for time to heal, to appreciate the lessons he’d learned, and now he realised that every pain-filled moment had brought him here, to this moment, with this woman.

“Nick, I…” Her eyes were shiny with tears. “I loved Charliese, I did, but she should have told you about the baby. I’m sorry you had to find out the way you did.”

His body went rigid, like someone had poured quick-set concrete from above and he found himself entrapped in a concrete tomb. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t expand his lungs far enough to grapple for air. His head spun. His vision darkened.

“I knew about the affair. I knew she planned to leave you.” Emily stabbed another marshmallow onto her fork. “I knew about the baby.”

Every word felt like a dagger. A blade that cut through the concrete like it was butter. Every word found its home.

“You were a lousy husband. Unfaithful. Self-centred.” Her marshmallow caught fire and she blew it out, her gaze mesmerised by the flames.

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