Page 86 of What's the time, Mr. Wolfe
The words that followed chilled me to my very core.
“He offered himself, so they’d leave the little ones alone.”
I caught the sob that threatened to leave my throat. I swallowed it back down and closed my eyes tight.
There weren’t words in my vocabulary that could articulate how that must have felt.
“He walked into the devils’ dens so other kids didn’t have to,” he added, and then we fell silent.
I blinked back tears the rest of the way.
When we arrived at my house, I saw Monica’s car already parked. We sat for a moment. “I’m guessing he would be upset by you telling me all of that?”
“Furious.”
“Then why did you?”
“Because you need to know. He’s besotted with you, he also feels it’s wrong. Sometimes, I don’t think he can reconcile those feelings. He walked to mentwice his age, willingly. He sees that age gap with you.”
“He hasn’t displayed any conflict,” I said. “Well, nothing of substance, anyway.”
“He won’t. He internalises. And then he explodes. You’re so good for him, Ruby. Whatever happens, keep in mind, he needs you. He’s never been in love, and I think he’s falling for you. Not that he will admit it.”
“Ever?”
Tony shrugged his shoulders. “Who knows.”
I looked at my house, and yet again, I wondered, why me. I was just a tenant, he had loads. I was just a kid in comparison to the women he’d dated. I was inexperienced in all things relationship and sex. I had an old soul, though. Maybe that’s what attracted him.
“I need to go. Thank you for driving me. I’ll call when I’m ready.”
I left the car and took a slow walk to the front door. I paused, processing what he’d said. Did our age gap remind him of his past? I wasn’t so sure. I hoped Tony was just assuming, and Sebastian hadn’t actually told him anything about us. He seemed too loose lipped for my liking.
“Is that you, Ruby?” Monica called when I opened the door.
“It is.”
“I have the kettle on,” Monica replied as I walkedinto the kitchen. “You look tired,” she said, frowning at me.
“I feel tired. I didn’t sleep much last night, but then I’d slept on and off most of the day before. Turning nocturnal, I think.”
“Let’s have a cup of tea and then decided what you want to achieve today?”
I nodded.
Once the tea was made, we took our mugs to the living room. “The hospital agency will collect the bed, wheelchair, commode, and stuff. They’ll be here this afternoon.”
“Okay, I guess we start in this room then.”
We stripped the bed and I piled everything into the washing machine. Monica dismantled what she could, and we placed it in the hall ready for collection. I folded up clean clothes of Grandma’s that were lying around and piled up the dirty ready to wash.
Monica had called the local charity shop and they’d come around with a van to look at any furniture they wanted. I’d decided, when I downsized, the furniture we had would be too old fashioned and probably, too large. We stuck stickers on the furniture that was to go and then I cleaned while she moved on to Grandma’s old bedroom.
Once all her clothes were bagged up, and it didn’t amount to much, I carried them downstairs. Monicaloaded the boot of her car. I then walked from room to room and boxed up ornaments that had no monetary or sentimental value, items I’d collected from charity shops myself just to fill shelves.
We worked solidly until mid-afternoon, and it was the grumble of my stomach that alerted me to the time.
There was nothing in the fridge that was in date, so Monica and I decided to walk down the road to the local café.
