Closer to the Heart (The Heart Trilogy Book 3) (27 page)

Chapter 35

I stepped off the plane into the bustle of Heathrow airport. It was nearly midnight but with my case in hand I walked through and saw James. Dropping the handle he scooped me off the ground and whilst plastering my face with kisses he spun me around.

"Oh my go
d
Steph, I've missed you so much" he gasped, putting me down.

"James, so have I"

He took the case and we walked out to an awaiting taxi which took us to the hotel we were booked into.

"Sarah and Chris are here along with Mum and Dad, but you can see them in the morning. Are you hungry
?
D
o
you want a drink?"

"Just take me to bed" I murmured, brushing up against him in the lift.

"With pleasure"

Lying sated in his arms he traced patterns between my freckle
d
skin.

"So everyone is alright?"

"Yes, we'll not get to see Charlotte until after the performance but then I've booked us all in for a late supper in a restaurant near the theatre.

"Great, I've missed her so much, being with Mum and Dad has made me realise how short life really is. I don't want to miss another minute of hers"

"You won't, now you're back where you belong"

He turned, pressing his firm chest against me, his hands tangling once more in my messy bed hair, his lips claiming mine in an eternity of pent up passion.

At the flat Charlotte tossed and turned, her mind just wouldn't switch off and let her sleep. Every possible scenario was jostling for position in her head and heart. Admitting defeat she slipped into her practise clothes and padded along the hallway to the dining room. With the music on as quiet as she could the melody and voice of Patrick Swayze filled the space around her. Her body felt the words wrap around her, placing her limbs in the positions they had created together. With her eyes tightly shut she danced with his memory, like a shadow in the room lurking just out of reach. Climbing off the floor she saw a figure lounging in the doorway.

"Can't sleep?"

"Nope"

"I'd offer you a drink but you can't" he grinned.

"A hot chocolate might do the trick" she walked across to him. He followed her into the kitchen and watched her fill a mug with milk an
d
hea
t
it in the microwave.

Zach sat down at the table and she was about to pull out the chair next to him but he quickly offered his lap instead. Her sweat glimmered in the moonlight that flooded the room, like tiny crystals brightening her skin.

"Oh Zach, what's going to happen tomorrow?"

"As soon as you come off stage I'll be phoning the police. I'm sure they will be very interested in some of the things I can tell them about Felicity"

"They won't arrest Mitchell will they?"

"I don't know I guess they'll need to speak to him about what happened"

Sh
e
lean
t
against his strength and bit her lip as the tears of fear threatened to spill over. He could feel her trembling and he hugged her even tighter and when she looked up at him he couldn'
t
resist partin
g
her lips with his.

The hot chocolate forgotte
n
he le
d
her to the bedroom and lay down beside her, letting her cocoon into his body in
a
foeta
l
position. She placed his arm around her and let it rest beneath hers atop of the small bump. In that moment Zach realised that the little boy he had met this morning was his. How could he involve Sasha back into his life when the life beneath his fingers could also be his? Closing his eyes he found Felicity waiting for him, the cruel hard look in her eyes crumbling as he stood above her, throwing blood dripping hearts at her feet of all the love she had ruined. Tomorrow was going to be some sort of day.

Zach found the bed empty beside him and music echoing around the flat. It was still early but he knew how important this day was for Charlotte. Shrugging on his dressing gown he wandered past the dining room on the way to the kitchen. He ordered them breakfast and then made coffee and waited for Charlie to join him. He heard the music stop, then the shower before she appeared wearing a loose sundress, her hair still damp.

"I'll try and eat but I normally end up throwing up before a performance"

"It's not until thi
s
evening
,
I hope you keep something down"

"It won't matter I'll eat loads when I come off stage, Mum and Dad, I mean James are taking me out to dinner. I told them to book in at you
r
sister’
s
restaurant"

"Excellent, I'll tell her staff, make she you all get treated to a first class service"

"Well, you're coming too I hope?"

"Let's wait and see what happens" he turned away from her gaze, afraid to show the emotions that were simmering close to the surface.

He drove her to the theatre and then wandered around the shops in London. He bought a new suit to wear, a fabulous evening gown for Charlotte that he hoped she would wear. I
n
Hamley’
s
toy store he found a gian
t
train se
t
that he thought Sam might like. The store assistant wrapped it for him and with trepidation he drove back to Sasha's house. He knocked the door but there was no answer so risking his luck he left the parcel on the doorstep, hidden behind a large planter. He slipped a note through the letterbox and then drove away. Also in the boot of the car was a soft yellow teddy bear for Charlotte's bump. Back at the flat he found a message on hi
s
answerphon
e
from Daniel.

"Just to say we've landed, can we call over and use the flat"

"Sure, I'm going to be out but I'll leave a message with David on reception. I'll see you in the theatre bar at around six"

He found Charlotte's case and started to move all her clothes and toiletries away to the lockable cupboard in the spare room. An hour before their arrival he changed and left the flat. He had a feeling he would be there on his own later. He took a taxi to his favourite bar for a drink and as he sa
t
nursin
g
his usual his phone beeped.

