‘Keep those bandages on for a couple of days, I would.’
‘Yes, Doctor Duke.’ Gracie smiled.
He raised an eyebrow. ‘Now there’s a thought. Doctors and nurses. Haven’t played that in years.’
Gracie laughed. ‘Yeah, right. Maybe not tonight, though, eh? As much as I’d like you to administer an injection, Doctor Duke, I think I need to go home to my own bed.’
Ed pulled up in his van up outside Naomi’s place and turned off the engine. He was torn about whether or not to tell his beautiful passenger about his current terrifying predicament. She had opened up to him about something so delicate and he was sure she would be supportive. But it didn’t seem fair to add to her troubles tonight. No, there would be a right time, he was sure.
He took off his seatbelt and leant over to kiss her. Then cupping her face gently in both of his hands, he looked right at her.
‘No more running, eh, Gracie?’ He rubbed his nose gently with hers. ‘Unless it’s to me.’
THIRTY-EIGHT
Naomi was drinking hot chocolate and sewing sequins onto a pink bag when Gracie pushed open the kitchen door. She noticed her sister’s bandaged arm where the blood had started to seep through.
‘Blimey, Grace, what have you done?’
Gracie lifted her leg to reveal a further bandage. ‘Oh, Noms, what a night.’
‘You poor thing. What happened?’
‘I was running from Lewis. I fell.’
Noms furrowed her brow. ‘Running, why on earth? I was just going to text you. Thought you may have changed your mind and gone back with him, but obviously not!’
Gracie felt tears rushing to her eyes. ‘He proposed to me in the middle of the bloody high street!’
‘What the hell… No!’ Noms was wide-eyed.
Gracie sighed deeply. ‘I know, it was crazy. Can you believe it?’
‘Fuck. Oh my god! You obviously said “no”?’
‘I said nothing. I just ran away, like a madwoman, then I fell in the street and this really lovely woman picked me up. Then Ed turned up and… Noms, what am I doing? I feel so confused about everything and everything hurts.’ Gracie’s face contorted in anguish.
‘Ssh.’ Noms got up and held her sister to her. Gracie was shaking.
‘It was just so bizarre, like everything I’ve always wanted from Lewis but at so the wrong time. Ed was my knight in shining armour. He was so lovely.’
‘Ssh. It’s going to be OK, it’s all going to be OK, darling.’ Noms rocked her gently, as if she were Jack after a nightmare.
‘Ed kissed me. I told him about the babies and he still kissed me.’ Gracie began to cry. ‘How lovely is that.’
‘And why wouldn’t he.’ Noms soothed.
‘He seemed to really give a shit,’ Gracie cried.
‘I’m sure he does, darling.’
Gracie sniffed loudly. ‘And Lewis still loves me.’
Noms stroked her sister’s hair. ‘I know. I know, darling.’
‘And I still love him.’ Gracie took a big blubbery breath. ‘But I don’t want to be with him. I can’t even look at him without thinking about her. I can’t do it.’
‘You don’t have to do it, baby sister. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.’
