‘That was Lowen’s bloody girlfriend! She grassed me for poisoning him and it was her who did it, all along!’
‘Shit, I didn’t think for one moment that…’
‘What is with men? Do you ever think?!’
‘I also think I’m on borrowed time for a huge scoop in one of the papers. She’s not going to keep her gob shut, especially if money is concerned.’
‘Come on, calm down. It will be OK– we can deal with it,’ Conor soothed.
‘And as for keeping a promise to me about not mentioning the market until I tried to sort it, everyone knows don’t they! God, Conor! Who can I trust anymore, not one person, it seems.’
‘I think you are misdirecting your anger here, calm down. It’s going to be OK.’
‘What are you, a bloody clairvoyant, now, too?’ The pressure of everything that had gone before, caused Sabrina to let out a massive sob. ‘Why is everything so hard. Dom hurt me so badly and now he wants me back and I try and sort my life out but basically I’m proof that you can run, but you can’t hide. And I shouldn’t care if the press start going on about me, but I do. And all I want is for people to stop lying to me. It’s such a bloody mess!’
‘I haven’t lied to you, precious girl. I would never hurt you. I think the world of you, so I do– I told you that already.’ Conor went to put his arms around her, and she pushed him away. ‘OK, OK, I did mention it to Frank, who told Charlie and luckily nothing happened because Giselle thankfully got to the eejit first.’
‘See. I can’t even trustyou!’ She let out an odd sounding wail. ‘You promised me, Conor.’
‘I don’t believe I said the word promise.’ He grimaced. ‘And no harm was done. I couldn’t let you deal with all this yourself, it’s too big.’
‘I said give me a week,’ Sabrina growled.
‘This is ridiculous.’ Conor’s face was pained.
‘It’s ridiculous to you! But I want to trust you Conor, I really do but… I need to sort things out by myself.’ She ran to the bedroom and started throwing clothes into a bag. ‘I need to sortmyselfout. Where the fuck I am going with my life?’
Conor strode in after her. ‘What are you doing?’
‘I know exactly what I’m doing.’ A look of fear spread over Conor’s face. ‘I’m going back to London.’
He stared at her blankly. ‘But what about Frank’s Halloween party for the kids?’
‘Jesus, I don’t give a crap about Frank’s fucking party.’ Sabrina was struggling to close her case.
‘And the Victorian Market? It’s so much fun.’
‘It’ll all be just as hilarious without me, I’m sure,’ Sabrina seethed. Conor went to help her. She lifted her arm to push him off.
‘And the rent for here?’ Conor was grasping at straws now.
‘I paid Kara up front, now get out of my way please, I’m going and nothing will stop me.’
‘Dominic doesn’t love you, Sabrina.’
‘I know, but maybe it’s easier that way, eh?’
‘Why are you being like this?’
Conor held her by the shoulders and started to spell out his words. ‘He doesn’t love you, and he will never love you or care about you like I do. I know it sounds crazy because I’ve known you for literally minutes, but I fecking love you. I knew you were the one for me the minute you streaked across this lounge half naked, and I’ve said it before and will keep on saying it that I don’t care who you are or what you do, I just love YOU. That’s it. YOU, Jillian Swift, every glorious piece of YOU.’ He was shouting now.
Raw with emotion, Sabrina was in floods of tears. ‘I want to love you, Conor, and I should love you, but I can’t just now.’
Conor punched the sofa hard. He was breathing deeply. She went over to him and lifted his chin.
‘I have to do this. Let me do this.’ She looked into his eyes and felt a pull as strong as the tide. Her voice lowered. ‘There was never any resolution and I need something, anything.’ Her voice cracked.
Conor turned away from her. ‘And that’s life, sometimes. Not everything can be wrapped up perfectly in a tight little ball. Bad things happen to good people, that’s a fact.’
