Page 44 of The Long Walk Back

Milly still hadn’t spoken; she was sitting looking down at her clasped hands. Roger nudged her gently, putting his arm around her.

‘Milly love, we need to sort this out.’

Milly jerked her head to her husband, looking dazed.

‘Milly, we need to go and find Neil,’ he tried again. ‘We need to sort this out, for Jamie.’

His wife looked at Jamie, who was playing hoops with some of the other soldiers now, chuckling as he passed one by with the ball in his lap.

Cooper was at Kate’s side before she’d even realised he had moved.

‘Kate, I overheard, and I don’t want to cause any trouble, but…’ He looked apologetic. ‘I have an address for Neil. I know where he’s living, if you want it.’

Roger answered before Kate could compute what he was saying to her. Looking at Cooper, she had the feeling that he had already been to that address.

‘Yes, Cooper, we would. We can set off after lunch, catch him after work.’ He looked at Kate and she nodded. ‘Do you want to come with us Kate?’

Kate looked at Cooper, and he pulled her hand into his, bringing it to his lips to kiss. She didn’t stop him. Her hand welcomed the touch, needed it.

‘I think you should,’ he said softly. ‘You need to see him again. I think once you see him, you’ll know what to do.’

Kate shook her head. ‘It won’t make a difference, Cooper; Neil and I are over. I just want this dealt with, so Jamie and I can move on.’

She saw Cooper’s jaw flex. Roger steered a fragile looking Milly over to the court to see Jamie, and Cooper took a seat across from her, not letting her hand go.

‘Won’t make a difference to anything? Not even us?’

‘Cooper,’ she replied, looking at their entwined fingers. ‘All of this is too much for you, it’s not fair. It’s just too messy, and you don’t know everyth?—’

‘I already told you, I’m in. I know none of this is easy, but I am all in here. For you and Jamie. I don’t care about the other stuff, we can sort it, together.’

Kate pulled her hand away from his. ‘I can’t put you through this any more. I need to be selfish and concentrate on Jamie, and I don’t know how bad this is going to get. Neil won’t be happy that I involved his parents.’

Cooper shook his head. ‘Jamie is my priority too, which is why we’re on the same page. I just can’t help feeling that you’re still holding back on me. There must be some other reason for us not to be together. Do you not love me? Is that it?’

‘Don’t you get it? I can’t do this!’ she half yelled at him. He didn’t flinch, just kept looking at her with those piercing green eyes. She leant in closer. ‘They don’t even know everything, because I just can’t be the one to tell them. I can’t do it!’

‘Tell them what?’ Cooper asked. ‘Tell me, Kate. Please.’

Kate flinched, a sad smile on her face. ‘So, you have been there. Did you meet them?’

‘I saw a woman in the house, yes.’ He thought of the bump. ‘Was he on the phone to her when the accident happened? Is that why you sent him away? I get it, Kate. I’m here. I would never do that.’

Kate shook her head, and started to walk away. ‘You went behind my back to get his address, which tells me that you wanted to check things out for yourself. Which means you had doubts. It makes this all the easier. I’m so sorry Cooper, but all I’ve ever done is cause you pain and trouble. I’ll get Jamie to call you. Roger and Milly are going to take him in, they have a ground floor room they can convert to his room, just till I get a house sorted. Trevor is going to sort out the transfer and I will be staying on at the centre. I think we should just be friends, if we can.’

Cooper snorted. ‘Friends?’ Kate sighed, putting her head in her hands and his gut clenched. She was shutting down again. ‘I don’t want to be your friend! I want us to be together. Can’t you see how fucked-up this is, after everything we have been through? Don’t give up now.’

Cooper took her hands away from her face and wrapped them in his on the table.

‘Look at me.’ His voice broke a little, and she stubbornly kept her eyes down. ‘Look at me!’ he shouted.

She looked him straight in the eyes. ‘Cooper, it’s done. Please, respect my wishes. I’m doing it for your own good, trust me. Jamie is going to be a mess when this all comes out. You have your recovery, we still have to be here together, keeping it a secret. I just can’t drag you through all that. I can’t.’

Cooper shook his head, getting up. ‘You do me a favour, Missy, you want to lie to yourself, you keep me out of it. I know the truth, so don’t insult me.’

Kate watched him walk away, heading over to Jamie. Roger and Milly looked across at her but said nothing. They didn’t say anything in the car either, all the way to the address Cooper had given them.

Pulling up at the house, Kate saw Roger check the address written on the sheet. He turned off the engine and frowned at the sat nav.

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