“He’s been restless all night, struggling to get comfortable. I think he’s in a lot of pain. Wouldn’t let me take him to the hospital, but he’ll get checked out later today.”
“You didn’t say much in your message. Do you know what happened?” Darcey puts her bag down and kicks off her high heels. She’s dressed in a navy blue pantsuit, ready for a day in the office.
“Floyd.”
Darcey raises an eyebrow, her hand clenching into a fist. “That fucking asshole.”
“Yep.” Keeping my voice low, I say, “I need you to do me a favour.”
“I’m listening.”
“I need to go out. Can you stay with him? I don’t want him left alone.”
She nods. Removing her phone from her pocket, she taps at the screen before dropping it into her bag. “Done. I’ve let work know I won’t be in today.”
“Thank you.”
“Where are you going?”
Sliding into my trainers, I check I have both phones in my pocket, then blow out a breath.
“To end this.”
Darcey frowns. “Is Darius okay with what you’re about to do?”
I shake my head, my voice an angry whisper when I reply. “I don’t know. I haven’t told him. He needed his rest and I…”Didn’t want him to stop me. “Better to ask for forgiveness, right?”
She cocks her head to the side, furrowing her brows. “Right.”
I open the front door and step out into the corridor, Darcey moving to stand in front of me at the threshold.
“I’m not waiting around for that fucker to kill him before anything is done,” I say. “If Darius is mad at me after, I’ll live with that. But at least he’llliveand have his life back. That’s all I care about.”
For so long, my life could have been a study in disappointments – one after another they landed until I wasn’t so sure I deserved anything better – and then I met Darius and I understood what it meant to be loved and cherished. He became my exception. The sun after the storm. I’ll do anything in my power to protect him.
Darcey places her hand on my shoulder and squeezes. “He’s lucky to have you.”
“No,” I say. “I’m lucky to have him. Which is why I have to do this.”
“What do I tell him when he asks where you are?”
I shrug. “The truth? That I love him? Whatever you need to, just don’t lie to him. We don’t do that.”
Darcey nods, letting go of my shoulder.
“Ollie?” Darius calls, his voice sleepy. He can’t see me and though I’m torn between rushing over to him and leaving, the desire to follow through on my plan wins out.
“I’ve got him,” Darcey says. “Go.”
With one last look over Darcey’s shoulder, I spin and hurry down the stairs, pushing through the lobby door and onto the street. Grey skies to match my mood, greet me.
I double check the directions to Darius’s place – grateful he gave me the address last week – then head towards the station. I toyed with the idea of a cab, but figured that this would be quicker given it’s one line between the two stations, and at this time of morning, the trains should be regular. A train pulls into the station as I arrive and I cram in among the morning commuters, making the short journey to Clapham Junction station.
Once there, I exit onto the street, making the short walk to the terraced apartment building overlooking the common. A marble staircase leads up to a solid wooden door adorned with the building’s name above it in frosted glass. There’s a panel to the right of the door, which unlocks with the tap of the keycard I took from Darius’s wallet. Inside, the lobby is impressive – wood floors with black and gold accents and a touch of nature in the form of two adult sized potted palms. There’s a lift to the three floors each housing one apartment, but I take the stairs, two at a time, passing from the first to the second, to the third floor, until I’m standing outside the rooftop apartment.
My chest heaves and my heart thuds angrily against my ribcage. Drying my sweaty palms on my jeans, I roll my neck on my shoulders, blow out a breath and knock on the door.
When no one answers, I knock again, this time harder.
