March 2010
It was a miserable, blustery wet day in March and the weather matched her mood as Natalie sought to finish the final packing. The removal men loaded up the lift for the umpteenth time. The lengthy process of loading, unloading, then loading up the van before returning to the fifth floor was, for her, made worse because she had loved her flat, despite the fact she was hardly ever there. The adrenalin rush of London had coursed through her veins for the past five years and the flat represented her success in the predominantly male world of high finance. If it hadn’t been for that bastard Liam she wouldn’t be leaving. She cursed herself for not seeing through the outward charm and good looks to the real, damaged man that lay beneath. Wearily, she taped the final box and sat back on her heels, gazing around at the open plan living area which looked larger now it was devoid of her designer furniture. The floor to ceiling windows looked out at nearby rooftops, some covered in miniature jungles.
Natalie stood up as Steve, the foreman, returned for the last couple of boxes and to get her signature – and the tip. Then he was gone and she was alone. She was about to pick up her bag and suitcase when the bell rang. What do they want now? Annoyed, she went to open the door.
‘What the hell are you doing here? You know there’s a restraining order–’ Cold fear struck through her as Liam stood inches away.
‘You bitch! Thought you’d slink away without my knowing, did you? Too bad I saw the van outside and your stuff going into it,’ he snarled, moving towards her. As her mind raced with thoughts of escape, salvation arrived in the form of Steve, striding from the lift. He seemed to size up the situation in a glance.
‘Is this man bothering you, Miss Ogier?’
Her legs went weak with relief and she flashed him a smile.
‘Yes, he is. And he’s not allowed to be anywhere near me. Can you call the police, please?’
Liam’s rugged face darkened. ‘There’s no need for that. I’ll leave. But I’ll find you. Wherever you go,’ he said, stabbing a finger at her.
‘Hey, mate, leave her alone or I’ll throw you out,’ Steve said, grabbing his arm. Tall and muscular, he was quite capable of doing it, she thought, even though Liam was equally tall. But she knew his muscles were turning to fat, no longer the fit ex-soldier she had met eighteen months ago.
Liam shrugged off the restraining hand and headed for the lift. She watched, holding her breath until the lift opened and swallowed him up. Suddenly, it was as if all the air had been squeezed out of her body and she sagged. Steve caught her, saying, ‘Hold on.’ He steered her towards her case, and eased her down on top. Fortunately it was a hard shell and made a secure seat.
‘You okay?’ He knelt down to eye level.
Natalie drew a deep, ragged breath. ‘I am now. Thank God you turned up! But why did you? I thought we’d finished.’
‘My fault, I forgot to ask you to fill in your forwarding address. Lucky I did, eh?’ He grinned.
She suppressed a shiver at what might have happened if Steve hadn’t arrived when he did.
He handed her the form and she filled in her parents’ address in Guernsey. At the moment she still had to find a new home. And if she didn’t know where she was going to live then neither could Liam.
Steve insisted on carrying her case and bag, waiting while she locked up before calling the lift. Natalie was secretly pleased he was with her; she couldn’t get rid of the feeling that Liam was hanging around, waiting for her. But if he was, he kept himself out of sight when they arrived in the basement parking. Steve didn’t leave her side until she was safely locked in the car. With a quick wave he was gone and she drove out through the security gates for the last time, the in-built satnav guiding her towards Poole and the ferry to Guernsey. Although she had visited her family a number of times over the years, she hadn’t lived there since going off to university. It was to be a completely fresh start, and with the image of Liam’s angry eyes still in her mind, she was glad for the stretch of water which would soon separate them.