Roger laughs. ‘I can’t wait. I’m so pleased you both have found each other again.’ He nudges me. ‘I did ask Oliver what we were going to do if you stormed out. I told him that whatever happens, I will eat the casserole.’
Oliver extends his hand to mine. ‘I’m a lucky man, Roger. We will see you next week.’
‘I look forward to it.’
49
We walk back towards my flat. When we pass the entrance to the private communal garden, Oliver pulls us to a stop. ‘I never gave Gary the key back.’ He gestures to the garden. ‘Shall we have a moment to talk?’
We hold hands as we enter and sit down on the patch of grass.
He turns to me and takes a deep breath. ‘I’m asking for a chance to show you that I’m here to fight for us, to fight for you and Alfie. Because you both are all I’ve thought about since I left.’
‘Have you spoken to Molly and Rory?’
He leans over his legs, placing his elbows on his thighs. ‘It was the hardest thing I had to do. Jamie went with me yesterday. I apologised to both, and I’ve committed to focusing on co-parenting Alfie and moving on from the past.’
‘That must have been tough.’
He nods. ‘Rory said he could understand why I got angry about the video.’
‘He did?’
‘Yes, which I thought was a start. Hearing my child call another man Daddy is hard, but when that man used to be your best friend and is now with your ex-girlfriend, that’s when the red filter slipped over my eyes.’
I place a hand on his shoulder. ‘I understand.’
He sits up and runs a hand through his hair. ‘You were right. Alfie doesn’t need all the adults around him squabbling and fighting. When Molly and I both lived in London, it was simpler. Every time I went to her flat, Rory wasn’t there. I would put Alfie in his buggy, and we would go out, or I would play with him on his activity mat. When she moved here and told me Rory was moving in with her, everything changed. It was like his betrayal actually magnifiedherbetrayal, and I felt a hundred times worse.’ I watch him gaze out across the park. ‘The last few years, all this resentment and anger have been bubbling away inside of me. When I stopped writing, I came undone.’
We both go silent and listen to the evening breeze rustling the leaves on the trees behind us.
He places his hand over mine. ‘I’m sorry for the trouble I caused you and the late nights.’
I smile. ‘It’s okay. I have missed you, Oliver.’
He leans in and presses his soft, warm lips against mine. His kiss is slow and sensual. Once we pull apart, he strokes my cheek. ‘I’ve missed you too.’
‘A lot has happened since you left.’
‘Tell me.’
‘Eva, my friend, is going to be my new flatmate,’ I explain, feeling a prickle of worry. Perhaps Oliver thinks he’s going to move back in?
With a smile, he puts his arm across my shoulders. ‘That’s good. I can date you properly now.’
‘Really?’
He nods. ‘I’m living at Jamie’s for the time being until I can buy somewhere. It will be nice to be able to take you…’ His words fade away, and something flickers across his face. He remembers my anxiety. ‘Are you going to be honest with me? I’ve had a feeling you’ve been hiding something. In my story, you were like Mary, burdened by some terrible secret.’
I take a breath. ‘I related to her.’
Taking my hand, he looks into my eyes. ‘Whatever it is, I will still be by your side.’
I take a deep breath.
This is it. The crucial moment. I look into his dark eyes and he strokes my cheek. ‘Nelly, you mean the world to me. I am not going anywhere.’
‘OK…’ I take a deep breath, ‘When I touch people, I see visions in my head. They’re about things that happen in the future.’
