His response was unexpectedly calm. Maybe the morning’s events had forced him to rein himself in a little.
She stared down at her phone, willing a response to arrive, something to confirm she hadn’t gone too far with her,I like you more than a lot declaration. Seconds turned into minutes and then his response appeared.
She smiled. He knew he liked her more than a lot. A frown creased her brow because feelings were going to complicate things no end and what her life really didn’t need were further complications. Very soon she realised she was smiling again, knowing no matter how complicated things got she wanted him in her life and would take whatever that brought with it.
Tasha sighed and remembered how she’d felt when she’d discovered Gerry. Worse still, how she’d felt when she’d learned he was going to be a father and that she would not be the mother to that child. It had felt as though her whole life had fallen apart in those moments and yet, with hindsight it hadn’t. It had simply released her from the clearly defined and planned life she’d expected to live with Gerry and now the world was her oyster. Or it would be if she could find a way of releasing Dan and Pippa the way Gerry had freed her. Jim’s next message arrived and was focused on her still.
She noticed a message alert from Lizzie which diverted her attention from her past and Jim’s reaction to it. Opening Lizzie’s message, she smiled.
“Oh God, we’re on smiley faces now.” Tasha laughed as she replied to Lizzie, unsure why she would be going anywhere or even where she’d be going over to.
Tasha frowned. She was many things, but none of them family. It suddenly occurred to her that as it was late morning Lizzie probably shouldn’t be in a position to be texting freely.
She had messages queueing now, but needed to get rid of Lizzie, in the nicest way before she returned her full attention to Jim.
Tasha laughed at the sad face now but quickly responded in what she would hope would come across as firm, but not bossy. The last thing she needed was to be in some way held responsible for Lizzie using her phone when she shouldn’t be, but she also didn’t want to alienate her either.
When there was no reply from Lizzie, Tasha initially felt relieved, although with hindsight she thought she was probably snitching to Jim if she thought Tasha was being a bitch, but right now she couldn’t become unduly concerned by that.
Chapter 15
Tasha was still lying in bed when another message from Gerry arrived which was possibly more of a concern as it was still the early hours in London and there were three more from Jim. She sighed and opened Gerry’s first, hoping it wasn’t going to add further drama or tears to her day.
This was madness, she and Gerry were done and he’d been the one to end it. He really couldn’t keep doing this to her. He had broken them not her and yet it was still her who was being made to feel guilty for his apparent unhappiness. She thought for several seconds before replying, hoping to sort things once and for all.
She hit send and couldn’t deny her tears for a lost love. A past love. She then forwarded the message to Jim, with the opening:
