“Can we be there?” Gabby sulks. “I’d like to hear this too.”
“You can tell me why you are here,” I warn her, before kissing Madison on the cheek. “I’ll call you later.”
“I’ll message you once I’ve spoken to Uncle Liam.”
“Okay, and thank you for the help and not telling the others.”
She gets up, her expression wary. “But you do know you need to tell them. Not all of it, not about you know who— you’re a grown woman, after all— but the rest… You know what they’re like when we keep things from them.”
“I know and I will. I’d just really like to speak to Mum first. She’s popping round later.”
“It was nice to meet you all,” she tells them after giving me a nod.
Once she leaves, I turn to the girls. “What’s this big news?”
“Our friend, Amber, who used to work with us, got in touch after we put feelers out about Scott.”
I sit up, my gut clenching. “What did she say?”
“She knew him and it was bad. We said we’d wait to hear the rest with you if she was okay with it. We weren’t sure if you had questions,” Harriet admits.
“I do. A lot,” I reply. “Does she know where he is?”
Harriet glances away, grimacing. “No, it was the first thing we asked but she said she might know who does.”
“Who would that be?”
“His wife,” she answers.
I slump back in the chair and bite my lip. “What if she doesn’t know? How do you tell a woman her husband cheated and assaulted another woman?”
“Why should her feelings be worth more than yours? Your cousin is right, you are too nice for your own good. You aren’t going there to brag to her but rather going there as another woman wanting justice for what was done to you,” Olivia comments.
“When does she want to meet us?” I ask, not expanding on her comment. I can’t. I might be gullible, naive, but I’d never let the wrong actions of others dictate who I am. I’ll always be kind and give people the benefit of the doubt. If everyone was distrusting, or uncaring, there would be a lot of suffering in the world.
“She has Wednesday off. She has an optician’s appointment in the morning but can meet us midday if you’re free?”
“I’ll make myself free,” I assure her. “Did she say anything else?”
“Just that things happened that had her leaving her job and going elsewhere. She lives in Lindal now.”
“Oh my gosh,” I whisper, hoping it’s not as bad as I’m imagining. “Are you sure it’s Scott?”
Harriet nods. “Yes. Same name, same MO, and thinking on it after we spoke with her, you kind of look the same too.”
“Are you going to come?” Gabby asks. “We can make a road trip out of it.”
“You guys have done enough already. You don’t need to take time away from home for me.”
“We want to be there,” Emily assures me. “We want this bastard caught. What he did is sick and morally wrong.”
“Thank you,” I tell them, giving them a watery smile.
Rose places her hands on the table. “Now you can tell us about this new guy. What’s he like?”
I roll my eyes, and give them a run-down of that night, keeping most things private.
They don’t get to know everything. Some things are meant to remain between Drew and I.
By the time I’m done, Gabby stands. “I have to go. I’ve got a date with my clit stimulator.”
Harriet bursts out laughing before turning to me. “We do need to go but, Charlotte, I’m seriously fucking happy for you.”
“It’s my cue to leave too,” Rose announces, also smiling. “But the girls are right. You deserve your happy ever after.”
“See you Wednesday,” Olivia tells me.
As Emily picks her things up, she looks at me. “You doing anything else this afternoon?”
“I’m actually leaving soon. I’m in the mood to make cupcakes.”
She busies herself searching through her bag, looking awfully hard for something. “Did you lose something?”
“Just my keys,” she squeaks, before straightening. “Well, thank you for a great chat.”
I smile. “Thank you for visiting.”
“See you soon,” Rose tells me.
“See you,” I reply, then give the rest of the girls a hug before following them to the front. Once they leave, I turn to Marlene. “If you need me, call me.”
With that, I grab my stuff out of the office and head home. I have cupcakes to bake, and I need to rehearse what I’m going to say to Mum that doesn’t make me sound like a slut.
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHARLOTTE
Stepping back from the counter, I take in all the yummy goodness covering my worktops. Enveloped in an aura of freshly baked scones, I’m in heaven. Yet, after years of experience, I know they won’t taste as good as they look. Even the cupcakes are teasing me. They’re made with happiness, that is all that matters. In fact, I don’t even remember baking them for the first time in my life. My thoughts were too consumed with Drew, and once I snapped to the present, they were ready to go in the oven. That has never happened to me before. Normally I’m so into my own head, I pick and calculate every detail going into what I’m baking. By the end of it, my muscles are knotted, but right now, I feel relaxed, free.
Katnip swats at my ankle and I bend down, picking her up before hugging her to my chest. “Who’s a good kitty.”
Hiss.
“But you are so beautiful. Why do you continue to be so grumpy?”
Hiss.
I sigh, heading over to her bowl. “It’s okay. One day, Katnip. One day.”
The doorbell rings and a broad smile crosses my face.
Mum.
I’m dreading the conversation we need to have but Madison was right earlier. I do tell her everything. She’s my best friend, my confidant. And she always knows what to say whether I want to hear it or not. And I miss her.
Gently lowering Katnip to the floor, I leave her to feast on her food as I head to the door.
Unlocking it, I pull it open. “Mum, you had a good day?”
“I have. Did you?” she asks, pulling off her coat.
“It’s, um, been eventful.”
“Sounds ominous,” she mutters as she follows me into the kitchen. “I can’t stay long tonight. I’d like to get back to your father.”
I turn back to her after flicking the kettle on. My dad has a big heart, but his job as a social worker takes its toll on him. Some days are better than others. “Did he have another bad case?”
She nods as she goes to make a fuss of Katnip, but thinks better of it when she hisses out, going to swat her. “Yeah. He can’t go into detail but it’s bad. It’s getting to him.”
“Mum, go home. You don’t need to be here. Dad needs you.”
She forces a smile and I know it’s for my benefit. “I want to speak to my girl without the men in our lives interrupting us.”
I hand her a cup of tea before taking a seat next to her. “I’ve missed you too.”