Page 44 of Endgame

Em steps back from me and crosses her arms against her chest. She has always been protective over Caleb and I can understand why she may be defensive, but the last thing I expected is the rage I can feel emanating from her.

‘I’m sorry that I’ve upset you, Em,’ I say quietly, stepping towards her. She steps back, disgusted.

‘He was raped. How could you possibly think that it was his fault?’

The words hit me like a blow to the stomach and I start to feel a cold, familiar, calm numbness settle over me.

‘What did you just say?’

I see the anger drain from Em’s face. It is replaced with horror. She thought I knew.

‘Ariella…’

‘Caleb was raped? By who? Melissa?’

Em’s hands are shaking as she nods nervously. I finally let comforting nothingness infiltrate my emotions, and welcome it. It’s too much to process, think about and understand all at once.

‘I’m going to finish making this meal and deliver my polite excuses and leave.’

‘Ariella, please?—’

‘Em, that’s the only way this evening is going to end without me falling to pieces. I’d appreciate it if you keep our conversation to yourself. I need to think.’

Em sits at the kitchen island and silently watches me as I quietly prep, cook and plate their meals.

I call a car before Em tells them dinner is ready.

‘I’m sorry, I need to head home,’ is all I say, before I walk through the house to stand outside. Caleb follows.

‘Stay a little while longer?’ he asks.

I look at the man I love and kiss him deeper and longer than I have ever kissed anyone. This is all I have. There are no words to describe what is going on in my head. When we break away, he has the wrong idea.

‘Let’s go home together. I don’t need to stay.’

‘No. Stay. I love you so much, Caleb.’ A tear escapes, signalling the departure of my inner armour.

‘Aari?’ he says as my car pulls up.

‘I’ll see you soon,’ I say, and quickly walk away.

The anger at Melissa, frustration with Caleb, helplessness and powerlessness that I’d kept at bay as I diverted all my focus to cooking catches up with me and erupts in the back of that car as it whisks me back to Surrey. I sob until I have no more tears left to cry.

TEN

CALEB

‘Ariella!’ Tristan, the youngest boy, shouts, and runs up to her as she walks into the gym.

Yup, I’ve lost the class. There will be no more training after this. When we got together, Ariella came to a few training sessions with me as my assistant. I eventually had to ban her because she was a hugely disruptive influence on my mostly hormone-riddled students.

‘Hi, Tristan.’ She smiles, squats and opens her arms to hug him.

‘Tristan! Get back here!’ I instruct but he ignores me.

‘I want a hug too, Ariella,’ one of the older boys says, making the other boys around him snigger.

‘Then come and get one, Shekhar,’ she agrees, and stands. She beckons him over as Tristan runs back. The look I give him makes him freeze on the spot. Good.

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