Page 26 of The Engagement

For Belle, the last few months have been a dream come true. Jack is literally her perfect man. She’s had her fill of boys her own age pestering her at school, slobbering over her in the canteen and stalking her on social media. She reckons it was fate that brought her and Jack together.

‘I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you,’ she says. ‘We’ll have our own gorgeous house, and our cars will be side by side on the drive. We’ll go on lavish holidays, buy all the best designer stuff and eat out at posh restaurants. I can’t think of a single reason why I’d want to be a starving student with a bunch of smelly kids.’

It’s then that Belle remembers she must contact the head teacher at school to let them know she won’t be coming back. Her mum won’t want to do it, that’s for sure. Since meeting Jack, she doesn’t see the point of going to university any more. She already speaks fluent French, German and Spanish, which will be useful when she works for Jack. He mentioned that he often deals with international clients, though she’s not entirely sure what he does yet. An entrepreneur, he told her, with lots of business interests.

Jack watches Belle, and in turn, she sees something in his eyes. She thinks it’s anticipation, excitement, the same as she’s feeling, but for a long while he doesn’t say anything, just sits there looking at her as she gazes around the car in disbelief.

‘It’s even got a little compartment for my make-up, look,’ she says. ‘And a place for my coffee cup.’

‘I want you,’ Jack growls at her, sliding his hand up her thigh. ‘Now.’

Belle freezes. She’s still not used to the things he says. She knows he’s more experienced than her – confident and demanding when it comes to sex. He was her first, and it all happened so fast. She’d told her mum and dad she was studying round at Jenny’s house, or at athletics practice, but really she was with Jack. One day, looking back, she’ll remember how he swept her off her feet, made her feel like she was the only girl in the world.

‘Not in my new car,’ Belle giggles. She grabs his hand to stop it going any higher. She knows what he’s like and doesn’t think a car park is the best place to do it. Someone might see. ‘When will you teach me to drive?’

‘Soon,’ Jack mumbles, his breathing heavier. He pulls her hand away and his fingers continue up under her skirt. Belle isn’t very good at saying no to him, but she knows this is because they love each other so much. ‘I need you,’ Jack whispers in her ear.

‘We could go back to your apartment,’ Belle suggests, adjusting her skirt. It doesn’t seem right, turning him down when he’s been so generous. First the jewellery, and now the car. ‘I haven’t even seen your flat yet,’ she reminds him, hoping the distraction will be enough.

Jack pulls back, sighing heavily as he leans against the passenger door with a strange look in his eyes. Belle has only seen him annoyed once or twice, and both times she regretted kicking up a fuss.

‘I already told you, the builders are working there. It’s a mess, and all my stuff is in storage. I’m still living in the hotel.’

Belle had been to Starlight Lodge several times with Jack before they’d gone to France. She hadn’t thought it was much of a hotel – more like a B & B or lodgings, but she hadn’t said anything. But Jack being Jack – the intuitive, sensitive type who always seemed to know what she was thinking – had explained it away when he saw her taking in the shabby room that he was calling home for a while.

‘Blame my accountant for this,’ he’d said with a lopsided, almost embarrassed smile as he’d swept his arm around the ten-foot-square space. ‘He moans my expenses are too high, says I enjoy the finer things in life too much. The flat remodelling ran way over budget, and he told me I had to tighten my belt.’

Belle had giggled, supposing it made sense. Fine wines, designer clothes, a flash car…she knew Jack loved splashing the cash. But she’d also admired him for being able to stick to a budget. Her mum had taught her that true happiness doesn’t come from things, rather the people you’re with. Never had it been truer.

‘We could just pop in at your flat, then,’ Belle continues, desperate to see it. ‘Just show me what you’re having done, at least.’ Surely Jack knows that she won’t judge him if things aren’t perfect yet. ‘I could give you some design ideas.’

‘When it’s finished, Belle, I promise. It’s not as if we’ll even be living there when we’re married. You know I’m going to buy us a house.’

Belle gives in and nods, deciding not to push it. Besides, he’s shown her photographs of his place online. If his taste in apartments is anything to go by, then she knows their house will be stunning. The penthouse had taken her breath away when she’d seen the pictures – a wrap-around balcony, roof terrace and huge glass windows overlooking the city and the river. Everything was white and gleaming and, to be honest, she didn’t understand why Jack needed the builders in at all. It looked perfect as it was.

‘We could go back to mine, then,’ Belle suggests. ‘Mum and Dad are at work and Amber’s at some activity camp. Natalia might be there, but she’ll keep out of our way.’

‘Great,’ Jack says, squeezing Belle’s thigh, his face suddenly lighting up again. ‘Hop out so I can drive. We wouldn’t want to get stopped by the police, would we?’

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

HANNAH – NOW

It’s not just the smart car in the driveway that I don’t recognise, but there’s also an unfamiliar smell in the hallway when I come inside – something that doesn’t sit right with me as I breathe it in. As if home doesn’t quite feel like home any more.

I slip off my work shoes, glad to be rid of them, and dump my bag on the hall table. It’s where everything gets left – keys, gloves, schoolbooks, lunch boxes, and general clutter removed from coat pockets as my family comes and goes. I stop, my light summer jacket halfway off my shoulders – partly to appreciate that I’m home, and partly to ascertain what it is that has set my nostrils twitching.

When I first set eyes on this house all those years ago, I knew it would be perfect. It was as though I’d dreamt about it before I even knew it existed – a safe haven for Belle and me. I’d been scraping by, renting since I’d left London, and I knew I wanted to make Bristol my home. It was far enough away from everything I’d left behind, yet still had the city buzz I needed – for my business as well as for me to blend into. When I’d arrived, I hadn’t known a single soul – the whole point of moving away from London in the first place.

Initially, the estate agent hadn’t taken me seriously when I viewed, assuming I was too young to be buying a shabby town house that needed work. But I convinced him that I was older than I looked, laughing when I told him I still sometimes got ID-checked in bars.

‘When you get to my age, you’ll thank your good genes for that,’ he’d joked. And then I’d explained about my business and how it was really taking off, how I’d worked all hours over the last three years to build it up. No easy feat with a baby-turned-toddler in tow. His attitude soon changed when I explained how I’d been left a sum of money by a relative. A lie, of course.

‘It’s going to be my forever home for me and my daughter. And who knows,’ I’d said, trailing my hand down the beautiful carved staircase, ‘perhaps I’ll meet the man of my dreams and have another baby.’

And I did – in the form of Rob and then Amber.

‘Hello?’ I call out from the bottom of the stairs. Rob’s car wasn’t outside on the front drive. Instead, an expensive-looking black BMW had taken his usual spot – nothing like we’d ever buy or any of our friends own. We have a small garage down the lane at the rear of the house, but neither of us ever puts our car in there. It’s too full of clutter for that. For a second, I consider that Rob’s bought a new car on a whim, but I know that he’d never do that without us both discussing it. And a BMW like that would be way out of our budget.

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