Page 61 of Could It Be Magic?
To say Nick had endured a restless evening was an understatement. He’d sped home, mindful that the weather was closing in, and slammed the door of the cottage, hoping to lock out some of the frustration that the conversation with Thea had caused. Playing their last words over and over again in his memory, he’d realised, with twenty-twenty hindsight, that he had, as per usual, done things completely wrong. How many years had he known Thea? Too many. And he knew that when she was cornered, she got defensive; she dug in and pushed back out with everything she had. He should have just walked away, left her to cool off, but instead, desperate for some kind of resolution, he’d pressed her, and in the end, she’d given him an answer that was the last one he’d wanted. Now, instead of sitting around her dinner table and spending time with her and the children, he was back in the cottage with only Marmalade for company and a long, freezing night ahead.
‘You’re a bloody idiot,’ he muttered. Marmalade looked disinterestedly up at the sound of his owner’s voice. ‘When will you ever learn?’ He reached for his phone and then chucked it back down again on the kitchen table. There was no point: Thea would, hopefully, cool down in her own time and they could talk things through. Looking to take his mind off things, but not feeling very hungry, he popped a couple of slices of bread into the toaster and waited. Marmalade provided a welcome distraction by loudly reminding him about dinner, so Nick duly obliged.
‘Probably all for the best, anyway,’ Nick said to the cat as he popped the bowl down in front of him. ‘I can’t see you and that tortoiseshell minx, Lupin, playing happy families together under one roof!’ It was a lame joke, and it failed to raise a smile from him or any response from Marmalade.
Munching on his toast a couple of minutes later, he reached for his phone again. Maybe he should try calling Thea. He still liked to make actual phone calls, and he wanted to do more than just text. Should he?
‘Oh, fuck it!’ He dialled before he could change his mind.
‘Hello?’
‘Er, hi.’ Nick felt confused. ‘Who’s this?’
‘It’s Cora. Why are you phoning Mum’s phone? I thought she was with you?’
Nick’s heart beat a little faster. ‘No, Cora, she’s not. Why, was this where she said she was coming?’
‘Yeah.’ Cora’s tone grew more concerned. ‘The snow’s got really bad, now. I was worried when I realised she’d left her phone behind at home. Are you sure she’s not there?’
Nick gave a little laugh. ‘I think I’d know if she was! I promise you she’s not hiding in my wardrobe.’
‘Eww, gross!’ Cora gave a giggle, but then she grew serious again. ‘Can you ask her to call me when she gets there? I mean, she might have, like, stopped off somewhere, but she left here about an hour ago, so…’
Nick nodded, and then remembered Cora couldn’t see him. ‘I will.’ He realised that Cora probably needed a bit more reassurance. ‘Don’t worry, lovely,’ he added. ‘I’m sure she’s fine. I’ll let you know the minute she gets here.’
‘Thanks, Nick.’ Cora’s voice sounded a little shaky. ‘It’s just I can’t help worrying. My grandparents crashed their car on an icy night, and I can’t, like, imagine what it would be like if Mum did the same.’
‘I promise, I’ll ring you the minute I see her,’ Nick said. ‘Even better, I’ll get her to ring you. Keep her phone next to you and we’ll speak again really soon.’
As he ended the call, he shook his head. Dealing with anxious teenagers wasn’t something he was used to, and he hoped he’d said the right things to Cora. Her concern for Thea was making him even more worried. What if she had skidded in the snow and was stranded in a ditch somewhere? Her car was so bloody ancient, he wouldn’t trust its brakes in good weather, let alone a sudden snowstorm.
‘Right, that’s it, Marmy!’ He glanced at the cat again, who’d finished his dinner and was now padding softly past him ready to settle in his favourite bed on one of the radiators in the living room. ‘If she’s had a shunt, I’m going out there to help.’ Grabbing his coat and, as a second thought, a large, navy blue cashmere scarf, he headed out of the door. What the Volvo might not be able to handle, his Land Rover certainly could. He only hoped Thea would appreciate the help.
56
Never had a walk seemed longer, or colder. Shivering in just the hoodie and jeans she was wearing, with the snow rushing past her that was slicing her face to bits, Thea pressed on. At the very least, even if Nick was still cross with her, she knew he would offer her a lift home.
The snow was impeding her progress, though. Her trainers didn’t have a lot of purchase on the newly covered road surface, and she was walking gingerly, trying not to add a sprained ankle or worse to her woes. Hugging her arms tightly around herself, she pushed on. It wasn’t much further; perhaps someone would drive by and offer her a lift in a minute. She wasn’t surprised that she hadn’t seen any other cars since she’d broken down – this wasn’t the weather to be out and about, and Lower Brambleton wasn’t on a through road to anywhere.
‘You’d better be home when I get there,’ Thea muttered. It would be sod’s law if Nick had gone to the pub to drown his sorrows. She began shivering. What had seemed like a great idea before she left the house now seemed ridiculous. They could have arranged to meet properly, talked things through like adults. This daft, teenagerish mission was seeming less and less sensible with every step she took.
But maybe that was the point? She shook her head, exasperated with herself. She’d spent so long thinking about everyone else’s happiness: her children’s, her grandmother’s, even Tristan’s. Perhaps, for the first time in a long time, she was reconnecting with the teenage girl she used to be and acting on her own impulses and desires. And sixteen-year-old Thea, who’d had a brief kiss with a good-looking farm boy at the top of the stairs at someone’s party, was cheering her on, reminding her that yes, she, too, deserved to be happy.
The bright, shining lamps of an oncoming vehicle distracted her attention from her own thoughts, and she shuffled in a little closer to the grass verge. Its fog lights were on, and she was dazzled before it slowed down as it approached her. In surprise, she realised it was flashing its headlights at her. The lights were so bright that she couldn’t make out the licence plate, but in a few more seconds she realised the rickety old vehicle looked familiar. Her heart thumped painfully in her chest, in a combination of relief and nervousness, when she caught sight of Nick behind the wheel.
‘What on earth are you doing walking on this road on a night like this?’ he asked as he opened the driver’s door and strode towards her. He, unlike Thea, was wearing sturdy boots against the weather.
‘My car broke down about half a mile back,’ Thea said, through chattering teeth. ‘I thought your place was closer than mine, so I’ve been walking.’
Nick whipped off his jacket and scarf and wrapped them around Thea’s shoulders. ‘You bloody idiot. There are no streetlights down here and dark blue is a stupid colour to wear at night in the winter, even without the snow.’ She felt the warmth from his body as he pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her.
Thea, grateful for the contact, found her eyes were welling with tears. ‘I know.’ It suddenly dawned on her how daft this decision really was. ‘But…’
‘But what?’ Nick looked her straight in the eye, and his gaze was so sincere that Thea couldn’t help the tears that started to fall. She moved towards him, wrapping her arms around him and feeling how warm, solid and safe he was.
‘I’ve been such a twat,’ she murmured. ‘But I’ve been listening to someone I hadn’t spoken to for a long time, and she made a lot of sense.’
‘Who?’ Nick asked. Thea could feel him tightening his arms around her, and she knew they should get out of the snow, but she needed to say something to him before they did.
