Keep It In The Family by Jess Newton

Author:Jess Newton [Newton, Jess]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-02-09T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

I met up with Cath not long after Steve had left with the girls. She didn’t look like herself, her rainbow hair clashing with her more subdued t-shirt and shorts combo, and I cursed Steve for ruining what should have been an amazing weekend. We picked up hot drinks and took a walk in the park. I didn’t know how to begin to address the issues from the night before, so, like a coward, I waited for her to bring it up. To my surprise, she stayed silent as we walked, and by the time we had gone once round the park, my stomach felt like lead.

“Cath. Talk to me.”

She lifted her eyes to mine with a great effort. They looked swollen, and I realised with a start she had been crying. My heart split in two, and I folded her in an enormous hug. She stayed stiff in my arms.

“Oh, Cath. I am so, so sorry. I never dreamed he would say those things to you.”

She shook her head, pulling away. “I deserved them. Everything he said, I deserved.”

“What? No!” Outrage shot through me.

“I should never have called you,” she continued, as if I hadn’t spoken. “This is entirely my fault.”

I saw red as anger surged up inside. “We’ve been through this,” I said. “This is not your fault. How many times do I have to say it?”

“You can deny it all you like, Lisa, but if I hadn’t made that phone call, you wouldn’t be going through divorce proceedings right now, and that’s a fact.” She was glaring at me now, and I took that as a good sign; anything was better than the listless lethargy from before.

“Yes, that’s true. And I’d still be stuck in a loveless marriage, miserable and bored.” I got right in her face. “I’ve made my own choices, Cath. I could have run the second you asked me for coffee. I could have run after the coffee. I could have stopped this at any time, and run back to Steve. But where am I, right now?” I lifted a hand to cup her cheek, rubbing my thumb over her soft skin. “I’m with you. Exactly where I want to be.”

Cath stared desperately into my eyes for a moment, as if searching for something, then crashed her lips into mine. I clutched at her, so relieved to have her back that I forgot everything else: forgot Steve, forgot the scene from the night before, forgot we were standing in the middle of my local park where I regularly ran into other parents from school. All that mattered was her—the feel of her lips on mine, her hands tugging at my hair—and I pressed into her like the world was about to end. When she eventually pulled back, we were both panting.

“I was so scared,” she breathed, her forehead pressed against mine. “Last night was awful. I kept going over and over what a horrible person I am, how selfish I’ve been, and I just kept waiting for you to call and tell me it was over.

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