Page 80 of Only for Christmas

Lucas hadn’t said much to his nursing assistant about Sarah’s issues with Stephen; he hadn’t needed to. Carla was an astute woman. She knew ‘trouble’ when she saw it, as she’d aptly put it.

‘I’ve no idea what’s happened,’ Georgia shouted over the alcohol-fuelled laughter. ‘I just got a text from Tyler saying to fetch Lucas quick.’

The four of them made their way across the courtyard, bumping into people as they tried to navigate the crowds, and apologising for spilling drinks and treading on toes.

Lucas’s mind was whirling; he knew he shouldn’t have left Sarah alone. If anything had happened to her, it would be his fault. He was a bad boyfriend, fake or otherwise. ‘Where is she, do you know?’

‘Somewhere inside the main building. Near the loos, apparently.’

The noise level faded as they left the revelry behind and moved from the party area and into the quiet exhibition space. They were running now, their heavy breathing and footsteps hitting the marble flooring and echoing off the high ceiling. Georgia was struggling to keep up, hindered by a tight dress and blood-alcohol levels. To be fair, he’d be struggling to run in four-inch heels too. He wanted to sprint ahead, but he had no idea where they were going.

In the dim lighting, Tyler appeared, frantically spinning the wheels of his chair like a competing athlete. ‘Over here!’ he called, sliding his wheelchair to a halt and turning with the grace of a ballerina, before leading them back the way he’d come. ‘I’ve called security. They’re on their way.’

That didn’t sound good. Lucas prayed Sarah wasn’t hurt.

Lucas heard Sarah before they rounded the bend and came across the most bizarre sight he’d ever seen. Stephen was on his knees, clutching his groin, and Sarah was standing over him, yelling.

‘I will not be silenced!’ she screamed, stamping her foot. ‘You will not bully me! Harass me! And threaten me! Do you hear me? I’ve had enough.’ She shook a fist at him, causing the burly security man who had appeared from the opposite direction to assume she was the aggressor and pull her away.

‘Arrest this woman!’ Stephen was red-faced and sweating. ‘She assaulted me. I want her charged.’

Sarah tried to shake off the security man, but he held firm. ‘Come over here, miss.’ He dragged her away, but she continued fighting him.

‘Let go of me!’ She stumbled as she was forcibly removed from the altercation. She was minus a shoe and an earring, and there was blood on her ear. Her hair had slipped from its clasp and long strands were falling onto her face.

‘And in case you’re in any doubt… you’re fired!’ Stephen shouted, sounding like a poor imitation of Lord Sugar. ‘You’ll never set foot in a hospital again. You hear me? Your career is over!’

Lucas raced over to Sarah. ‘It’s okay, Officer. I’ve got her.’

The security guard looked relieved as he handed Sarah over to Lucas. ‘She can’t go anywhere. The police are on their way.’

‘Good!’ Stephen had recovered enough to get to his feet. ‘I want her charged with assault.’ He tried to move towards Sarah, but Carla and Georgia blocked his path. ‘Get out of my way. This has nothing to do with you. Do you want to lose your jobs too?’

Georgia hesitated, but Carla wasn’t one to succumb to a threat. ‘Don’t waste your breath threatening me, Stephen. I’ve no idea what’s happened here, but if you think I’m going to let you near Sarah in this state, you’re mistaken. Now calm down.’

‘It’s not me who needs to calm down, it’s her. Look at her! She’s out of control.’ Stephen rested his hands on his knees, wincing.

Sarah wasn’t out of control, but she was fired up. Her jaw was clenched and her hands were shaking, although Lucas suspected from rage rather than fear. He wanted to touch her, but he knew it wouldn’t help.

‘Everyone needs to calm down,’ Carla said, using the soothing tone she saved for agitated patients. ‘Shouting’s not going to help anyone. Let’s keep things civil until the police arrive.’

Lucas desperately wanted to assess Sarah’s injuries and discover the cause of the bleeding, but she was too wired to stand still. She was like a wounded tiger pacing its cage, unbalanced on one shoe. He touched her arm, hoping it wouldn’t alarm her. ‘Are you okay? What happened?’

‘He… he cornered me,’ she said, pointing a finger at Stephen. ‘And then he threatened me… and grabbed me—’

‘I did no such thing!’ Stephen tried to stand, still visibly in pain. ‘I’m the victim here.’ He glared at Carla and Georgia as though they were restraining him, but they weren’t doing anything. He looked like one of those soccer players whose teammates had to hold him back from thumping another player, even though it was just showboating. An act for the baying crowd.

Jafrina was standing to one side, her hands covering her mouth.

Tyler was checking something on his phone.

Lucas looked to the security guard for help. ‘How long until the police get here?’

‘I’ll find out.’ He mumbled something into his walkie-talkie.

Lucas moved in front of Sarah, blocking her sightline of Stephen. ‘It’s okay, honey, I’m here. You’re bleeding. Where are you hurt?’

She shook her head. ‘I’m fine.’ She swiped at her ear, frowning when she saw the blood on her hand. ‘My earring must’ve got pulled out in the scuffle.’

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