Page 34 of Savage Obsession

“And Lily?”

“I thought she was fine, obviously.”

I’m not starting all that again, though it seems to me the clues were there. I’m determined to play nicely this time, but there are questions I need to ask if I’m to properly understand the situation.

“Can I ask you a personal question?”

She slants a glance across at me. “I suppose so.” She sounds wary.

“Was Gerek the first?”

“The first man I went with, you mean? Or the first to move in?”

“Either. Both.”

“No, and yes. I dated a couple of times. Nothing special. I suppose I gave off the harried single mum vibe, and most men just wander off after a while. Gerek was… persistent.”

And we all know why. “How did Lily get on with the others?”

“It never really came up. No one stayed over, she barely even met them. And as well as looking after Lily I was busy with studies, so any sort of social life took a back seat.”

“Studies? You went back to college?”

“University. I enrolled on a part-time degree course in accountancy.”

Ah. The office in her house makes sense now. “You’re an accountant?”

“Trying to be. Holding down a full-time job is tricky, with Lily, but I’m starting my own business working from home. I’ve picked up a handful of clients, end-of-year accounts, that sort of thing.”

“I’m impressed.”

“I wanted to do something with my life. And I need to be able to support myself and Lily, just in case.”

Now I glance across at her. “I wasn’t about to stop sending cash, whatever happened between us. There was no need for you to work.”

“I wanted to. And what if something happened to you? You’re not exactly in safe employment. As I understand it, you’re not in any employment at all right now.”

Well, there is that… “I won’t be running out of funds anytime soon.”

She shrugs. “It’s okay. I saved most of what you sent in the last year, for Lily. In case she wants to go to uni.”

“I’d have seen to that. Still will.”

She falls silent. At first, I think she’s nodded off, then, “I missed you. It was never the same, with anyone else.”

“Yeah, me, too,” I concede. My track record since we separated has been a lot busier than hers. Beautiful women are everywhere and easy to attract for a man like me. Wealth and status are powerful aphrodisiacs, but I’ve yet to meet a woman who appealed to me more than Julia. Those others were okay, gorgeous usually, sexy, always enthusiastic, but no one special.

“I mean to stay in touch. After all of this, once she’s home, and safe. I intend to get to know Lily.”

“I understand. I’m sorry I didn’t…”

“Pass on my cards? My letters? My gifts?” I struggle but can’t entirely eradicate the lingering bitterness from my tone

“All of that. I was… angry, but I shouldn’t have interfered between you and Lily.”

She’ll get no argument from me on that, but it won’t help now to reopen the wound. “Things are going to be different in future. Agreed?”

“Agreed. Do you want me to drive for a bit?”

---