Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 115737 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115737 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
‘Liverpool. Friday night through to Monday morning. Do you think you could come?’ His hand meets my cheek and pushes some wet strands of my hair away from my face. I mentally race through my diary: nothing too important springs to mind. I can tell the girls and Micky that there’s some architects’ exhibition or something. They won’t check, and they definitely won’t volunteer to come.
‘What will we do?’ I ask, already planning it all in my head. We’ll be like a normal couple. No sneaking around or looking over our shoulders. I’m getting more excited by the minute.
‘We’ll eat out, go shopping.’ He mirrors my smile. ‘We’ll just be together.’
I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve. I’d happily hide in a hotel for two full days as long as Jack is with me. ‘Lots of affection?’
His smile cracks and he laughs, sliding his palms under my arms and pulling me up his chest. Our noses meet, our eyes hold. ‘Lots and lots of affection.’
‘Then I’m in.’ I seal our mouths and seal the deal, unable to wipe the huge grin from my face. ‘I can’t wait.’
‘Me neither, gorgeous.’ Jack sucks on my bottom lip until it pops from his mouth. ‘Richard knows about us.’ His declaration comes from left field, even though I wondered when I caught him watching Jack and me.
My heart jumps a little, suddenly worried. ‘Did you tell him?’
‘I didn’t need to.’
My eyes drop. ‘We haven’t been careless.’
Jack pulls my chin up and smiles. ‘I work closely with him, Annie. I can’t hide my happiness when you’re around.’
I mirror his beam, only mildly. I’m worried. ‘He wouldn’t say anything, would he?’
‘God, no.’ He laughs at the suggestion. ‘He’s a good guy, and he knows . . .’ Jack trails off, but he doesn’t need to finish. Richard knows what Stephanie is like. That’s what he was going to say. I remember a few occasions when Richard passed comment, or muttered something under his breath when Jack’s wife turned up on site in a deranged fit.
Jack takes a breath and kisses my nose. ‘Our secret is safe. Now, tell me about your week.’
Our secret. I so wish we weren’t a secret. I let Jack turn me back over, and he curls his forearms around my shoulders, keeping his face close to mine. We lie there for over an hour while I give him a rerun of my projects. He drains the tub a little every now and then and tops it back up with hot water to keep us warm. He listens and asks questions, and never once does he sound bored. I love how he can just let me ramble on about structures and technical stuff, speaking up when he has a suggestion or opinion. It works in reverse. I could listen to Jack reel off any old gobbledegook, just to hear his voice. Just to know he’s close enough to hear.
Once we’ve got out and dried ourselves off, we dress and the atmosphere noticeably changes. We’re not chatting easily any more. I watch him while I blast my hair dry. He’s sitting on the couch checking his phone, but he’s not totally focused and there’s an air of despondency around him. I wonder what he’s thinking, seeing him look up blankly to the wall every now and then, lost in thought.
When I’m done and have gathered all of my things, I wander through to him. ‘Ready?’
He slowly stands. I can see it takes some effort, his body appearing weighted down by something. ‘Ready,’ he confirms, slipping his phone into his pocket. He closes the gap between us and pulls me in for a hug, probably one of the tightest he’s ever given me. ‘I hate this part,’ he whispers.
I smile sadly. Is he reaching the crossroads? Is he on the verge of making the move that will toss our secret blissful bubble into heartache and hurt? Aside from the limited time we have together, what we have is easy. Too easy, which makes it harder to take the steps that will undoubtedly change that. I don’t know if I’m ready for the backlash.
What sane woman gets herself caught up in an affair? What woman with any self-respect and integrity would venture there? A woman who’s in love. That’s who. They say you can’t help who you fall for. I wholeheartedly believe that now.
I remember how much it hurt to fight the feelings, pushing Jack away and shutting down. I’m so frightened by the prospect of him telling Stephanie that he’s leaving her. I’m frightened that she will convince him to stay and work on their marriage. That her emotional blackmail will get the better of him again. That terrifies me the most.
I see her in my mind’s eye, hysterical and devastated, begging him not to go. There’s a knife in her hand, held on her wrist. I feel guilty. Jack will feel guilty. Guilt has a way of influencing your decisions. It’s easier to succumb to guilt and disregard what your heart is telling you.