Page 69 of Where She Is
I’m trying to be positive and use the time to tie up some loose ends. Rob is one of them. He hasn’t appeared yet, and I have no idea if he’s even made it into the country. I’ve sent messages via friends, warning him not to come. So far, I’ve hit a brick wall.
I’ve also been catching up with the girls. I met Maddie for drinks the first evening Daniel was away. It turned out to be a big night. I had a little too much to drink, and at the time, clubbing was the best idea ever. It was actually the worst. We bumped intoRuby and Layla and let’s just say it’s not good to get bladdered on a school night. Dear God, did I feel the effects the next morning. At least Jack was there to look after me. He didn’t enter the club. I knew he was around if I needed him. I wasn’t daft. Daniel had obviously instructed him to stay with me, and I was thankful at the end of the evening. To say my feet were killing me from dancing would be an understatement. When Maddie and I surfaced from the underground entrance, he was ready and waiting on the kerbside. He made sure we got through our respective front doors safely before he left.
Richard has me run ragged, mainly because the Jamieson contract also involves him and he needs to pull things together in Sydney. The other part of me is convinced he’s doing it on purpose. I may have mentioned I’m feeling a little jaded.
There are countless conference calls and meetings with our legal team, which means Richard and I working late to keep this contract on track. Daniel will also be late tonight, so I’m happy to work until Richard can no longer do without me.
I can’t wait for my man to come home. I’ve missed him so much, probably more than I should. It’s only been two days, but that’s love, I suppose. In between the work and drunken girl’s night, I’ve had time to think, in fact, I’ve been mulling things over every spare second there is. It’s my conclusion that if you love someone, and I mean really love someone, you have to learn to fight harder for them. It will be hard and there are bound to be stressful situations and no doubt, troublesome women involved, but everything that has happened to him was way before my time. I can’t turn back the clock. We’ve all done crazy things in our youth, although Daniel’s past is a little more extreme. As for the truth about Freya, it is something I have to live with. I’d be lying if I said I could understand Peter’s actions. However, that’s a problem I have to find some kind of peace with.
I don’t get home until around nine that evening. The house is in darkness. I’m tired and I can’t be bothered to cook. I lazily go for tea and toast and while I contemplate whether to eat the crust or the middle first, I call home. I haven’t spoken to my parents for a few days now and I need to check in. It’s early in the UK, so FaceTime is a much better option. I can’t wait to see them on screen, but I also love the entertainment value that comes with every call. My dad is pretty I.T. savvy, so if he answers, it’s straightforward. My mum, however, hasn’t got a clue and I spend a few minutes waiting for her to pick up. I can imagine her on the other end having kittens while she tries to figure it out. When I finally get through, I get a superb view of the wallpaper, the conservatory window and the floor tiles (briefly). I hear her voice, “Stewart? Stewart, where are you? The iPad has gone off again!” She eventually appears on my screen. My mum has never had a day where she is anything other than beautiful and today, she looks more radiant than ever. She begins, as she always does, by waving frantically and shouting, “My darling, how are you? Did you have a lovely weekend at Daniel’s parents?”
“Mum, I’m right here. You use it just like the phone. There’s no need to shout.”
“Oh yes, of course. I keep forgetting, sorry, darling. So, tell me about your weekend?”
I try so hard to be upbeat and positive. The truth is, it was all a bit shitty, but I can’t let on. I swallow deeply before I answer “Lovely, Mum” and I’m not sure that she doesn’t pick up on my apprehension.
“Are you sure you two are still getting on all right?”
“Everything is great, promise Mum. Now, tell me what you’ve been up to.”
“Well, Dad and I went to see War Horse Friday night withthe Bradshaw’s. Oh, it was wonderful, Hannah. You really should get tickets if….”
Mum and I talk for about half an hour before my dad comes into view and his sing-song voice belts out, “Halloo, darling!” His animated voice fills me in on all the local gossip and an update on their recent visit to the theatre. Apparently, the garden is not good and his blooms are not as they should be for this time of year. It’s all so… normal. There’s not a mad bitch sister-in-law or scorned lover in sight. This is everyday life at home while my days here have become such a drama. I miss the normality.
I swear the more I watch the clock, the slower the digits change. By the time it gets to ten, I’m as fidgety as hell. Daniel is still not back, and he hasn’t called. I try to relax my mind and listen to music. We normally have it blaring out of the speaker in the house, but my playlist has been neglected lately. I’ve had a song in my head all day and now it’s time to play the real deal. My earphones serenade me with the fantastic piano intro toJust When You’re Thinking Things Overby The Charlatans. My body is relaxed and sprawled on the sofa in my own musical world. The song ends, and my throat is parched from loosening my vocal chords. I need water. Stretching my limbs awake, my eyelids flutter open to wild hazel eyes. I instinctively scream with shock. Daniel pulls back with his fingers in his ears while mouthing, “ouch” his eyes screw up in pain while I scramble to sit up.
“You frightened the life—” I slap my hand to my chest, “hold on, what’s that look for?”
His lips press together so hard when he sits beside me and leans in for a kiss.
“Beautiful voice you’ve got there.”
“You’re such a sarcastic git, Daniel Grant, but I’ve missed you.”
I grab his tie and pull him over to meet my mouth once again. I’m so glad he’s back. Again, for a split second, the horrible thought enters my head. What am I going to do when my contract is up? I push it from my mind as quickly as it arrives. It’s best not to think about it and enjoy the here and now. Daniel dots small kisses all over my face. It’s clear he has missed me as much as I’ve missed him. He pulls my body sideways to face him and we spend a very long time placing sweet kisses on necks, cheeks, earlobes and mouths. Eventually, we manage to separate, not hiding our huge smiles.
“I trust you got your part of the contract sorted?” I ask.
“Finally, but I don’t want to talk work. I’ve had enough of it. Tell me what you’ve been up to?”
“You know what I’ve been doing.” I slap him on the chest and laugh. “I’ve told you most of it in my texts.”
“Oh yeah, I love your drunk texts,” he smirks.
The heat on my cheeks explodes, mainly because my mind has gone completely blank. “Oh shit, my night out with Maddie.”
He laughs, “Thank God Jack was there to take you home. Christ knows where you would have ended up.”
My smile drops, and my stomach flips. Not in a good way. “You can trust me, Daniel. I would never cheat. I would never do anything to hurt you.”
His eyes follow the line of his thumb as it runs over my cheek with a delicate touch.
“Good, because it wouldn’t just hurt me, it would destroy me. I couldn’t come back from that.” He puffs out a laugh, realising how intense he sounds. “I missed you. Can you tell?”
“Oh Yes.” Although I giggle to lighten the mood, dread fills my insides. What if I have to leave him? Australia is not mylegal home. My chest heaves to find the air it needs for me to say the words I need him to hear. “I…”
I want to tell him I’m scared, no, petrified that one day the choice will be taken out of our hands, but my words fail me. “… want you to know I feel the same.”
