‘C’est vraiment des conneries!’
For a moment it looks like François is on the verge of breaking down, his passive expression on the brink of crumbling. He blinks twice, a sad smile returning.
‘No, darling. Bullshit it isnot. It is what’s called love. Something you will never understand.’
His eyes catch mine as he turns, the love and hurt as obvious as their blue colouring. In the time it takes for him to turn from me, an unspoken understanding passes between us. He loves her, perhaps not as a wife, but it’s a love unrequited, still.Perhapsthe same as his love for Kai.Oh my god. How could I not have seen this before? Françoisloves Kai—loveloves Kai.
The implication sits on my chest as he leads Sofia out, murmuring his apologies to those in the room. I’ve one hand clasped to my face as Niamh comforts me with words I can’t hear as the pressure of this realisation weighs on my lungs, squeezing me tight. But it feels appropriate somehow, this sorrow I feel for him. Maybe because I know what it feels like to be loved by Kai. It’s for this reason alone, and maybe shock, that tears spill down my cheeks at the same moment as Kai appears at the doorway into the room.
Françoisshakes his head, unspeaking as Kai begins to ask what’s wrong. Words still hanging in the air, he’s suddenly at my side, enveloping me in his arms.
‘Are you all right?’ His fingers are in my hair, my head clasped to his chest. ‘Darling, speak to me.’ Placing his hands on my shoulders, he angles my head to look at him.
‘She slapped her. That fucking bitch slapped her! She needs locking up.’ Niamh.
‘Babe, you need to calm down.’ Rob.
‘You poor darling! Regina! Regina! Get some ice, could you please? Who on earth let her—never mind. She would’ve found a way. The woman is unhinged!’ Mishael.
‘Who was that woman, Katie?’ Geoff.
‘Such language, Katherine. I never thought to hear you speak like that.’ Mum.
‘Enough!’ Kai’s voice rings from the walls. ‘Enough,’ he repeats quieter. ‘Kate, speak to me.’
I stare at him, blinking, fighting through a moment of telling him everything that just passed. I can feel my teeth gnawing at my lip.
‘Where have you been?’ The words come out watery and sort of bubbly as Kai bends lower, his sorrowful gaze now level with mine.
‘I was upstairs. Fifth door on the right.’ Words laced with meaning, a tiny smile lurking in the corner of his mouth.
I burst into giggles, the most inappropriate kind. ‘Sorry,’ I say between hiccupping cries. ‘I sort of got carried away down here.’
Pulling me back into his arms, he kisses my head. ‘Let’s take you home.’
