He pulled away a fraction and reached with one hand to push her fringe from her eyes. ‘I just want you to be ok.’
‘I’ll be ok,’ she said more convincingly than she felt.
He pulled her back into the hug, his hands tight on her back, holding her like he didn’t want to let go.
*
The scrape of the key in the front door woke her and she sat bolt upright. It was still daylight outside, but not for much longer. She didn’t know how long she had been asleep. She looked over to where Greg lay, still asleep himself, and she put her face in her hands.
‘Maddie? You here?’ Jade’s raspy voice shouted down her hallway.
Maddie grabbed her jeans from the floor and her jumper from where it had been flung onto the chair. She emerged from the bedroom and almost collided with Jade as she made her way down the corridor.
‘Oh, there you are. Were you sleeping?’
Maddie smoothed down her hair with her hands. ‘Um, how did you get in?’ She pushed past Jade and went into the kitchen, hoping she would follow. ‘What are you doing here?’
Jade dangled a set of keys in front of Maddie’s face. ‘I got a copy made of your keys, just in case. You never know when they might come in handy.’
Maddie felt ice inch over her. Her eyes flicked to the keys hanging behind her door. ‘When?’
‘When you were ill. Listen, that’s not important. I just… wanted to apologise for leaving so abruptly last night. I was hammered and stressed, took it out on you. You’re right, we should be putting our heads together to work on a plan when we are sober and thinking straight.’
‘That’s ok. I understand.’ Maddie wasn’t quite focusing on what she was saying.
‘So I was wondering if… you know, the money… have you spoken to Greg yet?’
‘Not yet. Thinking about it, I’m not sure what Greg would say and I’ve got a bit of a headache, so if you don’t mind…’
‘Yes, but will you speak to him?’
‘Maybe,’ Maddie avoided her eyes.
‘Oh, hello,’ Jade said suddenly and Maddie turned to see Greg emerging from the bedroom, his hair on end and wearing just his jeans. He stopped abruptly and flushed a deep red.
‘I didn’t know there was someone here.’
‘Clearly,’ Jade smirked. ‘Well, three’s a crowd and all that. I’ll leave you to it.’ She moved to leave, then turned back to Greg and said, ‘I’m Jade.’
‘Greg, hi.’
‘Greg, huh?’ she said and threw another smirk at Maddie. ‘We were just talking about you. Nice to meet you. By the way, your fly is down.’
She left, slamming the door behind her.
The silence was awkward. ‘You could’ve warned me,’ Greg said.
‘She let herself in. I didn’t invite her.’
‘She has a key?’
‘Apparently.’ They stood uncomfortably, neither sure what to say next.
‘Well, I should go,’ Greg said.
‘Tea before you do?’
‘No, I, er… I told Gemma I was going to the gym. She’ll wonder what I’ve been doing for so long.’ He waved his mobile phone in the air. ‘There’s been a few missed calls.’
‘Yeah, I bet there have,’ Maddie replied and started to giggle.
‘Mads, about what we…’
‘Don’t worry, I won’t say anything. As far as I’m concerned, that was a goodbye. I still think we should get a divorce. It goes no further than this room.’
‘Oh, right. Ok, um, well….’ He looked surprised, as thought that wasn’t what he was expecting to hear from her. He recovered his composure and stepped towards her with his arms open.
‘No more hugs – that’s how it started in the first place,’ Maddie said with a smile.
He laughed and said, ‘I’ll get the rest of my clothes from where you flung them, shall I?’
She hit him playfully on the arm, blushing, and watched him go back to the bedroom, a wide smile on her face.
She could hear him making a phone call, probably spinning Gemma a lie like those he had spun for her before. Something under the couch caught her eye. His keys must’ve fallen from his pocket and were glinting in the light. She grabbed them and followed him into the bedroom just as he was ending his call.
He looked flushed, embarrassed. ‘Told her I’d been for a drink after the gym with a friend.’
‘I don’t want to know.’ Something about how easily he had lied annoyed her and she turned to look out of the bedroom window. She could see his Porsche in the car park and next to it a large Range Rover that looked familiar.
‘Where was Gemma when you called her?’
‘At home, I think, why?’
Maddie shrugged. ‘No reason.’ She watched as the Range Rover reversed out of the parking space and pulled away at speed.
*
Maddie climbed the stairs nervously, not sure what she was going to say to Jade. Sleeping with Greg had been stupid, spontaneous and, as much as she flushed with embarrassment when she thought about it, her stomach clenching and churning, it had been thrilling. For a second she could understand the buzz of an affair, if it weren’t for the hurt that went hand in hand with the excitement.
Because no matter how much she disliked Gemma, Maddie knew first-hand what that kind of betrayal felt like and she never thought she would be the kind of person to inflict that on anyone.
And she had no doubt that it was Gemma’s Range Rover parked out front, watching, knowing where he was. She was now also convinced it had been Gemma watching her when she was with Ben.
Maddie knew that moment of madness with Greg was something that wouldn’t be repeated, but it had felt right at the time – a farewell of sorts – and she didn’t regret it.
Even so, Jade would be full of questions that Maddie didn’t want to answer.
And then there was the question of the money she had offered. Greg had planted a seed of uncertainty in her mind. He had a point – Maddie didn’t exactly trust or know Jade. Who’s to say she wouldn’t disappear once she got what she wanted? Jade had proved herself to be greedy, a magpie attracted to sparkly things and expensive objects. Was all of this ultimately just about money? Would she take Ben away anyway?
Maddie paused halfway up the stairs as she heard a door open above her. She half expected Jade to come barrelling down towards her and braced herself. Instead, the footsteps headed away from her.
She frowned and carried on up the stairs, treading lighter than she had before. As she emerged on the top floor, she noticed a pair of scruffy trainers heading up the other flight of stairs set deep into the corner. She followed quietly and reached a heavy door that scraped lightly as she pulled on the handle. A blast of cold air greeted her as she stepped out onto the roof of the building.
It was like a different world up here. She could see for miles – buses and cars streaming past, tiny people walking with purpose, lights flickering on and off. A whole miniature town laid out before her.
She turned in the direction of where she thought her old house would be and found herself looking at Luke sitting in a deckchair, sipping on a can of beer.
He seemed unfazed at her sudden appearance.