Together, they were a double act made in heaven.Everything Karim did entertained Mum, who fussed over him like she fussed over Femi’s and Gabi’s kids, and Libby, looking very pretty in her sundress, engaged Malek in easy conversation that just simply flowed.
And flowed.
Seamlessly, she asked Malek all sorts of questions, from where he grew up—Manchester—to what he did for a living—security work.By the time the main course had arrived, Dan had discovered that Malek was ex-Army, had two teenage kids from a previous relationship, pushed weights at Mum’s gym—where they’d met—enjoyed watching motorsport, hated soccer, and loved authentic Indian food.For each of his answers, Libby had five more questions ready to go.
Chipping into the conversation every now and again, Dan smiled in all the right places, but he struggled to shake off his dark mood.
Mum was dating a guy fifteen years younger than her…
As long as she was happy, it was none of Dan’s business who she dated.He was just…sad.Sad that Mum hadn’t told him.Sad that Dad wasn’t here instead.Sad that they’d all had to live so long without him in the first place.
And Dan was sad about Isabella, too.
Heart and soul sad.This was supposed to be their honeymoon!And yeah, he was more than a tad annoyed that she’d cast him aside for a Hollywood superstar.
Dan glanced at his wristwatch.
In about five minutes’ time, the announcement of their permanent split would hit the UK headlines.Maybe it was a good thing not to have a working phone.He’d only be constantly checking the internet.The gossip sites.Social media.Reading whatever crap people conjured up about him.
Hero to Zero.Poor Jones.
Dan sighed and caught his mother watching him.
When they arrived at dinner, he’d apologized again for his rudeness earlier.And to Malek too, but Mum’s eyes were again full of sadness.Sadness and worry and concern… The list of emotions he’d inflicted on her in recent months went on.
She gave him a small smile.Okay, darling?
With a nod, he smiled back.He’d put his family through so much already, but he was far from okay.He was a mess.Anxiety crawled along the back of his neck, and his whole body hurt inside and out—tired, lonely, and pissed off.
Under the table, Libby bumped his thigh.
“Dan?Your mom’s talking to you.”
“Eh?What?”He blinked.Everyone at the table was staring at him.Even Karim in his highchair was watching him, wide-eyed and waiting.
“Femi’s just messaged me,” Mum said.“It’s all over breakfast news at home.”
“What is?”Libby asked, looking at him for the answer.
Dan cleared his throat.“An official statement that Isabella and I are no longer together was given to the press today.”
“Oh.”Libby wiped Karim’s mouth with a napkin.“So, I guess if you were still in England, those reporters you told me about would’ve been after you even more for an interview.”
“Yeah.”Dan toyed with his glass.Despite the long journey, despite the sick bug, despite the awkwardness of finding Mum with a boyfriend, coming out here to avoid those journalists had been the right thing to do.“But they don’t know where I am.No one knows.”
“Do you think…” Mum trailed off, and when Dan looked up, he didn’t like the worry lines on her face.“Do you think that if journalists were to come out here to the Cooks, that…that they’d write something about Malek and me?I don’t want to be called a cougar or a cradle snatcher.”
“Carina.”Malek squeezed her hand.“Don’t even go there.”
“But if—”
“I’m sorry.”Dan covered his face with his hands.Dragging his mum into his mess was the last thing he wanted.“Maybe I should return home.”
“No, you need to rest,” Mum said sharply.
“Then I’ll lie low for a few days.I’ll—”
“Come to Atiu with Karim and me.”
