Page 66 of A Seaside Escape
He huffed out all the air from his lungs and looked to the floor as he spoke, ‘I’ve been thinking… I… I’m not sure that this is a good idea… you and me.’
His words cut her to the quick. She dropped her arms from his body. She couldn’t help thinking he was trying to convince himself of his words.
She pulled out a chair and sat down suddenly feeling light-headed. ‘What? Why? What’s happened? Did I say something wrong?’
He looked up at her and smiled that smile filled with sadness again. ‘You were… youareperfect.’
‘Then what’s the problem? Is it… is it because I didn’t sleep with you?’ She regretted her words immediately.
Greg understandably took offence at the question and stood, knocking over his chair. ‘How could you eventhinkthat? Let alone say it out loud?’
‘Okay, okay, it was uncalled for, I’m sorry. You’ve been the perfect gentleman. I didn’t mean it. But please tell me what’s made you change your mind?’
‘There are things you don’t know about me; things about my past.’
Panic set in. ‘Greg, we have time to get to know about each other’s pasts.’
He shook his head.
‘Why now? Why go through all that shit yesterday and then dothisnow?’ she shouted at him, her voice breaking.
‘I had a call this morning. While you were sleeping.’
Dread washed over her, was it Mairi? Was she alive? Although she had been declared dead there had never been a body to prove this was the case. Perhaps she had been alive all this time? She didn’t dare ask.
‘And this call made you not want me anymore?’ She felt nauseated and stood ready to run if he confirmed her fear.
‘No, it’s not that at all, please don’t think that, Mallory.’ He shook his head. ‘My feelings for you haven’t changed. They willneverchange.’
She inhaled deeply and thought her words out carefully before she spoke. ‘You said to me yesterday that if I had second thoughts I was to tell you. Why does that not apply to you?’ She was shaking, how could it all be going so wrong after last night had been so perfect?
He sat. ‘Okay, okay, fair point. But I’m warning you. When I tell you it’ll be the end of any future we had. Are you ready to lose that before it even begins?’ His eyes were pained.
‘Well you’re ending this anyway so just TELL ME!’ she shouted.
He ran his hands through his hair and rubbed them over his face.
He gestured for Mallory to sit down again. ‘The call I received was from someone I would rather forget. But unfortunately, she won’t let me.’
Mallory opened her mouth, but had no idea what to say. She closed it again and pulled her face into a frown. She stared at him, willing him to explain.
‘I suppose I should start at the beginning… I met Alice at college when we were both students. We hung around together. She was pretty and popular but she made it clear she wanted me.’ He glanced at Mallory who was still staring at him as he spoke. ‘I was very jealous back then and she made it her job to fire me up at every given opportunity. She flirted with other men in front of me and I hated it. If I did the same though, she got physical with me. I had several black eyes through her temper. She was bad for me and I knew it, but for some reason I thought I loved her. My parents didn’t approve at all. They said she was too possessive of me. It caused no end of trouble with them.’
He inhaled deeply again, this was clearly not an easy subject for him. ‘We’d been together for two years and she told me she was pregnant and the baby was mine. I was shocked and terrified, but I wanted to do the right thing by her. So, we got married quickly. I was young. But I was determined that if there was to be a child I would make a go of it.
‘Anyway, it turns out she’d lied to me. There was never a pregnancy. I think they call it trapping. She well and truly trapped my arse. I was hurt and angry but she said she only did it because she loved me and wanted to be with me. After about six months of arguments and tears we decided to give things a proper go. No more lies.
‘By this point I actuallydidlove her. Don’t ask me why… I just did. I was so desperate to make it work and so maybe I forced myself to love her, but I was sure the feelings were real. We rented a house over by Oban. We stayed there for two years and everything felt great. Then one day I came home from work and found her in bed with my best mate. I beat him up. And I told her I’d never forgive her. I walked out and never looked back.’
Mallory threw her hands up. ‘So, what’s the problem? You got divorced and met Mairi and the rest is history, right?’ Mallory desperately wanted to be right.
‘Mallory… I never got divorced.’
‘What?’ Mallory rose to her feet.
‘We just never got divorced. I didn’t want to speak to her let alone spend time discussing the finer points of our relationship in front of lawyers. I left her with the house and all our belongings. I thought that would be the last I would ever see of her. Until…’
‘Until she called you this morning?’ Mallory’s voice was shaky as she pieced the jigsaw together.
