Page 63 of Tis the Season
My body tensed as my mind flashed back to Copington Christmas Market. Julia hadn’t been there to help choose a gift; the two of them had been on a date. But that wasn’t Gideon’s worst sin that night. I remembered his words about how I’d said I wouldn’t go there again after Gran had died. A vow he undoubtedly banked on, I suddenly felt sick. Not content with lying to my face, he’d used my grief to get away with playing around behind my back.
Recalling his sincerity at the restaurant, I scowled. Gideon had tried to be manipulative then too. The fuss he’d made about him being logical and me creative. It was no wonder I’d misunderstood the situation. Maybe if he hadn’t patronised me, talked in a way that suggested opposites attract, I wouldn’t have anticipated a proposal. He should have got straight to the point and dumped me.
He’d shown the same gutlessness when he’d waxed lyrical about where best to celebrate Christmas. Gideon knew he hadn’t invited me to his parents. An assumption on my part, I’d inserted myself into an environment where nobody, including him, wanted me. I glanced down at the sketch of Gideon and Julia. Yet he said nothing.
Picturing Gideon as he paced up and down my landing during his earlier phone call, I scoffed. Kudos to him for thinking on his feet. Reports to finish, expectant bosses on the phone, I’d had no idea it was Julia, the woman he clearly planned on spending Christmas with, on the other end of the line. Gideon certainly had me fooled.
Heat raced through my veins. That’s why she was there on the train. She was letting Gideon know she would no longer stay in the shadows.
A part of me wanted to believe Julia wouldn’t be that cruel. That she didn’t really expect him to leave me, in the middle of nowhere, on Christmas Eve. But envisaging her smug smile as she walked down the train aisle ready to claim her man, I scowled. Of course she did.
Looking back, it was easy to see how pathetic and gullible I’d been. How I should have listened to my inner voice that kept insisting all was not as it seemed. But unlike Gideon, at least I wasn’t a coward. Neither was my ego so big that I needed to come out of every situation looking like the good guy.
Taking a deep breath to steady myself, a coldness came over me and I got up from my seat ready to face everyone.
CHAPTER34
Arms by my side, I stood, gathering myself ready to challenge Gideon and Julia. In through my nose and out through my mouth, I slowly inhaled and exhaled. Despite the breathing exercise, my heart pounded. ‘You’ve got this,’ I said. Clenching my hand, I used the side of my fist to hit thecarriage openbutton and stepping forward, I marched in their direction.
Gideon and Julia were back in their original seats and fixing a smile on my face, I kept my eyes on them as I sat down opposite.
Martha tapped me on my arm. ‘I saved you a sandwich.’ She glowered at Gideon as she handed me the last of her tinfoil wrapped parcel and seeing her displeasure, I wondered how she’d react if she knew Gideon had done more than eat with the woman next to him.
‘You need something in your tummy,’ Lexi said. Pacing up and down the aisle, she grimaced as she rubbed her belly, having obviously eaten too many chocolate-flavoured gherkins. ‘Goodness knows how long we’re going to be here.’
‘It’s probably a snowdrift,’ Jake said.
Brian laughed. ‘A leaf on the track, more like.’
While they chatted about the problems with the rail operator, I focused my attention on Julia. The train’s stark lighting wasn’t doing her any favours. Her make-up didn’t appear as refined, and I was sure there were a couple of grey strands in her otherwise dark hair. Correcting myself, I refused to behave like the woman before me. Attaching the flaws in her character to her appearance might serve my anger, but I was better than that.
Julia shifted in her seat, as if pretending not to notice my stare.
I chuckled. She wasn’t that good an actress.
I wondered how she and Gideon planned to resolve our festive threesome. Julia was clearly apick mekind of woman, but in forcing Gideon’s hand, underneath all her glamour and bravado she couldn’t one-hundred per cent believe Gideon would choose her. After all, he hadn’t so far.
I tilted my head. ‘So where are you off to, Julia?’
‘I, er…’ She looked from me to Gideon, lost for words. I almost felt sorry for her. The desperation in her eyes was pitiful.
Gideon squirmed. He clearly wanted all the benefits of an affair, but none of the responsibility. That could explain why he’d accepted Julia’s food offering so readily. One word from her wouldn’t just make public his behaviour; it would make him outwardly accountable.
I sneered. He’d probably hoped I’d make a scene. Give him a reason to dump me in a way that enabled him and Julia to cast me as the bad guy and them the victims. After all, he had form. In leaving my bag in the car, wasn’t I the one who’d left him hungry? I scoffed. Innocent was the last thing those two were.
‘Everything okay?’ Gideon asked, clearly sensing something was afoot.
‘Why wouldn’t it be?’ As his eyes darted towards the carriage doors, I knew he was questioning Alex’s whereabouts. Panicking over what we had or hadn’t talked about when we were out of sight, let alone earshot.
Seeing his discomfort a warmth radiated through my body. Oh, how the tables had turned.
Gideon swallowed. ‘You just seem a bit on edge.’ He pulled at his collar.
Ignoring his observation, I indicated his phone with a smile. ‘You might want to text your mum to let her know we’re running late. There’s no point her sitting on a cold station platform, when she could be keeping that gorgeous inglenook burning for us.’
As Julia flashed Gideon a look, the carriage doors opened, and Alex appeared. Rucksack slung over his shoulder, he carried two takeaway cups of coffee. ‘There you go.’ Handing me one of the drinks, he lowered himself into his seat. As if sensing the shift in atmosphere, he glanced around the group.
‘Well, this is nice, isn’t it?’ I said.
