Far worse than this.
“I love her, Dad.” Admitting out loud that I love Mia feels like I’ve given myself a punch in my own guts. But it also feels right. “It’s not some illicit affair. It’s not something I want to move on from and forget.”
My father clasps his hands over his belly and sighs. “Well, then. I suppose you’re going to do the right thing by her.”
“Once the divorce is through and everything is cleared with Archie, of course.” I glance up at him. “I’m still worried what people will think.”
“People will think what they want, son. You can’t change that.” He leans down and puts a hand on my mother’s headstone. “You hear that, duck? Our boy’s only gone and fallen in love with a lass from Yorkshire. Who’d have thought, ey?”
Now tears do fall. Because I want to sit at a table with my mother and tell her everything. I want her to roll her eyes and sigh, and say ‘Oh, Dominic’ in that tone she always used when I’d gone and done something stupid. And I really want her to run a hand through my hair as she passes me on her way to the stove and says, ‘Time for coffee, I think’.
“But she’s a good woman,” my father goes on. “She reminds me of you. Same sass. Same independence. But our son’s a better man than me. She won’t have to do it all on her own, will she, Dom?”
I bite my lips together, nodding stupidly as I dash the tears away from my eyes. I haven’t cried in years. What the bloody hell is wrong with me?
My father presses a kiss to his fingertips then places it on my mother’s headstone. He gently pats Nico and Melina’s.
“Good night, you two. Don’t you be getting up to mischief.” He straightens, and turns to me. His face drops as he sees me crying, and he wobbles towards to wrap me in an awkward, one-armed hug.
“Now, now, my boy. It’s all going to be alright.” He gives my shoulders a squeeze. “We’re going to sort this out, don’t you worry.”
28
DOMINIC
Enteringthe club feels like running the gauntlet. Everyone side-eyes me, there are whispers as I pass by, and quickly averted glances when I look in their direction. Mia had warned me she didn’t think it was a good idea to go back yet, but after four days of being at Charlotte’s and avoiding the news, I’d had enough. Mia had gone to meet with her PA, and I’d decided to go to the club for training.
Except now I’m wondering if maybe Mia was right, because even Sarah eyes me warily as I stand at her desk asking if there’s any messages.
“Uh, yes, there are, ummm…” She fiddles around in a file, obviously flustered, and when I look around me, I see everyone frozen in a sort of awkward stance, unsure of what to do next.
“If anyone has anything to say, just say it.” I raise my eyebrows, looking from one startled face to the next. “I’m not coming into my own bloody club to be stared at and whispered about.”
There’s a murmured chorus ofOh noandNothingandNo, sir, and everyone quickly disbands.
“Sarah, would you step into my office for a moment please?” I stride in ahead of her, sitting down at my desk and gesturing for her to take a seat.
She rushes in, closing the door securely behind her, and primly smoothing down her skirt before perching on the chair opposite me.
“Yes, Mr Graves?” She asks.
“I know everyone knows what happened,” I say, and her eyes drop to her lap, her cheeks bursting into a bright red blush. “And I need everyone to stop being bloody weird about it.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“I’m sure you didn’t. But everyone acting like a criminal has just wandered into the club isn’t helping.” I lean on the table, and sigh. “What’s been landing on your desk?”
Sarah shrugs, still avoiding my eyes. “Lots of press inquiries, mainly asking if your relationship is the reason Archie left.”
“And you know it isn’t.”
“Yes, I do,” she responds, nodding slowly, then finally chancing a glance back at my face. “At least I hope so.”
“Nothing happened until Mia had told Archie their marriage was over.”
“Oh, good.” Sarah’s shoulders visibly relax. “I mean, of course you don’t owe me anything, I’m just your secretary, I mean-”
“I still want you to know. It’s important to me. We’re a family round here, and that includes you.”
