Page 35

Willow

I shut the kitchen door behind me, letting my head fall back. I shut my eyes and blew out a breath.

What the fuck was that?

Whilst making pancakes, I started to play Bon Jovi in the kitchen, Alexa and maybe got a little too into it, finding myself ploughing into a wall of Jack.

He’d fought my embarrassment, and I got lost in his eyes, his kindness and his hold on me. I got lost in his lips and I’m sure something pulled us together.

If it wasn’t for the interruption, I was sure we were heading for a kiss.

But surely not.

What would Jack, my sweet boss see in me – the girl who needed someone in the room just to sleep. Who had cried so hard on his shoulder she’d left snot bubbles in her wake.

Knocks on the door snapped me from the panic I was working myself into. I hurried to the door, keen to not keep the visitor waiting.

Pulling the large door open, I peered out to find two smartly dressed people with blank looks on their faces.

“Willow Thornton?” the man with auburn hair and sparse facial hair queried.

“Uh, yes that’s me. Can I help you?” I opened the door a little wider.

“My name is PC Lucy Vardy. This is PC Harrison Jacobs.” The lady gestured towards the colleague who had just spoken. “We’re here in relation to the police report from the 10th January this year. Can we come in?”

“But it’s a Saturday,” I panicked.

“Unfortunately, policing doesn’t have a day off. Can we?” PC Vardy pressed.

“Oh, sorry. Yes, please come in.” I opened the door further.

Where the dogs normally bounced around at visitors, they cautiously sniffed them both, as unnerved as I was. Jack looked up from the two plates of pancakes I’d made.

I introduced the visitors to Jack, stumbling over the label for our relationship, especially after what had sizzled between us moments before. Jack wiped his hands on a tea towel and shook each of their hands .

“Nice to meet you, Mr Lambert. Sorry to interrupt your Saturday morning.”

“No problem. Please, take a seat.” He gestured to the sofas behind them. They took one and we took the other, with Jack perching on the arm instead.

“So, we’re here to discuss the night of the 10th January this year and the attack that Cain Heller inflicted on you and the subsequent reports,” PC Jacobs began.

“Yep,” I answered, causing an awkward silence.

“I appreciate this is difficult for you, but with the Domestic Violence Protection Order against Mr Heller due to expire, we really need to have as much information about the offence and the more recent financial abuse.”

My head reeled. As if escaping the relationship itself wasn’t enough, I had to continuously trawl through the facts.

“Uh— yeah. Fine.” I rubbed my palm down my face in frustration.

“Before we go any further, please can I involve my solicitor?” Jack piped up. “He’ll be able to support Willow, it’s not a situation either of us are experienced with.”

“Of course.” PC Vardy smiled politely, while I stared in awe. Of course Jack had a solicitor. Where did you even find one? Jack dialled the number, while I busied myself making tea.

I had arrived at Jack’s house weak and scared. My weakness wasn’t a bad thing, it was inevitable, but I wasn’t that girl anymore. I was cracking out of the fragile shell I’d been in for so long.

I had friends. I had taken up self-defence classes. I had fixed my financial circumstances. I was no longer under Cain’s grasp. There’d been so many times he’d warned me of his wrath, but he’d pushed me too fucking far and now it was time for Cain to feel my wrath.

Two hours later, the teapot was rung dry, and Jack’s phone was connected to a portable charger with his solicitor still on the call.

The police officers shut their notepads ready to leave.

I spent the first hour of everyone’s time detailing everything about that night and giving a history of our relationship.

Yusuf, Jack’s solicitor, explained to me that it was unlikely to hold up in court, unless there was evidence or witnesses to back me up.

For the most part, there was none. It happened behind closed doors.

Cain was so sly, so careful not to raise alarms.

Elle and Silas had their suspicions, but nothing concrete.

And of course, Jack and Mike could confirm the events of that day.

The police had photographs of my injuries from my stay in hospital, which I naively hoped would never see the light of day.

If they acted as evidence to convict Cain Heller, I could swallow my pride.

None of it felt enough. It was my word against his.

Cain was currently on bail with strict instructions not to make contact or to locate me. During my hospitalisation, the Domestic Violence Protection Order was put in place, offering time to breathe. But that was due to end soon, a fact which I’d shoved to the back of my mind until now.

Given this was his first reported offence, there wasn’t much hope for any sentence. He was due to attend the Magistrate’s Court in a few days. I didn’t have to be there, my statement was enough.

Lost in my head, I loaded the used mugs into the dishwasher as Jack let the visitors out of the house. I looked around the kitchen, the fluffy American pancakes plated in the middle of the island, just as my stomach started to growl.

I grabbed the salted caramel sauce, cream, and white chocolate chips from the cupboard, humming to myself as I moved to combine the ingredients.

I loaded my plate with as many pancakes as I wanted because I could. I drizzled the caramelly-chocolatey-cream between each pancake layer, before pouring more on top. I made a full fat coffee, because I fucking could.

I inhaled my pancakes, groaning at the salty cream that coated my mouth. Fork to my mouth, I peered up to find Jack staring wide eyed in the doorway to the kitchen. We stayed like that, eyeing each other, waiting for the other to speak. I cleared my throat first.

“What’s up?”

He finally moved until he was standing gingerly across from me, hands grazing the marble countertop. “How are you feeling? After that I mean.” He popped a thumb over his shoulder awkwardly.

I smiled at his thoughtfulness. “Mhm. Am grape,” I replied with my mouth full. “Bees pamcakes are bamgin.” I swallowed. “Want some?”

Jack continued to eye me like I was mad as I experienced the best foodgasm I’d ever had, until a little groan of appreciation fell out of my mouth.

My eyes widened, realising what I’d just done, in front of my boss/roommate who I’d nearly kissed this morning, to find him staring with wider eyes.

I was sure his jaw popped with clenched teeth.

“I’m okay. I promise. You don’t need to look at me like I’m about to break.” My voice softened as I placed my fork down on the plate, preparing for this conversation.

“Are you sure? I’d completely understand if you weren’t.

It was intense, and if the reminder of everything you’ve gone through would be enough to send you in a spiral, I’d get it.

” I hopped off my stool and moved around so that I could stand by him as he rambled, “And I just want you to know that if you do need to spiral, I’ll be here. ”

I placed my hand on his arm, the bare skin under his sleeve warm. He jolted and looked down at our connection, before up at my eyes.

“Jack, I’m okay,” I spoke slowly. “This week everything has shifted. I feel stronger than I have in years and I know it won’t last, but for now, I’m okay.

I’m especially okay with filling myself with pancakes, because I haven’t done that in seven years and it feels good.

Do you want some pancakes with caramel and white chocolate cream? ”

He blinked repeatedly and I wasn’t sure if I’d broken him.

“That sounds disgustingly great.”

I darted to the plate of remaining pancakes and started to make him a stack, pouring cream until it looked like a melted snowman.

“By the way, you have white chocolate on your forehead.”

I glared at him over my shoulder. Taking a seat at the island with his phone and a fresh glass of orange juice, his shoulders shook as he laughed to himself.