Page 99 of Loving Netta Wilde

Not empty. Resting. Waiting to be filled up again.

The knock came on the door. Colin steeled himself. ‘Come in, Geraldine.’

The door opened and it was Liza. It was the first time he’d seen her since she’d walked out on him on Friday. When he was fully awake at any rate. He still wasn’t sure if she’d come to him when he was semi-conscious. He felt quite shaky, unsure as to whether it was nervous excitement or fear for what she might say to him this time.

‘Hey. You’re looking a bit better.’ She was messing with her thumbs, twisting and turning them.

‘I couldn’t look any worse, I suppose. Sorry I was in such a state.’

‘Can I…?’ She pointed to the bed.

‘Yeah. Sure.’ He moved up to give her space.

‘About the things I said to you?—’

‘You were right to say them. I needed to hear it. You were spot on about what an absolute swine I’ve been. I really don’t know how you put up with me for so long. No one else did.You’re wrong about me only being interested in Will though. I’m sure it looked that way. I think I got a bit fixated on him because I can’t be around him. And I definitely took you for granted, but I promise I will never do that again. If you give me a second chance, that is.’

‘Okay.’ She took hold of his hand.

Colin’s emotions were in turbo charge mode again. He pointed to the tears splashing on his cheeks. ‘Ignore these. Your nan says it’s good for me but frankly, I find it highly embarrassing.’ She laughed. Laughter was good. ‘Your painting is brilliant, by the way. Frightening, but brilliant.’

‘Maybe I’ll paint you again when you’re all new and different.’

‘That would be good. Perhaps wait until I look a bit less ravaged.’

‘We could paint together, like I do with Frank.’

He shook his head. ‘I wish I could say yes, darling. I would so like to be able to set up an easel next to my wonderfully talented daughter, but I can’t. It just won’t come. In fact, the idea of picking up a brush again makes me physically sick.’

Liza slid her arm around his waist and put her head on his shoulder. ‘Let’s just see how things go when you’re back in your own place.’

‘All right.’ He didn’t think that would change things but he didn’t have the heart to tell her.

She let go of him and turned to face him. ‘I’ve got something to tell you. Me and Merrie have been doing some undercover work. We’ve been following Arianne. You know like she makes out she’s a vegan and all that? Well she’s been buying meat and cheese, chocolate and so many things that are absolutely not vegan.’

‘It’ll be for that Byron guy. He looks like a meat eater to me.’ He looked like a Colin eater too, given half the chance.

‘Yeah, we followed him too. He works in a tattoo parlour further up Moseley Road. There’s more. We’ve seen her eating food in cafés.’

‘Are you sure, Lize? She stopped eating anything but her own cooking a couple of years ago.’

‘Well she’s back on it now, and guess what.’

‘What?’

‘We’ve seen her tucking into a big fat meaty burger. Twice!’

Colin’s jaw went slack. A burger? The lying, deceitful bitch. No wonder she was getting fatter while he was withering down to skin and bone. He reached for the notepad and wrote:

Get my house back and throw Arianne out.

Liza read it over his shoulder. ‘Go, Dad.’

‘Yes, go me. But I just want you to know, this is not about revenge. I’m not doing revenge anymore. This is about facing my fears.’

55

ALL DONE AND DUSTED

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