Page 14

Erica

Erica let herself in the house, leaning back against the door with a happy sigh as she hugged her bag to her chest.

She’d had an incredible afternoon with Marcus, one that had eased all her stresses and made her feel as though she were floating on air.

There was just something about him that made her relax. Something that soothed the pain in her heart.

Lottie would tell her they had an instant connection, but Erica was more practical than that. Relationships took work, and nothing was easy, even if it was ‘destined’.

What she believed was Marcus shared a unique relationship with her, brought about by their mutual heartache. It forged a rapidly strengthening bond between them and made it easy for her to accept his offer.

She’d love to stay in his life beyond the little mind games they were playing with their spouses.

Right on cue, as though he could sense her thinking about him, Alex walked down the stairs, calling for her.

“Eri? Is that you, darling?”

Her lips curled at the pet name. Feeling extra petty, she pushed her hand through her hair, messing it until a few strands fell loose from her bun.

She caught sight of herself in the hallway mirror and smirked.

It looked as though she and Marcus had shared more than lunch together, and as Alex came into view, taking in her dishevelled appearance, it seemed he thought so, too.

“What happened to you?” He asked, barely containing the anger in his eyes.

So far, she had only given him minor reasons to doubt her. Turning her phone away as they sat on the sofa together, leaving the room to answer calls and excluding him from certain aspects of her life.

The hair was the boldest she had been so far.

“What do you mean?” She asked, shrugging off her jacket and dumping her purchases on the hallway table.

“Your hair is all messed up and you have a ladder in your tights.”

She hadn’t noticed the ladder. What wonderful luck. She glanced down at her legs and shrugged.

“Huh. Well, would you look at that?”

She kissed Alex’s cheek as she passed him, forcing herself not to shudder. Getting too close to him these days gave her the ick, but she’d become quite talented at hiding it.

“You didn’t answer the question,” Alex said, following her into the kitchen.

“What question?” She asked, deliberately pushing his buttons as she flicked the kettle to make coffee.

“What happened to you?” Alex repeated, growling the words.

“Nothing happened,” she said. “We ate lunch, we shopped. I came home.”

“So why do you look like someone has fucked you to within an inch of your life?”

Erica laughed, turning to face Alex. She cupped his jaw, her tone mocking. “You and your imagination.”

Shoving her hand away, Alex stared at her. She could tell he wanted to speak, but something was stopping him.

Fear, maybe.

He didn’t want the answer to his questions, the same way Erica didn’t want to read that letter all those weeks ago.

“Spit it out, Alex. Your silence is begging for attention.”

“Are you sleeping with Marcus?”

There it was.

The first time he asked, but no doubt it wouldn’t be the last. Now that she was sure the suspicion was there, Erica planned to make this hurt.

“No.” It was a simple word, spoken clearly and confidently. More importantly, she spoke with undeniable truth .

“Just, no?”

“Just no,” she confirmed. “I’m sorry, does the no need embellishment?”

“Admittedly, I expected a few more words.”

“Why?” She shrugged. “No is a complete sentence that answers your question.”

“You’re not going to defend yourself?”

“Defend myself from what? Your baseless accusations? No, Alex. I am not going to say anything more than what I’ve already said, and after eight years of marriage, you either believe me or you don’t.”

His eyes glanced up at her hair, still messy and falling from her bun. His gaze lingered there for a moment before dropping to meet her eyes.

“How do you explain the hair, then? The constant texts and leaving the room to take a call?”

“Alex. I’m not playing this game. If you must ask for an explanation, it means you don’t trust me.”

“It’s just—”

“Even though I’ve never given you any reason to doubt me and have shown unwavering trust in you in very similar circumstances.”

Oh, she really was feeling petty today.

She shouldn’t have been enjoying this as much as she was, but the hypocrisy dripping from Alex’s mouth prompted a visceral reaction from her.

“Can you just explain the hair?” Alex said in a small voice. “It’s going to drive me insane otherwise.”

Erica bit her tongue to stop her from responding the way she wanted. She was very aware this was the perfect time to bring up his very real affair and drop a few home truths on him.

But he hadn’t suffered enough for her liking.

