CORAL - Fallen (A Romance Trilogy, Book 2) (59 page)

“How long did Susannah wait before telling
you that she loved you?”
I ask ignoring his anger.

Tristan laughs sarcastically
and shakes his head at me, then runs both his hands through his
hair. “
I know she said she was in love with you Tristan
. She got rid of Olivia and you were a free man, how long?” He sighs
heavily, wraps his hands around his neck and stares up at the ceiling.

“
A year
,”
he
finally
whispers.

“So she leaves it long enough so it doesn’t raise your
suspicions and you have some time to get over Olivia,” I mumble to myself.

“
I need a drink, y
ou?”
I shake my head and follow him into the
kitchen.

“
Do you know if she
’
s still in Brighton?
”
I ask.

“
No, Sunday morning
she called me asked for some time off, I said yes
.”
Is that
why he was so happy, because he’
d spoken to her?
I shake off the stupid
thought.

“
Did you tell her
you
’
re moving here permanently?
”
I ask.

“
No, not yet
. Only Karen and Claire know. I was waiting to speak to Susannah,”
he answers.

“
Then why is she
making plans to move here....”
I’
m suddenly filled with a dreadful thought.
I think I know the answer. “
Can
I have your mobile?
”
I ask.

“
Why?
”
He
snaps.

“
Because it wouldn
’
t surprise me if she
’
s bugged you
’ – “
E
nough!”
he bellows.

I cower away from him. “
I can
’
t take anymore
Coral
.”
I wince at his words.
“
I
’
ve just found out the
girl I trust, who has
been the best member of staff I have ever had, is a complete lunatic who sabotaged
my relationship with Olivia, who…”
He squeezes his eyes shut, his hands bawling into fists again. In
his anger, he reaches up and slams both fists down on the kitchen counter.

Ok I think I need to go!

“
Look, I know this
is
’ –“
No you don't know!
”
he b
ellows. He
storms off, picks up his jacket and heads for the front door.

“
Where are you
going?
”
I call out
walking round the breakfast bar.

Tristan stops and slowly turns to me, his
jaw tense, his eyes full of pain. “
I need some space
from you.
..I need to get out of here,”
he chokes.

“
Tristan
,”
I shout stopping him from walking any
further.
“
I know you need time
to process this, but I
’
m
warning
you now, if you walk out on me, I won’
t be able to trust that you
’
ll stay if we get back on track. It
’
ll feel just like it did when my Dad left, please don
’
t do that to us
,”
I tremble
, praying he stays.

“
You
’
re already waiting for that to happen
anyway
,”
h
e snaps.
Ouch that hurt!

I know what I need to do. “
You know what, don't bother leaving, I
’
ll get my bags
,”
I snap.

Running up the two flights of stairs, I
grab my overnight bag, shove my toiletries and some of my clothing inside, then
I pull my mobile out of my bag and call Rob. Running back down the stairs I
wait for him to answer.

“
Ola
’ – “
Can you come get me
,”
I croak
fighting
against the waterfall that’
s breaching the gates
.

“Oh…of course,”
he solemnly answers.

“Thanks,” I croak and hang up.

I spot Tristan leaning against the breakfast
bar, his head hung low. I tentatively walk over to him. “
Are we through?
”
I
tremble. He doesn’
t answer me, he just
stares straight ahead, his jaw clenched.

I grit my teeth and take a deep breath. “
Here
,”
reaching into my bag I place Olivia’
s paper
work on the counter. “
Olivia
’
s number
,”
I tell him, his eyes shoot up and meet mine
.

“
She
’
s still mad at you,
I can’
t say I blame her, maybe you should
call her and apologise
… Oh, and she said to mention
Cathy, Rebecca and Sarah, apparently Susannah screwed those potentials up for
you too. And now you’
re letting her do the same to us
,”
I say, my voice
trembling.

Tristan clenches his jaw several times and
glares back at me. “
Just go Coral
,”
he snaps.

Oh my god, we’
re through, it
’
s over!

I take one last look at the man that I
love, that I adore, the man I was about to marry and walk silently out of the
house – I feel numb.

I have no tears, I know the emotions of anger,
hate and fear so well. Where is the rage that should be pulsing through me? I
have lost another person that I loved. I should have unbelievable, unimaginable
pain lancing through me, just like I did when I left him, but I feel nothing,
nothing at all.

