Page 55 of Under Ground
He starts the car and our short drive is in silence until he pulls up to the kerb.
“I’ll stay with you until Alex arrives.” He unbuckles his seatbelt.
“You don’t have to do that.”
He looks in the rear view mirror at Casey who beams back at him. “I don’t know if I’ll feel right otherwise.”
After I remove her car seat, we go inside and Gareth sits in a living room chair.
I fist my hands. The last thing I want is to start anything in front of Casey.
“Where’s Daddy?” Casey asks.
“I told you, sweetheart. He’s at work. But he’ll be here soon. You just have to be patient.”
She looks at Gareth. “You Garef?”
He clamps his lips together, I presume to stop laughing, and nods. “I’m Gareth.”
“You Mummy’s friend?”
His eyes meet mine, and I just feel numb. He devastated me, but there’s nothing between us now. Just some regret that he never wanted anything to do with Casey.
“I am.” He smiles, and there’s a sadness about him that radiates through the room. What he and Melanie are going through has to be tough.
“My daddy is coming home soon.”
He looks up at me again, but I refuse to meet his gaze. “You sound like you’re very excited about that.”
“I am. Want to watch Paw Patrol?” Casey asks.
I hold up my palms. “How about I make some coffee? I’ll make you a hot chocolate, Casey. And we can all watch Paw Patrol until Alex gets here.” Shifting my gaze to Gareth, I draw in a breath. “Shouldn’t you call Melanie and let her know you’re here?”
He shrugs. “I sent her a text.”
“Doesn’t she think it’s weird that you’re at my place?”
He tilts his head. “She understands that I’m helping out a friend.” Drawing in a loud breath, he looks around the room, and it makes me grind my teeth. “Besides, she’d never forgive me if anything happened and I could have been here to help.”
By the time I make coffee and hot chocolate, and we’ve watched an episode of Paw Patrol, I’m just about climbing the walls.
Not only because Alex isn’t here yet, but because that woman is still out there. How can I take Casey outside ever again? How can I trust the people around us?
There’s a tap on the door. Gareth rises.
I roll my eyes. “Sit down.”
By some miracle, he obeys.
“Lana, it’s me.”
Just the sound of Alex’s voice brings tears to my eyes, and I fling open the door and throw my arms around his neck.
“Hey. It’s okay.” He buries his nose under my ear and just holds me.
This is what I needed. My fear might have hold of me right now, but Alex soothes that just by being present. He walks me backward into the room and closes the door behind him.
Casey rushes across the room, wrapping herself around Alex’s leg.