Page 23 of My Husband's Wife
It’s at the back of my mind that I have Madison and Theo’s home address and both of their phone numbers, though I know using that information would be wrong. I’ve already typed Theo’s number into my contacts. All I want is to hear his voice, for him to slip up and say something so I can prove to Mum that I’m right and that I’m not losing my mind again, and the only reason I’m stressed is because I keep seeing Hugo. I go to call him then I stop. He’ll see my number come up and he’ll find out it’s me because Madison has my number in her phone. To cover my tracks, I open up my phone settings and choose the option to withhold my number, then I call.
He doesn’t answer so I call again.
‘Hello… hello…’ Theo says.
‘Is it them telling us the food is going to be late again?’ Madison asks in the background.
‘Who is this?’
The baby begins to cry. Madison calls out while I listen to this slice of their lives playing out. ‘It’s probably a pocket dial. Just hang up,’ she says. He cuts the call. As before, Theo sounds exactly like Hugo.
The doorbell makes me flinch. Freddie jumps off me and begins to bark. Caiden doesn’t even move from his film. I open the door, leaving the chain on, confused as to who is calling at this hour.
‘Eva, it’s just me.’
‘Nicole.’ I remove the chain and open the door to her and Aaron.
‘Aaron,’ Caiden calls out. Aaron runs past me to get to my son and they both run into the main family room.
‘Come through. Are you okay?’ I lead her to the snug, where she sits in the armchair. I sit and Freddie gets up onto the settee next to me.
Her eyes are red rimmed. ‘I had another huge argument with Will – Aaron’s dad. I don’t know how he can be so…’ She bursts into tears and dabs at her eyes with scrunched-up tissue. ‘I can’t hold it together anymore.’
‘Nicole, you can. Whatever it is, Aaron needs you.’ I’m shaking with anger now. She mentioned earlier that Aaron’s dad has been letting him down.
‘I just hate him. I’m so angry, Eva.’ She squeezes one of my cushions and roars into it. ‘I need to be there and look him in the eyes, tell him how upset our boy is. I try to phone and as soon as the conversation gets tough or heated, he just hangs up.’ She stands and throws the cushion at the chair. ‘I grew up without a father and I know how much it sucks. He left my mum when I was three to marry someone he’d met at work, and he discarded me like I was rubbish.’ She begins to tremble before letting out a burst of huge sobs. ‘My dad left me…’
I walk over and hug her. She weakens in my arms so I keep rubbing her back and telling her what an amazing mother she is and how Will doesn’t deserve Aaron. I don’t know what else to say. Will turning his back on Aaron is unforgivable. Nicole’s father leaving her when she was a little girl is heartbreaking. All I can do is allow her to let it all out and comfort her.
‘I need to talk to Will face-to-face, which is why I’ve decided to go to Kent for a few days. I need to do this for Aaron. I need to make Will see sense before he breaks our boy’s heart. I’m going to have to pull a sickie with the school and take Aaron with me.’
I think of poor Aaron, caught up in the middle of their arguing and, with that thought, I know a good friend would offer to help. ‘He can stay here if you’d rather go alone.’ I instantly regret saying that because I know I’d be leaving Aaron on Mum while I’m at work, and I haven’t even asked her. ‘But I’ll have to ask Mum.’
She frowns. ‘Your mum?’
‘She turned up earlier. Zach is working away for a couple of weeks, so she’s helping me with Caiden.’
‘You didn’t mention your mum was staying. I’m really sorry I barged in like this.’
‘I didn’t say earlier because I didn’t know. It’s all been a bit manic this afternoon since I left you.’
Mum walks in with her towel wrapped around her head, wearing fluffy bear slippers and a dressing gown. ‘It’s no problem at all. It’ll make my life easier having a playmate for Caiden.’ It’s obvious that Mum was listening outside the door.
‘Thank you. I owe you both,’ Nicole replies before blowing her nose.
I know I might need to ask her for help one day if Zach gets busier with his job, so I feel like I’m doing the right thing, and I like Aaron too. He’s good for Caiden. ‘It’s no problem at all. When are you going?’
‘Now. I have some of Aaron’s clothes and the hamster cage in the van. I actually came to see if you could look after Aaron’s hamster, and now I feel like I’m asking way too much.’
I smile. ‘Nonsense, bring the hamster and the clothes in.’
Nicole heads out to the van to get Aaron’s bags. Like a whirlwind, she unloads and she’s gone and I’ve said that Aaron can use Caiden’s spare school uniform. I place the hamster in the corner on a shelf with some food and water then I leave Freddie watching the rodent run around in circles on its wheel. ‘Would you watch the boys while I go upstairs and call Zach? He’s been there a couple of hours now.’
‘Of course. I’ll make them a hot chocolate then they can get ready for bed.’
I leave them in Mum’s capable hands. When they’re in bed later, I’m going to ask whether she and Zach planned her timely arrival, but first I want to call my husband. He hasn’t even messaged me to say he got to Worcester and he normally does. I go up to our bedroom and close the door before pressing his number. It rings out. Maybe he was tired and fell asleep.
As I come out of the bedroom, I hear a creak upstairs coming from his office. I carefully walk up the attic stairs. When I reach the top, I notice the door is open and the skylight has been left ajar. I grab the stick we use and pull the window down until it clicks shut. A pile of paper has blown onto the floor so I bend down to pick it all up. As I do, I see it’s a collection of printed articles and newspaper clippings. They’re all related to the murder of Zach’s brother, Justin. He told me his brother died in an accident. I read on. Tomorrow it will be twenty-five years since it happened in Bromsgrove, not far from where he’s staying in Worcester.
