‘Blythe’ Nathan says disinterestedly as he opens the door. ‘What you doing here?’ he asks, ignoring her in favour of looking in the mirror and finger combing his hair. He lifts his jacket from the newel post.
Blythe pushes the door further open as she walks in. ‘Just passing’ she says, running a fingernail down the vee of his tee shirt ‘Thought I’d pop in…say hello’
‘Yeah…right…passing’ He looks down at her hand without comment.
‘Sort of…’ She smiles up at him. ‘Had an urge to see you again’
‘Oh, did you?’
‘Mmm’ Blythe gets closer, tilting her hips toward him.
Nathan sidesteps and pulls on his jacket, checking his appearance once more in the mirror. ‘Might’ve been an idea to’ve rung first, I’m just on my way out’
‘Oh’ she pouts, wide-eyed. ‘Something you can’t be late for?’ she says, finger walking up his arm while she smiles suggestively.
‘Someone I can’t be late for’ he scowls in return, moving away from her.
‘A woman?’
‘A woman…’ Nathan says, standing by the front door, holding it open and ready to show her out. ‘And if I don’t get a shift on…’
‘I thought we could…’ Blythe tries to close the door.
‘I know what you thought’ He holds the door firm, turning his head as she attempts a kiss. ‘But…’
‘I can wait…’ Blythe wheedles. ‘She needn’t know…nobody need know’
‘You don’t want anyone to know you’ve been here?’ Nathan shakes his head, laughing incredulously.
‘I’m not flavour of the month at the moment..’
‘Blythe, I really gotta go….’ He says, looking pointedly at his watch.
‘Shall I wait, then? We can have some fun..’
‘I don’t know how late I’m going to be..’
‘I don’t mind…’
‘I might stay over….I don’t know’ Nathan shrugs, trying to put her off.
‘You don’t know?’ Blythe laughs. ‘She holding out on you and you’re just hoping to get lucky?’
‘It’s not like that at all….I respect her’ he says, deliberately misleading her. ‘Depends, that’s all. You please yourself but I’m off’
‘Nath-an’ She wheedles again, sliding her hands inside his jacket.
‘Gotta go…’ he growls, stepping away and going outside. ‘I’m running late’
‘I’ll see you later’
‘Maybe….’ Nathan hurries down the path. Without turning round, he waves a goodbye over his shoulder. ‘You know where everything is’
He leaves Blythe standing staring after him.
Dell Cottage, Washbrook Lane
Chapter Fourteen
Tawny House, Manor Road
The Annexe
‘Kester? What are you doing down here?’ Helen stands in the doorway to the sitting room, silhouetted against the light from the hall. ‘Why are you sitting in the dark?’
She moves further into the room. ‘Kester?’
‘I’ll be up in a while, okay?’ Kester mumbles. ‘Sorry if I disturbed you’
‘You didn’t….not really. I turned over and you weren’t there. I didn’t hear you get up. What are you doing?’
‘Thinking’
‘About?’ she asks, sitting next to him on the sofa.
‘Give you one guess’ Kester groans wearily, leaning forward and putting his head in his hands.
Helen lays her hand on his back and rests her cheek against his shoulder. ‘Not that you got so upset in front of me?’
He shakes his head. ‘No…..I felt a fool…but you were right…it was something I needed to do. Probably something I should have done a long time ago. I don’t feel quite so knotted up inside now’
‘Good…I’m glad’ she whispers. ‘You’ve been so strong for me but don’t think you have to be strong all the time…don’t be afraid to show me you’re hurting too. I know you had an awful childhood, I can’t put that right….but I can help you try to forget’
‘Put those memories back where they came from?’ Kester lifts his head and sighs as he pushes his hands through his hair. ‘I wish to God I could. I wish……… It’s no good wishing, is it? They’re there now, I’ve got to learn to deal with them’ He laughs derisively. ‘You know what I was doing before you came down? I was writing an expose …in my head…going over everything I can remember and writing it…seeing it printing out on the page…How bloody daft’s that?’
‘Not that silly if it helps you’ Helen murmurs.
‘Cheaper than a shrink?’
‘Probably…although printer paper is hellishly expensive these days’
Kester turns to her and grins. ‘Oh God, I love you’ he says with a brief chuckle, circling his arms round her and squeezing her tightly. ‘Only you could make me laugh when I feel so bloody awful’
‘Seriously’ Helen says, snuggling under his arm as he lies back against the sofa. ‘Write it all down if it helps’
‘Trouble is, the more things I remember…the more things those memories bring to mind. It’s never ending…’ Kester puffs his cheeks. ‘And a complete muddle’
‘We’re not talking Booker Prize here…just jot things down as you remember them’ She tilts her head to look at him. ’What happened….how you felt…how it affected you’
‘I’m not sure how much it would help’
‘Might be worth a try…You’d started doing it in your head for a reason’
‘I’m so angry’
‘I know’ Helen lays her arm across his stomach, hugging him closer.
‘I want her to suffer like I suffered’ he growls.
‘That’s not you though Kester…is it?’ She sits up. ‘Not the Kester you’ve become. You’re angry now because you have to cope with these memories. You’re feeling the same anger and hurt that you probably felt twenty, thirty years ago but didn’t know how to express them’
‘Who needs a shrink with you around?’ Kester laughs softly.
‘I’ve seen enough of them’ Helen retorts.
‘Sorry’ he says, lifting a hand to stroke her hair.
‘No…it’s fine. A fact of my life…but…’
‘But?’
‘None of them did what you did for me…you loved me when I couldn’t even love myself, made me face things head on. I owe you so much….If I can pay back some of that and help you…’
‘You have already’
‘By making cracks about printer paper?’
‘By showing me I could love…that I could care about someone…really care. How to tell someone you love them and mean it’
‘As opposed to?’ she says innocently.
Kester rolls his head on the back of the sofa and grins. ‘I have to explain?’
‘I expect you could still tell someone you love them just to get them into your bed’ Helen starts to draw the knot on his bathrobe loose.
Kester sighs regretfully. ‘Helen…I….’
‘Works better than cocoa when you can’t sleep’
