Page 46 of Now Comes the Dark

“I won’t have a job, either.”

“There are plenty of opportunities in the area. There was an accountancy firm in Morpeth advertising for staff just beforeChristmas. You could be back doing the job you trained for rather than answering phones.”

“I don’t want to move back to Nyemouth. Not yet. You know small-town life is not for me. I love living in the city. Sure, I have a shitty job, but I’m always on the lookout for something new. I will find it eventually.”

“And if you don’t?”

“I’ll worry about that later. If I don’t find another accountancy job by the time I’m thirty,thenI’ll think about leaving.”

Her eyes widened in horror. “Thirty? That’s four years’ time. Your qualifications will be out of date by then.”

“I’ll do a refresher course if I have to.” He heard the irritation in his voice and fought to get it under control. It wasn’t her fault, and his mother meant well. “Can we talk about something else? I’ve got enough on my mind without going through this today.”

Their food arrived, giving him a few moments reprieve from her nagging. As the hot panini was put in front of him, Roman realised he was starving. He couldn’t remember eating anything after breakfast yesterday, and he’d had no appetite this morning. All he’d had was half a glass of orange juice.

“This looks lovely,” he said. “Thanks, Mam.” He picked up the panini and took a large bite. The sight of him eating caused his mother to visibly relax, and she started on the tuna sandwich she’d bought for herself.

“It would be nice if you could come home, even if it’s just for a few days. Your dad and I worry about you. After you were attacked last year and now this? It’s not safe. We’d love to see more of you.”

She had tried a different, softer tactic and had succeeded in laying a guilt trip on him. “I’ve got next Saturday off. I’ll see if I can make it home then.”

Her face lit up. “Come Friday night. You can get the train after work, and your dad will collect you from the station. He’lllove that. And I’ll book a restaurant for Saturday. There’s a new place just opened in the marina that I’ve been dying to try. Your brothers will come, too.”

Roman had two younger brothers, who, unlike him, had felt no urge to flee the town they grew up in. Both still lived in Nyemouth. Bryce, the youngest, had a house just two streets away from their parents. It should be enough that they were still there, but his mother was determined to bring her eldest back into the fold.

“Don’t make any huge plans. I’m not up for it. I just want to come home for a bit of peace. I don’t want all your friends pestering me for details on the murder, okay? Saturday night pizza with the family in the house will be enough.”

She nodded, smiling. “Of course. I understand, son. Having you home for a few days is enough for me.”

Roman knew it wouldn’t be. Once in Nyemouth, she would pester him to return more often, show him half a dozen job vacancies and try to tempt him with the allure of coastal living. She probably had a few single hotties lined up to convince him, too. He shouldn’t complain. He had a family who cared about him, and after recent events, a couple of days of small-town mundanity would do him good.

* * * *

That night Roman did an hour of unpaid overtime to make up for taking his full lunch break and didn’t get home until after seven. It was a relief to find the flat empty. Ashley had left a note to tell him he was going out with Patrick and would spend the night at his place but to call if he needed anything and he would come home. Roman balled up the note and threw it on the bin, relieved that he would not have to endure Patrick that night. He still needed to have the talk with Ashley about boundaries, butmaybe he wouldn’t have to. The note suggested Ashley had taken the hint to keep Patrick away from him.

Roman was in no mood for company, anyway. He was exhausted. He had little idea of what he’d done at work, having gone through the entire shift on autopilot. If he was questioned about any of it tomorrow, he would not be able to answer. Right now, he didn’t care. He just wanted peace, quiet and some time alone.

He scrubbed and pricked a large potato and put it in the air fryer to cook before going to his bedroom to change. The TV was playing in the flat below, but he didn’t bother to turn his own on. He didn’t have the patience required to watch the news or any of the soaps that cluttered the schedule at this time of night. If Ashley was home, he would be glued to all the usual trash—Emmerdale, Corrie, EastEnders. Roman usually managed to tune them out, but for once he wouldn’t have to.

After changing into sweatpants and a T-shirt, he went back to the kitchen to decide what he was going to have on his baked potato. He rooted through the fridge and narrowed his options down to tuna and mayonnaise or cheese when his phone rang. He hoped it wasn’t his mother calling to make further plans for the weekend.

He glanced at the screen.Mallon.

He grabbed the phone and answered. “Hi.”

“Hello, handsome, did you miss me?” Mallon murmured in his cool, sexy accent.

It struck Roman as a strange introduction after everything that had happened. “Yeah,” he answered without enthusiasm.

“Good. I missed you. I missed your hot ass.”

Roman slumped against the counter. For the first time since they’d met, the things Mallon said did not thrill him. “When did you get back?”

“Today. I hoped we could get together tonight. Are you going to come over? You can wear your sexy pants.”

Roman stiffened at the lie. “Today? You returned to Blyhamtoday?”

“Hey, what’s wrong? I thought you’d want to see me. I want to see you.”

---