Page 93 of That Secret Something

She flicked a card out of her top pocket, flashing it to us with a smile. “That they were interested in my work and to give them a call sometime.”

Her dad pulled her into his arms, and the rest of us joined in a group hug. Rebecca had tried to play it down, but I knew how much it meant to have her family here. The Lawsons had all been working on opening up to each other, and though Sally still got emotional, and Rebecca’s dad didn’t always have the words to express how he felt, it was important to share these moments—and celebrate them too.

The speakers overhead announced the next screening was about to start, directing us to take our seats, and the audience began to head back into the auditorium. Jade pecked Tia on the cheek, and they followed through the doors.

An amused Lily exited the bathroom, her arm around Sally. Her mother’s eyes locked on Rebecca and began watering again. “Oh, Rebecca…”

“Come on, Mum. The next film is going to show soon.”

Rebecca pulled me back by my arm as the rest of the group made their way into the auditorium. “How are you feeling?” she asked.

“I’m good—great, even. And I’m so proud of you.” I squeezed her hand. “What about you?”

She blew out a breath. “That was probably one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of my life, but…I’m good too.”

“You did fantastic.” I leaned in and gave her a kiss, but I could still sense her unease. “You even got some business cards,” I continued. “That’s promising.”

She nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s true.” Her gaze drifted around the room before locking with mine, and she smiled. “Thank you.”

“What for?”

“Just for being you.” She slipped her hand into mine and squeezed. “Now, come on. We can’t be late for the next showing.”

* * *

“Are you sure you don’t want to go to the after-party?” I asked as soon as we were back in our apartment.

“For the fourteenth time, yes, Jess, I’m sure.” Rebecca kissed my cheek before taking her shoes off.

“But it’s a big achievement. Don’t you want to celebrate it?”

She draped her coat over a nearby chair—we’d still not got round to unpacking a lot of our things since the move back to Manchester—and turned back to me. “We have celebrated—are celebrating.” She linked her arms around the small of my back, and some of my earlier reservations dissipated. “I just want you all to myself. Is that so bad?”

I couldn’t fight the smile creeping onto my face. “Well, I’m never going to complain about that.”

She kissed me, just long enough to awaken my libido, and then pulled back. “I also have to do a bit of work on that new project I told you about.”

Oh. “Okay.”

I turned to tidy away the mugs from this morning as Rebecca disappeared into our bedroom. She’d been working so hard, and I was proud of her, but I’d thought tonight would be a chance to spend some time together celebrating her achievements. She’d been very successful when working with Jackie, and her recommendations had sealed a new job in Manchester, only half an hour from my old apartment.

I was glad to move back closer to home. Living in the capital city had drained me. The introvert inside wanted to run and hide every time we stepped foot on the tube.

But ever since we’d been back in Manchester, there seemed to be something on Rebecca’s mind. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. I’d attributed it to the stress of the festival and the move home, but now I wasn’t so sure.

I loaded the dishwasher and leaned back on the counter, observing our new apartment. It was bigger than both of my previous apartments and had a balcony overlooking the fields behind our complex—which would have been great for walking Sausage, if he weren’t so lazy. The rooms still smelled like fresh paint, and the fruitcake Mum had brought over last week. She’d been baking a lot more recently, after deciding to pursue some of the things her mum had deemed ‘timewasting’. I was still processing how I felt about the things I’d learned about Grandma, but mine and Mum’s relationship had got a lot stronger, even with me moving away for a while. We’d each gone to separate therapists to talk through our pasts and insecurities, and both of us were feeling better. A step at a time.

Rebecca ducked her head through the door. The top few buttons of her shirt were unbuttoned, and my focus immediately went to her bare skin.

“Can I…er, please get your opinion on something?” she asked.

“Sure.”

She flashed me a goofy smile. “Shall we open that bottle of bubbly too?”

Now we’re talking.

“I’ll meet you in there.”

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