Page 20 of Elusive Embrace

“Oh, and don’t get scared if you feel something tiny but heavy jumping onto the bed. That’ll be Egon. He has a soft spot foryou,” Matt winks and gives me a half-smile. I know he’s trying to cheer me up and take the fear away and it’s working; at least a little.

The tabby cat struts into the room as if summoned, bypasses us and jumps onto the bed.

“See. He’ll watch over you as well,” Matt grins before leaving me and Egon alone.

I switch off the main light and crawl under the duvet. Egon sniffs his way across the bed before lying down on his side next to me, one of his paws gently touching me as if he is trying to make sure I’m here.

I hesitate but eventually turn off the small bedside lamp as well. The darkness is impenetrable. It is a cloudy night and there are no streetlamps outside the window.

“Night!” I call out. I know we already said good night but I need to hear him again to feel secure.

“Night Nat!” Matt’s voice instantly makes me feel a little calmer.

I try to sleep but the image of Al’s enraged face dances behind my eyelids. I open my eyes and stare into the distance. Absentmindedly, my fingers find Egon and I start stroking his soft fur. I’m instantly rewarded with purring, and like earlier a calm spreads through me. It doesn’t completely erase the memory of what happened but it gives me a sense of security. I don’t know how long I lay staring into the room but eventually, the rhythmic purring helps me drift off to sleep.

The last couple of days have been a whirlwind that started when we were jolted awake by a call from the police, letting Matt know that the protection notice had been granted. They’d arrested Al while we were still at the hospital, questioned him and released him on bail. But thanks to the notice he’s banned from the flat for three days, giving me the chance to grab what I need without him around. PC Pitman again suggested that I apply for a Domestic Violence Protection Order which would keep Al away for another twenty-eight days, giving me time to find somewhere safe to stay. But I turned it down—I’ve got no intention of staying in that flat any longer than I have to. It was always his place not mine.

Matt and his neighbours, Ryan and Jane, helped me pack up my stuff and most of it is now stacked neatly in Matt’s spare room. He even borrowed a more comfortable camp bed, but now the room’s so crammed you can barely move. I offered to take the camp bed again but Matt was having none of it. He’s stubborn like that.

I had to go back to the police station to answer a few more questions and Matt was by my side the whole time. I feel guilty about all the time he’s giving up to be with me. He doesn’t have to do this, I’m not his responsibility anymore, but he’s there for me nevertheless.

It was clear that there was so much to take care of so we’ve both taken a few days off work to get it all done. Sheila, the generalmanager, was incredibly understanding. She told me to take all the time I need and not to worry about a thing.

“I’ve got sweets for the little monsters and fajitas for us. We’re all set for Halloween tomorrow,” Matt calls from the kitchen as he puts away the shopping.

“You’re kidding—trick-or-treaters? There’re hardly any houses around here,” I say, looking up from my book. I can’t help but smile; I can’t believe he’s still so into Halloween.

“Ryan’s FMR mates all have kids and they bring them over to his place. I know most of them so they pop by here as well,” Matt grins at me. That grin takes me back—suddenly, I’m seeing the boy I fell for all those years ago, the one who showed me what it felt like to be truly loved. I swallow that thought. That’s not us anymore.

“Can I ask you something?” Matt says, taking a seat next to me.

“Sure.” I nibble on my lip, suddenly feeling a bit nervous.

“Is there anyone you’d like to call? I’m sure we can get some police IT wizard to pull the numbers from your broken phone. It’s just... I’ve noticed that aside from work no one’s really checked in on you.” His voice is soft but I can hear his concern.

“My parents both passed away a few years back as you know.” They died within a month of each other, two years after our divorce. Matt sent me a letter despite of the end of our marriage. It was the only contact we’d had in all those years but it was exactly what I needed then. His words got me through it.

“What about your friends?”

“I never had many.”

“What happened with Soph and Mel?” he asks. Trust him to remember everything from when we were together. I was always more comfortable staying in with a book than going out. But I wasn’t a complete hermit. I used to hang out with Sophia and Melissa a lot, friends from college. But they’re not in my life anymore. Last I heard one of them moved to Manchester and the other to the Norfolk coast, I think.

I shrug, feeling a pang of regret. “I’m not really sure. Soph never liked Al much and in the beginning I was spending loads of time with him, so they didn’t want to join us. And I cancelled on them a few times because Al wanted to take me out. We just drifted apart after that. My fault, probably.”

Matt’s quiet for a moment, and I can feel his eyes on me like he’s trying to piece everything together. I pretend to be interested in my book again but really, I’m just trying to keep from thinking too much about everything that’s happened.

“Nat you’ve got people who care about you,” Matt says softly, breaking the silence. “And that includes me, no matter what’s gone on before. And if you want to reach out to Soph and Mel let me know and I’ll get their numbers for you.”

“Thanks,” I whisper.

“Any time.”

“More importantly, I need to find somewhere to stay and get out of your way. I’ve taken up way too much of your time already. I’m sorry!” I sniffle. The thought of living somewhere on my own fills me with fear but I can’t stay at Matt’s forever. He needs to be able to live his life without my drama.

“Hey,” he gently cups my chin, “There’s nothing for you to be sorry about. I’m here for you however long it takes and there’s no rush to move out,” he says before getting up from the sofa “How about some pizza?”

“Sure.” I’m not really hungry but I have to eat.

---