Page 96 of Saving Ren

She actually looks sad as she talks and a niggly little thought worms its way into my head, and I can’tnotsay something.

“Thanks, Julie. Listen, I have a new mobile. Would you like to take my number, you know, just in case you might ever want to catch up for a coffee?”

I watch as she swallows, and I wonder for a moment if she’s going to cry.

“You know what, yeah, I will take your number. Thanks, Lauren.”

“No worries,” I tell her before reeling off my number as she taps it into her phone.

“Goes without saying, I’d rather you didn’t share that with anyone else at this stage.”

Julie pulls her phone in and holds it against her chest.

“Of course. It’s safe with me, I promise, I won’t even mention to. . . anyone, that I’ve seen you.”

“Thanks, that’d really be appreciated.”

We say our goodbyes and Gabe and I stand silently as we watch Julie head straight for the doors and leave the store.

“Well, that took a one-eighty,” Gabe says just loud enough for me to hear.

“Graham, her husband is a dick, and I’ll be totally honest, she’s a gossip, has an opinion on everything and everyone, and I can’t stand her, but. . .”

“He’s putting his hands on her.”

“You get that vibe too?” I ask him.

“Fucking oath I did. I thought she was gonna throw up when you told her what happened to you.”

Throwing his arm over my shoulder, he pulls me against him.

“She’s probably the way she is because she’s so unhappy with her own life. That was a really nice thing you just did, reaching out to her like that,” he says into the top of my head.

“Don’t, coz I’ll cry,” I say into his chest. “I had no one I was comfortable telling. If he is doing that shit toher, I don’t want her to feel as alone with it asIdid.”

“Yeah, I get that. I’ve been there, Lauren, believe me, I’ve fucking been there.”

I look up at him, frowning in confusion. “You’ve been there? Someone was hitting you?”

His eyes aren’t on me, they’re staring out across the store.

“Not hitting, but I had some other shit going on and didn’t know who I could turn to and ask for help.”

Without even knowing what it was, my heart hurts for him.

“Gabe?” I reach up and touch my hand to the side of his face, and he lets out a deep sigh.

“Fuck me.” His lips and warm breath brush against my ear. “This isn’t the place, but we’ll talk about it soon, just not right now. Let’s get this lot paid for, we can come out again one night in the week for anything we’ve forgotten, but we need to go get paint now, then I need to get you home and get inside you.”

So, we do exactly that.

* * *

It’s been almosta week since our shopping trip. My clothes are in Gabe’s wardrobe, my GHD’s on his bathroom bench, photos of my boys sit on the bedside table, and my arse is in his bed every night.

It’s all the little things that have helped make this week better. Having my perfume so I smell like me, seeing my things around the place, so it starts to feel more like home. All of this has helped me adjust and feel more settled. I’ve also been busy, giving me no time to overthink.

I’ve spent the week painting a feature wall in Ava’s bedroom, washing and drying the new bedding we bought for her and hanging the prints on the wall.