As she looked deeply into his long-lashed hazel eyes, he quickly stood up, asking, ‘Are you hungry?’
‘I can wait.’
‘I need something, I’ll run up to the food van at the entrance.’
On his return, Jack placed a bag of food down next to him then put his hand on top of Star’s, causing a tingle to shoot up her arm and then down to a direct hit on her heart.
‘I’m really sorry for being such a coward and not responding to your messages.’
She pulled her hand away. ‘Well, yeah. It did upset me, I’m not going to lie.’ Star recalled her sleepless nights and feeling of despair at being rejected by the first man in ages who had quite simply rocked her soul.
‘And when I saw Kara in New York,’ he went on, ‘I was so pleased that at least I could pass on some words to you.’
‘What happened to you – your scar? And Kara told me that your arm was in a sling.’
‘It was an unfortunate accident. Riley, my girlfriend, found one of your messages and went crazy.’
‘And hit you?’ Star’s voice rose.
‘No, she pushed me and I fell backwards on to our glass coffee table.’
‘That’s all right then, sounds like a great relationship.’ A memory of her grandmother experiencing almost the same fate, elevated the bitterness in her voice.
‘I was the one who was unfaithful.’
Star was stung. ‘Like I say, a great relationship.’
‘I wanted to contact you so badly, but I promised her that we would make a go of it and that I would change my email address and phone numbers. Anything for a quiet life, really,’ Jack admitted. ‘You see, I’ve been with her a while, and life isn’t black and white, we all know that. And when I met you, the time I spent with you … well, it was amazing. I’ve never laughed so much. You’re beautiful, Star Bligh. You really are. It was the best one-day stand I think I’ve ever had.’
Star felt the bile rising within her. ‘One-day stand,’ she repeated, taking in a big gulp of air at the acceptance of that fact.
‘I’ve never done anything like that before, but …’
‘But “The heart has its reasons which reason knows not” and all that.’ Star finished off his sentence with a fake laugh causing Jack to feel that his heart might actually burst out of his chest. Butterflies on acid were now flying round his gut.
‘Even if the timingisshit,’ he blurted out, glad of the diversion of the seagull landing noisily next to their feet and beginning to pace around as if questioning why the food bag had not yet been opened.
‘So, you and Riley are going strong then,’ Star said flatly.
‘Well, let’s put it like this, we’re going … but those love angels you were on about, well, they’ve called in a handsome fella for you now, haven’t they? And with no complications, I bet.’
‘How did you—?’
‘I saw you on the quay.’
‘Ah, right. Yes, Conor’s great.’ Star automatically put her hand to her bump. ‘And yes, it’s been plain sailing.’
‘I guessed he’s Frank’s son by the look of him.’
‘His nephew.’
‘Ah, I thought there was a similarity. So, it’s going well for you, is it?’
‘Really well,’ Star enthused, thinking that she might actually vomit. And then without warning her subconscious took over and the words, ‘In fact, so well that I’m pregnant,’ suddenly burst out of the ‘things I really didn’t want to say today box’ and into the ether.
‘Wow. Congratulations,’ Jack managed after a moment. ‘You didn’t waste any time. Is that a public toilet I see down there?’ He rushed off, shouting back, ‘Give me a minute.’
With both hands on the small white hand basin he looked up at the water-splattered mirror and tried with all his might to push the feelings of complete despair back down inside. His face was red, his breathing shallow. His heart was breaking. Why had he thought that making a go of it with Riley was the right thing to do? Their relationship was poisonous. And ironically, even now pregnant with another man’s child, Star Bligh represented everything to him that was pure, everything he had ever wanted in a woman. But he had lost her, and he deserved to have lost her.
