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When I drag my sorry arse into arrivals, Sid is waiting, just like Davey said he would be. As I approach him, I make myself do it—the thing I’ve been putting off for all eight hours of my flight home. I remove my sapphire ring and slip it into my pocket.
“Hey! Eva!” He waves as though I hadn’t already spotted him.
“Hi, Sid.” I even manage to smile at his enthusiasm. He opens his arms wide and I drop my case, allowing him to pull me into a hug. I need a hug. I feel...broken.
“Now, let’s get you home and settled. And then, I’m cooking.” He gives me a wide, excited smile as he grabs the handle of my case and takes my waist.
“Really? Do you have to?”
“O ye, of little faith. I can cook, Adams. I’m going to impress your socks off; you’ll see.”
“I look forward to it. And to not getting salmonella.”
“Shh, now. You’re ruining it.” I roll my eyes and walk out of the automatic doors, and into the drizzle that announces my arrival back in England.
“This way.” Sid guides me in the direction of his car, and I follow on autopilot. I’ve hardly slept. I can’t eat. I’m not sure Sid will be so glad to have me when he realises what a mess I am.
––––––––
“This is me.” Sid is smiling, almost bouncing like a small boy, when he presses a button that unlocks his new car.
“What was wrong with your old car?”
“Nothing. But I prefer this one. Don’t you like it?”
“It’s a car, Sid. It has wheels and an engine. What’s the difference?” I shrug, and his face falls. Boys and their toys. I sigh. “It’s beautiful. I love it.”
“You’re a shit liar, but thanks for trying.”
“Anytime.” He opens my door, and I get in and clunk my seat belt, while he throws my case in the boot. So I’m confused when he pops the bonnet.
“That’s the boot.” He gives me a cheeky grin through the windscreen, his eyebrows dancing up and down in wiggly lines, before he jumps into the driver’s seat.
“I’ll take care of you,” he says softly. I’d love to tell him I don’t need him to, that I can take care of myself, but it feels like a lie. And he already told me I’m crap at that, so I just nod.
“Y’know. I’d marry you. If you wanted to.”
I breathe a laugh, shaking my head. “Didn’t you hear? I’m cursed.”
“No, Evie. You just didn’t say yes to the right guy yet.” I can feel his eyes on my face, and after a full minute, he starts the car and drives us back to Lilac Cottage, the place I bought while I was in Greece, half an hour from The Nook.
––––––––
“So, this is home?” Sid leans forward, peering through the windscreen a few hours later at the cottage I now live in.
“I suppose it is.”
“How long have you lived here?”
“I haven’t yet.” He frowns, and I release my seat belt and swing my legs around to get out of the car. “Let’s go see what kind of state it’s in.”
“Evie? Are you saying you haven’t been inside yet?” I nod.
“Wait there.” He holds his hand out for a key.
“Don’t look at me. I thought you had it.”
“Are you kidding me? Where is it?”
“I had the keys sent to the office after the furniture was moved. I suppose they must be there somewhere.”
“Well, let’s go then.”
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The lift spits us out on the top floor and into the foyer of my office building; the buzz of conversation ceases when we round the corner into the communal space.
“Eva! How was your honeymoon!” Alyssa enthuses.
“Great. Thank you for all your hard work with the...” I swallow in a gulp. “...wedding.”
“Aww. It was such a gorgeous day...” Her eyes flick to Sid, full of questions.
“So, we just stopped by to collect some keys. Any ideas? They should have been delivered when I was in Greece?”
“Oh, I think they’ll be in...” She pulls open her top drawer. The middle. Then the bottom. “Huh. I could have sworn...maybe I put them in your office?”
“We’ve got it. Thanks.” Sid takes my arm and marches me towards my office at speed.
“What is wrong with you!” I squeal when he closes the door behind me.
“Check your desk. I need to make a call.” I watch Sid jog out of the office and through the communal work area, as do most other people. I can only imagine what they must think. The pregnant woman they work for has just come back early from her honeymoon, with a face like thunder and in the company of yet another man.
I drag my feet around my desk and sit heavily. I can’t bloody believe the pile of crap that is my life. I open the top drawer and push things around half-heartedly. No keys.
I check the next drawer and the next. No keys. I move across to the other drawers and pull open the first. “Ah! Keys.”
I push to upright, ready to go find Sid, to tell him to stand down and that we can leave now. I look around when the door opens.
“Eva.” Scott’s eyes are wide as they take in my exhausted face.
“Hey. How’s it all going?” He shuts the door quietly, his attention on my face, and steps forward cautiously.
“What happened?”
“Happened?” I don’t understand the question.
“You look...tired.”
“Like shit, you mean.” He smiles awkwardly. “Er...well, you’ll find out sooner or later. Will and I split up.”
Scott gasps. “Why?”
“He was having an affair. I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised. It was his job, after all.”
“He...no. Will wouldn’t do that.”
“No? Tell that to the baby she’s expecting.”
“Huh.” Scott’s eyes are even wider.
“Evie?” Sid rushes in, furiously tapping out a message. “You need to stay here. I’m going to—who are you?”
“Sid, Scott. Scott meet Sid.” I wave my hand lamely between them. “What do you mean stay here? I want to go home, Sid. I need to sleep.”
“I need to check it out first. The keys—”
“Are right here.”
“Eva, you’re doing a really shit job of letting me take care of you.” Sid’s eye twitches, and I sigh.
“Go on then. Take the keys. I’ll wait here like a good little girl.” Sid scoffs.
“That’s the biggest pile of bull I’ve ever heard.” I amend my answer.
“Okay, so I’ll stay in the general London area, cursing your arse to hell until such time as you get back here with my house keys and I can go to sleep.”
“Better. I won’t be long.” I freeze when he leans in and kisses my cheek. “Sorry... I...”
“It’s fine. I’m fine. Just hurry up. Please.” Scott and Sid exchange one of those bloke looks, and I fall back in my chair, my face tilted up to the ceiling.
“I’m sorry, Eva.” Scott’s voice is quiet and careful, like he’s talking to a wounded animal.
“Why are you sorry? It’s not your fault, is it?”
“Do you want a drink or anything?”
“No—actually, yes. I need a cuppa.”
I start to move, but Scott says, “You stay there. I’ll get it.”
“I can manage a walk to the terrace, Scott,” I snap before I can catch myself. “I’m sorry. I’m horrible when I’m tired. And hungry. And pregnant.”
“You’re never horrible. But I’m going to get you a sandwich too, just for my own safety.”
“You really don’t have to—”
“I want to.”
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“Eva?” The voice calling me to consciousness is all wrong. I don’t understand. “Eva, I’m sorry to wake you. I’ve got you something to eat, and then I’ll take you to my place to sleep properly, okay?” Scott. I think.
I blink my eyes and try to come round. I don’t really want to. I’m so tired. But I smile and say, “Thanks.”
“You can eat that in the car if you want?” Scott jerks his chin towards the sandwich on my desk.
“The car?” He nods.
“I’ll take you back to mine. You can eat and sleep.”
“Oh, thanks, but—”
“Eva. You need to sleep.” I’d love to argue, but he has a point. And he’s just walked in to find me sparko on my desk. I nod and push to my feet. I grab the sandwich, and Scott carries the two takeaway cups.
***
“This way.” Scott leads me into the club through a side door, up a set of stone stairs, and through another door not twenty minutes later.
“Thanks.” I give him a little smile as he holds the door open, and I walk through. “Wow. It’s huge.”
“That’s what all the girls say.” His face screws up. “Sorry. I don’t know how that slipped out.”
“That’s what all the boys say.” He laughs, shaking his head and smiling a little. He hands me a cup and jerks his head towards the sofa. “Come sit.”
I follow him to the sofa and sit. It’s so comfy. Squashy and cosy. “Make yourself at home. Take your shoes off. Whatever.” I hesitate, and he loosens his own laces before pulling off his shoes. I follow his lead and toe off my boots. I kick my feet up and sip my tea.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Scott asks, looking at me sideways.
“Nope.”
“Okay.” He swallows noisily. “I’m here...if you do.”
“Will’s best mate? I’ll pass. Thanks.”
“What does that mean?”
“I don’t need to talk about Will, or my terrible track record at choosing exactly the wrong man, with that man’s friend, is what it means. You’re biased. It’d be like him talking about it to Bells. She’d tell him he was an idiot, no matter what I’d done.”
“And she’d be right. He is.” I flick my eyes to his, but I look away fast, pressing myself a little harder into the arm of the sofa. “He told you, didn’t he?”
I nod, not meeting his eyes. “Yeah. He told me.”
“I...I don’t have an ulterior motive here, Eva. I’m not trying to...”
“Why would you?” Why would any man ever again? I’m a fucking disaster zone. “Who would ever want me and two other men’s kids?” I laugh at the absurdity of it all. “Not even thirty and I’m on my way to divorce number two, pregnant again, and no man in sight. I can see the look on my dad’s face now.”
“Eva...”
“Just...” I close my eyes. “...don’t. Can we talk about something else?” I lean forward and put the tea down before getting comfy again.
“Sure,” he says quietly. But I don’t catch the next bit before sleep takes hold and drags me under.