Page 16 of Part of Me
“I agree that he is hiding something, but cheating on you? He wouldn’t do that to you, Charlie.”
“Wouldn’t he?” I say, my voice sarcastic in its response.
“I don’t think so. And what doesn’t make any sense is, why was this woman at Deana’s office this morning?”
“I have no idea,” I say with a shrug of my shoulders.
“Have you thought about asking Deana?”
“I toyed with the idea for about a minute before dismissing it. I have only just got the job as her personal assistant. What right do I have to pry into who she sees?”
“Hmmmm,” Tori says as she taps her finger against the side of her face. “Why don’t you just ask Luke about who she is?”
“Because if he is fucking her then he’s hardly going to admit it to me, is he?”
“True. But you have known him long enough to know when he is lying. And if he is lying, then surely that gives you your answer.”
Chapter Thirteen
I arrive home just after eight. I feel a renewed sense of confidence after speaking to Tori. I pay the fare and exit the taxi, and I walk to the front door of our house.
The lights downstairs are all on. I didn’t text Luke to say that I was on my way home like I told him that I would. I guess in my subconscious I wanted to arrive home without giving him any warning, just in case I got the opportunity to catch him doing something.
I don’t like what the sight of him with another woman is doing to my brain. I am not a paranoid person, but I feel that I am going to become one unless I find out what is going on.
I take a deep breath and open the front door. I can hear the faint sound of the television in the lounge, and I close the door behind me. I don’t bother to take my shoes off as I determinedly make my way to the lounge. When Luke comes into view, I almost feel my determination crumple.
He lays on the sofa, blissfully unaware of what I am about to say to him. It takes him a moment to register my arrival, but when he does, he turns his head to the side and gives me his heart-stopping grin.
“Hey,” he says as he moves into a sitting position on the sofa. “I thought that you said you were going to text me when you were on your way home?”
“I forgot,” I lie. I never lie to him and the sensation of doing just that is making my stomach do somersaults, and not in a good way. Luke senses that something is wrong, and the smiles disappears from his face.
“Char, is everything okay?” he asks me warily.
This is it. This is the part where I ask him. This is the moment when I ask Luke if he is cheating on me. I push down the urge to scream, shout and cry. I need to keep it together. As I stare him down, I can see the worry building in his eyes.
“Who is she, Luke?” I watch his reaction at my words, and he genuinely looks confused.
“Who is she?” he repeats my question, still looking like he doesn’t have a clue who I am referring to.
“Don’t play games with me. I saw you,” I say accusingly.
He slowly stands and takes a step forward, but I take a step back. He pauses. I have never backed away from him before, but I know that if he touches me then I won’t have a hope in hell of getting through this. The look of devastation that crosses his face makes me ache. Luke and I aren’t one of those couples who are always arguing, so when an issue arises it means that it’s serious.
“Char, what are you talking about?” he asks in a soft voice.
“Last night. I saw you. Outside Bar Twelve. With a woman.”
I see his eyes widen slightly. The first indication that he knows what I am talking about. The recognition from him sparks anger within me.
“Who. Is. She?” I repeat slowly.
“It’s not what you think.”
“And what do I think, Luke?” I ask him, folding my arms across my chest. He runs his hands through his hair and looks to the floor before bringing his eyes back to mine.
“She’s my boss,” he says, his eyes never leaving mine. At this point, I know that he isn’t lying.