“I’ll tell you, Alex. But all it will do is make you look like a fool and tell me that our marriage isn’t as strong as I thought it was.”

“Just… Just tell me, Eri.”

Huh.

It seemed the old saying was true. There is nobody more insecure and paranoid than a cheating scumbag .

She should have felt disappointed by his lack of trust in her, but she knew it wasn’t about her. Not really. There was a time he believed he would never cheat on her, and yet the right person came along, and he got his dick wet.

It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that she could do the same.

What she did feel was an immense sadness, and a simmer of rage burning beneath the surface. How dare he punish her for his transgressions?

“I did it to myself,” she said with a sigh. “My bun was too tight, so I messed it up as soon as the door closed.”

Alex hung his head, barely able to look her in the eye. He’d seen her do the same thing a dozen times over the years. She couldn’t abide wearing her hair too tight.

It was the perfect excuse.

She scoffed, abandoning the coffee she had been looking forward to, and pushed past him.

For once, he didn’t stop her.

She grabbed her bag from the hallway and left the house, with no actual destination in mind. Slamming the door behind her, she glanced up and down the street.

Josh’s car was in the driveway.

Could she burden her brother and his new wife while they were enjoying the bliss that was the first year of marriage?

She pulled a face and walked in the opposite direction of his house.

He still didn’t know about Alex’s affair. How could she go to him without giving him the full story?

Which left Lottie.

She grabbed her phone and pulled up Lottie’s number before sighing and cancelling. As much as she loved her younger sister, it wasn’t her she wanted to talk to.

Especially as she had already voiced her disapproval of Erica’s plan. Some days, Lottie showed how mature she could be for her age. It was an admirable trait that Erica wanted nothing to do with right now.

Instead, she pulled up her call log and dialled the number at the top of the list.

“Erica? ”

Marcus answered on the first ring, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

“Alex just asked if I was sleeping with you,” she said, returning his smile even though he couldn’t see her.

“Oh, really? ” She could picture him so clearly, a satisfied smirk coupled with the hand through his hair.

“Really. I’ve just left the house.”

“Come over then,” he said. “This is a conversation I want to have face-to-face.”

“Sophie?”

“Not here. Probably maxing out her credit cards thinking I’ll pay them off.”

She chuckled, imagining Sophie’s face as she returned to find Erica in her home.

“Text me your address and crack out the wine. I’ll be as quick as I can.”

“Atta girl, I’ll see you soon.”

Marcus waited for her outside his flat building as Erica pulled up in the cab. He raised his hand in greeting and rushed forward to grab the door for her, handing the driver a wad of cash through the front window.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Erica said as she left the car.

“Didn’t have to, but I’ve got to take care of my business partner, haven’t I?”

“Dammit, I didn’t even have time to tell him that part.” She sighed and thanked the driver, waving him off.

Marcus led Erica to the building. From everything Sophie had said about this place, Erica had been expecting a dilapidated flat block that people avoided.

But there was nothing wrong with this place as far as she could see. The outside looked great, with a well-kept garden and windows that sparkled under the sunlight. Unless she was mistaken, someone had given the walls a fresh lick of paint, a stark white against the darkened woodwork .

Inside mirrored the exterior, the corridors smelling faintly of bleach and lemon. The stairwell was clear of debris, and the bannisters were clean and well-polished.

“Sophie sold this place short,” she muttered as they walked to the top floor. “I was expecting… well, something, not this.”

“Made out we had no money, did she?”

“Something like that,” Erica nodded as they reached his floor.

“Well, I wouldn’t say we were comfortable,” he admitted, as he let them in. “And there are times we really struggle, but we have this poxy little flat, so our situation isn’t dire .”

He held the door open for her, encouraging her to go ahead. Erica took her first step into Marcus’ flat, suddenly curious to see where he lived.

The space he shared with Sophie was tidy and clean . It wasn’t unwelcoming, but there was something about it that felt off.

“Where are your wedding pictures?” She asked as it finally clicked. The walls were completely barren, void of any personality and, therefore, any warmth.

Marcus followed her gaze and expelled a humourless chuckle. “You’d have thought that would be my first clue.”

He gestured for her to sit, grabbing them some wine glasses. “I can’t believe it never clicked about the pictures.”