I look up and see Rob’
s car coming up the hill. I
start walking
towards it, he pulls up beside me and I get inside.

“
Hey
,”
he
softly says.
Reaching for my hand, he squeezes it once.

I don't look at him and I don't say
anything – I have no words.

“
Back to mine?
”
he asks, I stare straight ahead not really
registering his words.
“
Ok,
”
he
says. The car
moves forward and we head back into town.

I feel like I'm in some sort of weird
dream, nothing seems real, not the drive over, getting out the car, or the elevator
ride up to Rob’
s
apartment.

I barely register Carlos sitting in the
room when I walk in, but he walks over to me and hugs me tightly. “
If he doesn
’
t
believe you, he doesn
’
t deserve
you
”
he tells me, but again I
feel like I'm in a completely different dimension, not of this world.
They walk me over to the sofa and sit me down between the two of
them.

“
Do you want a dri
nk?”
Carlos asks, but all I can do is stare
blankly ahead.

“Would you like s
omething
to eat? Rob asks.

I look up at him and shake my head. I
shiver slightly, I feel so cold. I know somewhere in the back of my mind I
shouldn’
t, we are having a really nice summer, but it
doesn
’
t really register.

Kicking off my shoes I pull my legs up to
my knees and hug myself tightly, trying to hold myself together. Then I curl up
on the sofa, trying to generate some heat. I feel something heavy and warm
being placed across me, but I don't know who has done it. I stare at the wall,
trying to understand where I went wrong. I can't even begin to imagine what it’
s going to feel like not having
him
in my world.

Squeezing my eyes shut tight, I try to
block out the scream that’s building within me, a scream of his name. Pulling
the warm blanket tighter around me, I start a mantra –
It’
s all a bad dream, just a bad dream
– I
keep repeating this to myself, until my eyes become heavier and I slip into
unconsciousness...

SOMETIME LATER I REALISE I AM BEING MOVED.
My eyes open for a second, I'm in Carlos’
s
arms, he’s carrying me somewhere, he opens a door and places me on a bed.

“
Do you want to get
changed?
”
he asks.
Looking down in a daze, I realise I'm still in my work clothes, I
nod silently to him. “
I
’
ll get your bag
,”
he
tells me.

I watch him walk out the room, then return
with the bag I hastily packed at Tristan’
s. Opening up
the zip, he pulls out a pair of
jeans and a long-sleeved
t-shirt.

With a sorrowful smile, he hands them to
me. “
You know where the bathroom is right?
”
he softly says.
I
nod again, still unable to speak. “
And if you need
anything, anytime. Just come and get us
,”
he says, gently stroking my hair.

I blink up at him. “
Carlos,
”
I whisper.
“
I
’
m so glad you
’
re ok.
” He pulls me into his arms and we hug for a while.

“
Me too,
I would
h
ave missed
you and you’
re crazy ways
,”
he says, pulling back to look at me
.

I smile weakly at him. Carlos leans towards
me and softly kisses me on the forehead. “
I
’
ll leave you to it
,”
he says.
I nod again as those were the only
words I could say.

Carlos stands and quietly leaves, shutting
the door behind him. I stare blankly at the clothes in my hands then decide if
I'm going to sleep through this numbness, I'm better off doing it in these. It
takes a long time to change clothes. I keep stopping and staring blankly at the
wall. I think I’
m in shock.
Pulling
my top over my head, I collapse back onto the bed staring numbly at the wall...

“
CORAL
WAKE UP!
”
My eyes dart open. I see Rob stood over me, my mobile in his hand. “
It
’
s the police,
they need to speak to you
,” he says.
What?

I frown deeply, I feel so disorientated –
Police?
Why would they want to speak to me?

“
Coral, take it
,”
Rob shouts.

In a daze I take my mobile off him and
bring it up to my ear, I'm still not sure if I'm awake or dreaming.
“
Hello
,”
I croak.

“
Miss Coral
Stevens?
”

“
Yes
.”

“Are you the owner of studio seven on the
western concourse?”

“
Yes
.”

“My name is Sargeant Phillips, I’
m afraid there
’
s
been an accident
.”
An accident?
What’
s
he talking about?
As
my senses start to come back to me, I look up at Rob.

“
Um…
I’
m sorr
y what
accident?” I whisper.

“
Your next door
neighbor?”
he says.

“
B
ob?”
I shout
–
Oh
My God, something’
s happened to Bob!