The Truth Hurts by Rebecca Reid

Author:Rebecca Reid
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2020-06-01T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

Drew had given Poppy plenty of notice that he would be going to Frankfurt for a week, but as his departure drew nearer she found herself dreading it. She was surprised at how dependent she had become on his presence. It had been frighteningly easy to get used to.

“Do you really have to go?” she asked, sitting on their bed.

“I do,” Drew replied, taking a shirt from the wardrobe. “But it’s only a week. I’ll be back by the weekend, and I’ll call you every night.”

“I suppose.”

“It won’t always be like this. I promise. Once I’ve finished setting up this project I’ll be able to work from home, and I won’t need to work every day. It’s a means to an end.”

“I know,” she said, her voice small.

He brushed some dust from the shirt’s left shoulder. “That wardrobe is filthy.”

“I’ll clean it while you’re away.”

“That wasn’t what I meant.”

“I don’t mind. I’ll be bored anyway.”

“You’ve got Gina?”

“True.”

Things between Poppy and Gina had been strained since their row. In fact, she’d barely seen her. Drew had seemed pleased by her absence. He’d come home the night of the row and asked where Gina was. Poppy had guessed she was at the pub quiz, making friends in the village, and told Drew so. He had seemed mollified by it, as though his concerns that Gina was going to follow them around the house interrupting their couple time had proved unfounded. Poppy had toyed with telling Drew about the argument, about how hurt she was that Gina seemed to disapprove of their relationship. But she knew better than that.

Since Poppy had told her about the deal, Gina had avoided Drew. If he was in the kitchen, Gina would take her drink outside, ostensibly because she wanted to smoke. If he was reading in the sitting room she would pretend she’d gone in to get a magazine and then retreat upstairs. It wasn’t just Gina either. While Drew was always pleasant and polite toward Gina, he didn’t seem able to fake warmth toward her.

“Darling,” said Drew, putting socks in his suitcase. “You look miserable. It’s only five days. Please try to cheer up.”

He doesn’t know about Gina, she tried to remind herself. “It’s fine,” she said, getting up. “I’m going in the shower.”

Drew caught her arm and gently tugged her back. “Hey—what’s going on? You seem upset. It’s only four nights, I’ll be back late on Friday. You’re not annoyed, are you?”

It was simpler to pretend that she was angry at him for leaving than it was to explain that Gina’s comments had wedged themselves in her brain and played on repeat for the last week, that she was scared everything they had built was on a shifting foundation and that she was going to end up right back where she had started—alone. “I just didn’t realize you’d be away so much. It’s not fair.”

Drew looked hurt. “I’m sorry. You’ve got the car and you have Gina here. You’ve got the cards—is there anything I can .

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