Page 61 of Second Chance with Seth

I smile and he returns to eating, while I try to think of something else to say. I’m coming up blank, which is worrying. Our conversations never used to run dry. We’d always have something to say to each other… until those last few months, I suppose, which makes my stomach churn, and I put down my fork.

“Are you okay?” he asks, looking across at me.

“I’m fine,” I reply, unwilling to admit how scared I am that we won’t be able to make this work… that all we’ll do is end up back where we were. Not where we started, but where we ended up.

Once we’ve finished eating, our conversation only patchy at best, Seth gets to his feet. Part of me wonders if he’s going toleave, but he excuses himself and heads for the bathroom. I let my head fall into my hands and sigh.

“Come on, Everly. You can do better than this,” I whisper to myself, picking up the dishes and taking them to the kitchen. I grab the wine, bringing it back with me, and top up our glasses, resuming my seat just as Seth’s phone beeps. He’s left it face up, beside where he was sitting, and I can’t help glancing down, my heart physically aching when I see the name Davina on the screen. My hand is across the table before I can stop myself, and I flip his phone around, pulling it closer. The screen’s gone blank now, but as I lift it, it lights up again, the message still there at the bottom, although I can’t read the content. I’m invited to input a passcode, though, and for a moment, I hesitate. Seth’s was always my birthday, and he never used to have a problem with me using it… so I input the six digits, even though I know I probably shouldn’t, letting out a gasp when the message comes up on the screen, as I read…

— When are you coming back? I can’t cope without you. x

Seriously?

Who the hell is this woman?

And who does Seth think he is, coming back here and saying all the things he’s said, doing all the things he’s done, when he’s clearly got someone else in his life?

The bathroom door opens, and Seth steps out, his eyes locking with mine as I turn in my seat, throwing the phone across the room, right at him. I register the shock on his face, before he reaches out and catches it, saving it from hitting the wall beside his head.

“I believed you,” I say, getting to my feet and going over to him. “I believed you, but you’re a liar, as well as being selfish and inconsiderate.”

He frowns, stepping up to me, so we’re right at the end of the couch. “I’ll accept selfish and inconsiderate,” he says. “But what the fuck am I supposed to have lied about?”

I nod down at his phone, still clutched in his hand. “Davina.”

His frown deepens. “You mean the intern at my office?”

“I mean the woman who’s sending you cute little messages.”

He glances down, turning the phone over and reading the message for himself. “You’ve read this?” he says, raising his head and looking right at me.

“Yes, and don’t you dare get mad at me for invading your privacy. You never used to worry about me unlocking your phone or reading your messages. We trusted each other, and if you weren’t carrying on with her, you wouldn’t need to worry now, would you?”

“I’m not carrying on with her… or with anyone else. Like I just said, she’s an intern at the office, and she’s utterly useless at her job. She spends most of her time annoying me and asking me questions.”

“Because she likes you?”

“Because she hasn’t got a clue what she’s doing. She probably only wants to know when I’m going back because no-one else has the patience to deal with her.”

“If it’s just about work, why did she add a kiss to her message?”

“Because she’s young. She sends messages like that to everyone. It doesn’t mean anything.” He moves closer, although he doesn’t touch me, and whispers, “I love you, Everly. There’s no-one else, and if you wanna go through my phone, you’ll see I’ve got nothing to hide.”

He holds it out to me, but I ignore it and stare up at him.

“Is this like Helen all over again?” I ask. “Is she flirting with you?”

“No. The only thing Davina wants me for is to help her at work.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’m positive, but if she changed her mind and tried something with me, I’d shut her down. Hell, I’d leave my job if I had to. I’ve learned my lesson… the hard way. I know you’re finding it difficult to trust me after everything that happened, especially with Helen. All I can say is, I love you too much to lose you.”

Chapter Twelve

Seth

We’ve been on such a rollercoaster tonight. Not just me, but Everly as well, I think. Unfortunately, this feels like a downward curve, but I guess that means the only way is up.

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