She bites her toast, takes a mouthful of tea then holds out her hands, bending and flexing her fingers as a request for me to hand over the laptop.
* * *
By eleven-thirty, Richard has confirmed that the interim injunction has been granted and he’s putting together a strong case for further action, not really with the intention of pursuing a trial but to use as leverage to get the paper to settle. The settlement agreement will be so tight, they’ll have to drop any leads remotely connected to the case. The way things are looking, Richard is confident that will happen, particularly with the amount of money Gregory is willing to stump up to keep the press away from Elsa.
Gregory joins us around the dining table and I give him the update. He’s relieved, that much is a true reaction, but I know the way he holds himself, the shades of his irises, the tone of his voice. This is just another hurdle he’s had to climb. He’s tired and I find myself wondering how he’s carried the weight of so much darkness for so many years.
I rub the dull ache beneath my breastbone and lay a hand on his thigh. My want to protect him is overwhelming. I want this to end forever but the feeling of restlessness in the back of my mind is increasing. Something tells me Katrina Martin is not going away.Thatnight isn’t going away and until they both do, Gregory will never be free of his past. We’ll never be free of Kevin Pearson.
‘Thank you both,’ Gregory says to Amanda and me.
Pressure mounts behind my eyes.
‘Amanda, would you come for a drink with me? Soft, of course. A short walk around the harbour? I’d like to talk to you.’
If she’s taken aback, she doesn’t show it. Maybe she feels like it’s time to put some feelings to bed, too, but the lump in my throat is one of gratefulness. Grateful to Gregory for reaching out and trying to make yet another thing right. His life on paper looks like the dream, but he must be exhausted by it.
‘Sure.’
Williams and Gregory have an unspoken exchange, in that way they do. Williams’s soft eyes tell me he’s also thankful for Gregory taking the high ground.
‘We’ll be back soon,’ Gregory says, pressing his lips to my temple. ‘Hydrate, I’ve got a surprise for you this afternoon.’
In all the sex and legal battles, I think I’ve forgotten my hangover long enough to be sober.
As soon as Gregory and Amanda are off the boat, I take off my glasses and cover my face with my hands, pulling my knees into my chest on the chair.
‘Hey, hey, what’s this about?’ Williams moves quickly to replace Gregory on the chair next to me and wraps an arm around my shoulder.
‘Nothing.’ I try to stifle my tears but one escapes. ‘It’s nothing. I just need to take a breath.’
‘Talk to me, Scarlett.’
I sniff and turn on a fake smile for Williams.
Another silent drop escapes and rolls down my cheek just thinking about what to say. ‘I love him so much, all of him. I love him so much, it makes everything ache. And the one thing I want to give him, I can’t. I’d do anything for him, anything in my power, I’d do it.’
‘I think you’ve already proved that, don’t you?’
I snap my head round to look up at him.He knows.
‘He didn’t tell me. Nobody told me, until I just saw your reaction.’
All I can do is stare at him, my tears suspended.
‘I know enough about the case to know things didn’t add up. I don’t know the detail and I don’t need to. All I’ll say is this, what you did for him is more than anyone has ever done for him. He loved you before that but now, he’ll never let anything come between you. Ring or no ring, you two are unbreakable.’
My next breath blows out my cheeks. He knows and I think it’s a relief. Someone to talk to who knows Gregory and me. Who won’t judge us. ‘I thought that was it. I stupidly thought that with his father out of the picture, Gregory could be free. But it just keeps coming back to haunt him and it’s killing me to think that I might have made things worse.’
Williams tugs me into his side. ‘Scarlett, he’s already changing. He is changed and you’re the reason. I’ve been his friend for twenty years and I’ve never seen him so happy. Give him more time. There are a lot of years of hurt that he’s never shared with anyone and he needs to get past them but he’s doing it, trust me. You gave him that chance.’
‘Oh, crap, you’re going to be a super daddy,’ I say, nudging into him and drying my cheeks again.
‘I hope so.’
‘Are you nervous?’
‘Nervous doesn’t cover it. Petrified is more apt,’ he says, shaking his head.
