Page 20 of The Promise
Chapter Five
I wakeup the next morning to buzzing and banging. It takes me a couple of seconds in my sleepy haze to remember where Iam.
I get out of bed, grab my dressing gown, and pull it around myself as I walk out to see who it is. When I get to the little screen, I see Mum and Aunt Addy stoodwaiting.
I press the button down to unlock the door and tell them to come in. I put the flat door on the latch and head over to fill the kettle, knowing they’re going to want tea. I quickly pull out a tea bag from the decaf box hidden at the back of the cupboard and pop it in my mug before they get to the top of thestairs.
“Morning,” I say when theyenter.
“Hardly; it’s almost lunchtime,” Mum says as she follows behind Aunt Addy, making sure she gets to the sofa safely on hercrutches.
“It’s not like you to sleep so late,” Aunt Addy says after taking in her surroundings. “Are youokay?”
“Blake came over last night,” Isay.
When I turn around with two mugs in my hand I can’t help but laugh at the goofy smiles on theirfaces.
“Is he still here?” Aunt Addy whispers. “I told you we shouldn’t just turn up unannounced,” she says, turning toMum.
“No, he’s not here. He just came around for dinner so we couldtalk.”
“And…” Mumprompts.
“And we’retalking.”
“Come on, Addison, spit it out, who the hell was thewoman?”
“Ugh, fine.” I carry the tea over before sitting down on the chair opposite them and explaining everything Blake toldme.
“He’s been escorting?” Aunt Addy asks, sounding shocked. “So you’re telling me that while I was babysitting Sinead, he was out wining and dining random women for money?” The way she sayswining and diningtakes me back to questioning Blake’s actions and wine knowledge at my birthday meal. I remember him saying something likeI know how to treat a woman properly. Well, of course he does if he was being paid to fucking do it. I try to keep a lid on my anger. I may now understand what Blake was doing and why, but that doesn’t mean the thought of him spending all that time with those women makes mehappy.
“And you believe him?” Mumasks.
“Blake’s not a liar, Bex,” Aunt Addy snaps, trying to defendhim.
“Maybe not, but he was still out with another woman when he should have been with my daughter.” Wow, Mum getting all defensive for me? This isnew.
“Maybe not, but you don’t know what that boy’s beenthrough.”
“Okay, that’s enough, you two. To answer your question Mum, yes, I think I do believe him. I don’t like it, but I do. And we’re going to give it another shot, but,” I say quickly, before either of them can put their opinions in, “we’re taking it slow—startingagain.”
“I think that’s a good idea. It got intense quite fast last time.” I can’t help but agree with Aunt Addy. I turned up in Ireland looking for a new life and I somehow fell head first into a new relationship that wasn’t just about the two of us but his daughter aswell.
* * *
I wake up to a gorgeous spring day the following Sunday morning. The sun is shining bright and the birds are singing. I lie in bed for a few minutes, appreciating the peace Ireland has to offer, but it doesn’t last long, because when I swing my legs out of bed and sit up, I instantly have the urge to throwup.
I hear my phone ringing out in the living room while I’m bent over the toilet. Once I’m done, I brush my teeth and pull my hair back into a bun. When I see who was ringing, my stomach twists again, only not with morning sickness but withexcitement.
I unlock my phone and call him straightback.
“Good morning, bakergirl.”
“Morning, sorry I missed you. I was in thebathroom.”
“Umm…naked in the shower, I hope,” he says in a huskyvoice.
I almost laugh to myself before saying, “Yeah, something likethat.”
