Page 66 of Where She Is
Daniel enters the room. “I presume you want ice?” he asks, lifting the ice bucket up with one hand while the whiskey bottle is in the other. His cheeky smirk soon fades when he notes Freya has returned. “Is everything all right?”
As if snapped out of an evil trance, Freya beams the falsest of smiles. “Of course, Daniel, I just wished Hannah all the best in her new home. What a victory for her; going where no woman has gone in quite some time.” Her exaggerated laugh makes us both jump. Daniel turns to fill my glass, his eyes widen and he silently mouths, “Is she drunk?”
I’m still in a state of shock from our exchange, so I just shrug my shoulders. He mouths again with a furrowed brow, “You okay?”
I nod but mask my eyes with the glass as I take a huge gulp. The burn on the back of my throat is a welcome distraction. Joe walks into the room with a glass of water and a mobile to his ear. He finishes his conversation and turns to Daniel. “That was Jamieson. He’s arranged a meeting in Melbourne tomorrow and we all need to be there. They’re not happy, so we should show a united front. Dad’s coming too.”
I look at Daniel because I know how important the Jamieson contract is to the company. It ultimately means we have to cut our weekend short. His smile is apologetic, but his career is alsoa priority and needs must. I rub my hand along his arm, “It’s okay. These things happen.”
I faintly hear Freya’s whiny “Ahh so sweet.”God, I want to punch her and I’m so ready after this shitty night!I take a deep breath and smile when Daniel answers, “I’m sorry this weekend hasn’t exactly turned out the way I wanted it.”
“Honestly, it’s fine. I understand.”
A cough from Freya’s direction causes all three of us to turn around. “I do apologise. I must have had something stuck in my throat. Joe, I’ll have some of that water now.”
She does my head in. I can’t bear to be in her company a second longer, so I make a break for it. “I think that’s me done. Goodnight all.” I leave the room as quick as I can, catching Daniel’s, “Night you two,” before his footsteps follow me down the hall. He doesn’t say a word, but I feel his body close. It’s not until we get outside he catches my arm. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
I can’t hold it in any longer. “That fucking woman! She is a bitch and hell-bent on making my life difficult. She has a massive problem when it comes to you. I swear Daniel, she’s obsessed! Her only goal is to have you for herself and I find the whole thing a bit ‘Fatal Attraction’.”
His muscular arms curl around my body and hold firm, “Shh, please, Hannah, calm down.”
I want to say so much more, but I stop myself before it’s me who looks like the possessive psycho. I take deep breaths, trying desperately not to cry. Now I feel foolish. Pulling out a handkerchief, Daniel wipes away my escaping tears.
“Let’s get back to the cottage and you can tell me what happened. Come on.”
We literally march across the grounds. His sturdy arms never leave my body and hold me close to his side as if to shield me from any further harm. When we’re inside, I collapse on the sofa while he pours us both another drink. I don’t waste any time knocking it straight back. “Top up?”
“Please.”
I need this. I’ve had a belly full of Daniel’s broken hearts tonight. I knew it would be hard to be with someone like him, but I didn’t think it would be this bad. We are protected back home in our cocoon. Shut away from the farm and in the safety of Seaforth. I want to go back there.
“Can we go home tonight?”
“Not really. Jack is off duty and I’ve had too much to drink. I can’t drive.”
The security of his arms wrap around me again as I huddle close. “Are you going to tell me what happened in there?”
I have to contemplate what to say because if I get it wrong, he may believe I don’t want to be with him anymore. That is not the case, but things have to change.
“Daniel, you know I think your parents and Joe are great, don’t you?”
“Of course I do.”
“Okay. Good, because I don’t think I can visit the farm anymore. I know I said I could handle being around Freya, but she makes my time here torturous. I know it's important to spend time with your parents and brother so I was hoping we could compromise. Maybe meet them in Manly or they could stay with us?”
His sigh is deep. He sits forward and sets his empty glass on the coffee table. All I can hear is the sound of skin against bristle as he rubs his fingertips across his chin.
“I understand Han, I really do. It’s half the reason I didn’t want to come here this weekend. The problem is, this is my family home and I have more right to be here than she does. My parents mean everything to me and I don’t want to upset them. They’ve been through enough.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
He sits back, placing his arm around my shoulder. “What exactly did Freya say to you tonight?”
This is so hard, but I have to tell him what she said about Lou. He looks so concerned, and if I keep quiet, the situation will only get worse. I take a deep breath while he continues to trail his fingers over my shoulder.
“She said you don’t ‘do’ relationships, and I’d stepped over the mark by moving in with you.”
Daniel doesn’t even try to make excuses for her, knowing she will never get over his rejection. “I’m sorry. She wants to get between us.” His arm slips down my back and he pulls me close, curling his fingers around my waist. “It makes no difference to me what she says. She won’t win.”