“Were they ever up?” Erica asked, watching him move around the small kitchen. She liked this flat with its open plan. It meant she could look over the back of the sofa and talk to him.

He shook his head as he picked a bottle of wine and poured a generous serving. “No. Honestly, Erica, I don’t even know where they are. Or if they even exist.”

Since meeting Marcus, there had been a question burning on Erica’s lips. She was desperate to ask, but it seemed like such an intrusive thing.

But in the end, curiosity won out.

“Marcus, forgive me, but… what did the two of you ever see in one another? You seem so completely different, and not in an opposite attract kind of way. ”

Marcus sighed, running his hand through his hair before reaching for a battered pack of cigarettes.

“Do you smoke?” He asked, offering her the pack. She took a cigarette and lit it, placing her pack between them.

“Next ones on me,” she said.

He nodded, taking a couple of deep hits before looking over at her. “Sophie is quite tenacious. It might be hard to believe because she is such an airhead, but she used to be ambitious and motivated.”

“Used to be?”

“Yeah. On our first date, she hit me with a bunch of questions about what I wanted. Marriage, kids, aspirations. It was kind of heavy, but she said she wasn’t willing to waste time with someone whose goals didn’t align with hers.”

“Bold of her,” Erica said, flicking her ash into the ashtray.

“It was. And I was taken aback, but I found it refreshing. She knew what she wanted, and she wouldn’t settle.”

Erica watched as emotions played over his face, his eyes unfocused as he became stuck in his past.

“So what happened next?” She asked, gently prompting him.

Clearing his throat, Marcus leaned forward, stubbing out his cigarette and knocking back his wine until he drained the glass.

“She fell out of love with me,” he said with a shrug. “I don’t know when it happened. Whether it was before the affair or during it. Either way, she doesn’t love me anymore.”

He pressed his hands into his eyes, swearing under his breath. “Shit, sorry.”

“Don’t apologise,” she replied, squeezing his arm. “Believe me, I get it.”

“I’ve been avoiding that truth for weeks now. That she doesn’t... Hey, maybe she never did.”

“I don’t believe that’s true,” Erica said, wanting desperately to comfort him. “She wouldn’t have married you otherwise.”

“Maybe.” He poured himself another glass, topping up Erica’s, although she had barely touched it. “Anyway, I said she used to be ambitious. She used to be motivated .

“That was unfair. She’s still those things, but they’re aimed elsewhere now.”

“They’re aimed towards Alex.”

“Exactly.” He released a heavy breath, chuckling as he rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding her gaze. “God, who saw this coming?”

“What do you mean?”

“I thought I was too angry to feel sad anymore,” he admitted. “I thought the fact I could see a future beyond Sophie meant I was over it.”

“Marcus, it’s barely been two months since you found out. It’s okay to still grieve your relationship. I do. All the damn time.”

“Yeah? You still love Alex?”

“Of course I do. I just hate him, too.” She discarded her burned-out cigarette in the ashtray, shifting closer to him. “And yeah, I see a future beyond Alex. But right now, while I’m still in the trenches, that future feels unattainable. Right now, I am a knotted ball of anger, hate, and heartache.”

“But you think it will get better?”

“I know it will get better. It already is because I have you and your warmth.” She reached for his hand, curling her fingers around his.

“We’re partners in crime, you and I. Two broken souls coming together to help each other heal.”

“By fucking over those who wronged us.”

“Exactly,” Erica said, grinning at him. He tightened his grip on her hand.

“Erica, I—”

“Marcus, why the fuck do you never answer your phone? My card got rejected right in the middle of fucking Harrods and you never—”

Sophie burst through the door, the key still in her hand, brandishing it in Marcus’ direction, as though she imagined ramming it in various places.

It was only as she looked up and saw them, still hand in hand, that she shut up.

“Sophie,” Erica said, a smirk spreading across her lips. Oh, this timing could not have been better. “Nice to see you. Shopping went well then, yeah? ”

Alex cheating on her and causing so much misery was almost worth it, just to see the stupid look on Sophie’s face.

Almost.

But Erica wasn’t above poking the bear. Not when the bear was a conniving bitch who deserved everything coming for her.