Page 64 of The Un-Apparent Heir

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does to me.” Lucy shook.

Winston’s admission was a slap in the face. Lucy was vulnerable and disenchanted with this that she felt dirty and used. It hurt to hear him say that he could have done so to “solve a problem” as if their sex life was just a problem to solve.

“It was Rose,” Winston said of his partner in the sanctuary.

“My closest friend here? I don’t believe you!”

“It has caused some sort of riff, so it’s real.”

“We just spoke yesterday. How could she?!”

“She knew how we both felt and thought she could help. She has an agreement with the hubby. Hall passes. I don’t know.”

“Do not ask me for that, Winston! You would break my heart?—”

His voice was quiet. “I know. It would break my heart, too. Because it has always been you. Even when I tried for years to distract myself from loving you, I never could. However, when you pull away and ice me out, I wonder if maybe this is over.”

“Winston, please, do not say that?—”

“I dunno. I need more than you give me—across the board. I don’t know what happened to you.”

Lucy sobbed. “Trauma and no one is fucking listening. Don’t leave me, Tony! I need you. I need my children. I built this life for you. I am not giving up. I need to find happiness again. Somehow. I swear. Give me time.”

“I am sort of out of time. I thought Iona would cheer you up but maybe we’re past that. I want to love you. I want to be happy again, Lucy, but I need more.”

“Tony, staying here is killing me!”

“And I don’t have a choice about that, Lucy. You’re my wife. I need you here.”

“Winston, I need help. And now I cannot even trust my one friend here. I miss everything in London. Can we not?—”

“The boys are in school. We cannot leave,” Winston insisted. “The conversation is done. We did this for the boys.”

“I am… I’m going to sleep in the guest room,” Lucy said.

“No, don’t bother. I don’t want the guilt.”

Winston left, slamming the door. Lucy's heart broke and everything they built was destroyed. And nothing she could do would fix it. She had tried. She had done everything to fix herself. Maybe she wasn’t enough after all? Maybe he was right. Maybe she never would be?

Natalie opened her eyes, disconnecting her O2 mask. She felt disoriented and nauseous. The worst thing she could do so was vomit into her mask. Her flight suit would take the hit. She was too out of it to be embarrassed. The sound of radio chatter hit her. First, she wasn’t sure where she was apart from in the backseat of an F-35 training jet. Her trainee, a bright young pilot was on the mic.

“You alright, Wales?” She asked. “I think I lost you.”

“Apologies,” Natalie replied. “You lost me. I also must admit I blew chunks without bagging up. So, it’s probably best we make it back. I’m sorry, Singh.”

“Alright. It happens, right? I mean, if it happens to you?—”

“Rarely. What were we up to?”

“Inverted. I banked hard, flipped, did a barrel roll, and banked hard again. Your directions.”

“We’re on the loop right?”

“You okay?”

“Not really, no. If you lose me again... can you radio in to descend?”

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