"Thanks for the present Sam loves it but please no more extravagance until we've had time to talk"

"Sasha, just one question - is h
e
mine?"

"I don't know
,
let’
s
talk about this soon. I can't right now"

"Ok, Sash
a
kee
p
in touch and take your time"

His finger hovered over the 'x' but decided against it.

He emptied the glass and had a refill before walking around the corner into the theatre.

He typed a quick text to Charlotte, not sure if he would get a reply

"Good luck, break a leg"

"Come to the stag
e
door
,
just ask Ellie on the bar she'll show you"

She was waiting, draped in a large dressing that covered her costume, her fresh make-up hardly disguising her pale skin. She let him into her small dressing room and then lurched through another door, heaving into the toilet bowl.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Zach asked, passing her a wipe.

"Just give me a hug and tell me that I will be"

"Gladly" he said. A knoc
k
interrupte
d
them as she was given another bouquet. She looked at the card and smiled.

"It's from Mum, James, Sarah, Chris, Pam, Peter, Darren and Sophie"

“I bought you something more useful” Zach said. He gave her the package and she opened it to find a silver dress.

“Beautiful” she whispered, it shimmered in the lights. Charlotte found a hanger and hooked the dress over the door.

“Fifteen minutes to curtain” a voice shouted from the corridor.

“I’d better go and see if our guests have arrived”

“Wait” she implored, grasping his hand. On tiptoes she coiled her arms around his neck and touched her lips lightly on his.

“Thanks for everything”

“Thank me when we have her” he smiled, but his eyes were dark as midnight.

Letting her go, he watched her sit at the vanity unit and re-touch her eyeshadow and lipstick before he closed the door. Trying to stay calm he strolled into the now heaving bar and found Daniel and Felicity. There was no sign of Matthew/Mitchell and his girlfriend.

"Zach, never had you down for such a long term relationship, Casey must be one hell of a fuck"

"Mmm" Zach didn't reply as all he wanted to do was punch his best friend again.

"Matthew and Maya have gone to find their seats" Felicity said, taking small sips of her champagne. Zach ordered and gulped down another JD and then let her hook her arm through his.

He hated the feel of her claw like hand as he led her into the auditorium. It was sold out and as Felicity and Daniel took their seats he glanced round and found his sister and brother-in-law a few rows back.

"What's she doing here" Lexie hissed, as she kissed his cheek.

"Unlucky coincidence"

"What her walking in on your arm? What are you playing at?"

"I'll tell you after the show"

"Oh Zach, please be careful"

He nodded and grinned.

"Lexie, just sit down and enjoy"

On the way back to his seat next to Felicity he looked up into the box nearest the stage and saw Stephanie. He ignored her wave and hoped that the other
s
hadn't noticed.

I looked at the curtains on the stage and tapped a quick message to my daughter.

"Good luck honey, pretend we're not here and you'll be fabulous"

"Thanks Mum, can't wait to see you later"

Switching my phone off I looked down into the audience and saw Zach, I waved but he didn't notice as he slipped into a seat next to a woman with dark hair studying her nails. In an instance she looked up and I shrank back when I saw her cold steel eyes. It was Felicity, what was she doing here? I nudged James and he saw the panic in my face. He gripped my hand in his, holding it tightly in his lap.

"She'll be fine, she'll be brilliant" he whispered.

"It's not that, she's here"

"Who?"

I motioned and James peeped over the balcony and saw the unmistakable form of his ex-wife.

"What the hell?"

"She sitting next to Zach and her partner Daniel who I believe is a friend of his, perhaps that's why?"

James pulled his phone out, this opportunity was too good to miss.

"I'll be two minutes" he whispered, before leaving the box. Outside in the hallway he called Rob.

"Felicity is back in the country, is there anything you can do?"

"How do you know?"

"She's here in the theatre about to watch the show"

"I'll give my mate Sargent Peters in the Met a call and see if they can at least follow her at the end of the show. We might not have enough time or evidence to arrest her"

"Oh, well thanks Rob" James replied, slightly deflated by the response.

"Keep faith, if she has something to hide then we will find it"

The call ended and James returned to my side.

"Well?"

"We'll have to wait" he whispered as the lighting dimmed and the glare was on the stage as the curtain lifted.

I reached for James' hand and held it tightly as I caught the first glimpse of my daughter. The well-known storyline unfolded and I forgot it was Charlotte that I watched. Her dancing was captivating and she delivered her lines with all the ability of an actress. The crowd giggled and shared her embarrassment over the watermelons as she clapped eyes on the dancer playing Johnny. From our box he was a poor substitute for Mitchell and Charlotte far outshone her leading man. By the close of curtains on the first half I was wiping tears of joy from my cheeks. James, Chris and Peter went to collect our interval drinks from the bar so Sarah slid into the chair next to me.

"Breath taking she has even improved since the London dance competition" Sarah exclaimed.

"Yes, but I miss Mitchell" Pam lamented over my shoulder "He should have been up there"