‘What do we do now?’
‘I’m not sure.’
‘Well I guess this explains the whole thing between you and Tom.’
He hitched one shoulder. ‘I couldn’t stand the thought of him trying to get close to you, Sophia. He doesn’t love you like I do. If he had, he wouldn’t have left you when you were pregnant with his child. I don’t care what excuses he wants to give you. But when I heard him saying what he said, I flipped. I couldn’t control it. I’m ashamed of it, but I couldn’t stop myself. This fury just began to build inside me. I made an idiot of myself in front of a lot of people, but I can’t change it now. I am sorry.’
Sophia closed her eyes. She was not too proud to admit that she had fantasised about this very moment a million times or more. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought it would happen.
For a few moments, they were both silent.
‘Come on.’ Michael finished the remainder of his drink, slammed his cup down and stood up. He held his hand out towards Sophia, who took it in confusion.
‘What are you doing?’ she asked, as he tugged her towards the door. ‘Where are we going?’
‘Back to mine.’
‘What?’ she laughed, trying her best to keep up with him.
‘We’re going back to mine.’ He stopped in the street and spun to face her. ‘Do you have any idea of how badly I’ve wanted you, and for how long? It has been driving me fucking crazy, Sophia. It has taken every single ounce of willpower for me not to try to kiss you or touch you when we’ve been alone. And now I just…’ He paused, as if realising he’d acted like a madman, and frowned. ‘I mean, only if you want to. I didn’t mean to sound forceful.’ He shook his head at himself.
Sophia stepped closer to him. ‘I want to,’ she murmured. ‘Just as much as you, maybe even more.’
A slow smile began to spread across Michael’s mouth. ‘That’s impossible.’
And together, they ran all the way back to Michael’s home where, once tucked away inside, they stumbled against the walls as they undressed each other with a haste that took Sophia’s breath away. She made a mental note to let Simon know that a second date was off the cards. He’d been nice, sure, but he wasn’t Michael.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Magda had returned. The same oppressive atmosphere remained in the house. Greg had greeted her at the door and offered to take her suitcase, but she’d declined and carried it inside herself. There would be no pushovers here. Not anymore.
Afterwards, she’d unpacked and taken a long, hot bath in preparation for what was to come. Because something was coming. She could feel it.
Now she was downstairs at the dining room table, forcing herself to eat the meal she had prepared for them both. Greg kept stealing glances at her. She could feel them, piercing through her skin. When she could take it no more, she decided to bring up the topic of ‘the talk’, which had been playing on her mind all day.
‘In your email,’ she began, sounding businesslike even to her own ears, ‘you said we needed to talk. So, shall we?’ She placed her cutlery down and looked him dead in the eye. She was trying to pretend this wasn’t a big deal, but she knew it was. Greg looked back at her.
‘Yes.’ He sat up straighter in his chair. ‘I haven’t been entirely honest with you, Magda.’
‘I know you haven’t,’ she said coldly. ‘I’m not stupid, Greg. I know all about what you’ve been up to. I found out months ago. How could you?’
‘I don’t know what happened, Magda. But I’m sorry, and I really hope you can forgive me. You see, that’s what I wanted to talk about. I’ve noticed that we’ve grown apart over the years and sometimes it felt like staying in this marriage was pointless if there’s no love between us.’
Magda nodded for him to continue, although inside she was raging. How dare he try to take the high horse with her.
‘I want us to try again, Magda. I want us to start again, forget all of the mistakes and begin afresh. I do love you. I was just a foolish man and made one or two mistakes. But we’re all human, aren’t we? That’s what humans do. They’re stupid at times.’
Magda gasped. ‘Are you kidding me? You want me to forget all of that, so we can start afresh? Basically what you’re saying is that you want me to forgive everything you’ve been doing, so that you can continue living life completely guilt-free?’
‘No, I’m not saying that. I’m saying that I don’t want to give up on our marriage.’
‘But you already have given up on our marriage, Greg. You gave up on our marriage years ago. Are you blind to how we’ve been? We don’t even talk any more. We don’t even sleep in the same bloody bed. And it’s been that way for as long as I can remember. I no longer even remember what we were like when the relationship first began. It’s like it’s a distant memory too far away to reach. I’ve spent so much time alone, feeling cornered and claustrophobic, bending to your every need, to your parents’ every need. But what about me? What have I got out of this? I’m not happy. I hate this house. I think I even hate you.’
Greg’s eyes widened. ‘But Magda, I’m your husband. You can’t hate me. I love you. Don’t you see that? That’s why I want so badly to make things right.’
‘It’s too late, Greg. This is so wrong that it can’t possibly be made right, and you and I both know it. I’ve realised some things since I’ve been away, and one of them is that I don’t love you. I can’t stay here and carry on like this. There’s so much more to life and, while I remain cooped up in this house, I’m missing all of it. I had so many dreams and ideas lined up when I met you. I wanted us to make them happen together, but instead, they just got trampled on and left to fester in the corner, while you were able to flounce about doing whatever the hell you wanted to do. That is not marriage, Greg. That is pure selfishness.’
‘Are you splitting up with me?’ he spat, clearly aghast at the idea. ‘You can’t. We’re married.’
‘No, I’m not splitting up with you,’ she said simply.
Greg looked relieved until she said her next words.
‘I’m getting a divorce.’
‘What?’ he shrieked.
‘Why are you so surprised, Greg? Are you genuinely this stupid or are you having me on? Did you not see this coming? Did you really think that, after everything, I’d be tempted to stay?’ She couldn’t believe him. ‘Right now, being happy is my main priority, and neither you, nor this place, makes me happy. I’m not sure you ever did.’
Rather than looking crushed, Greg looked enraged. ‘How dare you. After everything I’ve done for you?’
‘What?’ she yelled back. ‘What have you ever done for me? Besides having me wait on you hand and foot like some sort of servant. That’s not what a wife is for, Greg. I’m here to be loved, and to love you back, which I did, for a while. I’m not here to take care of your house for you, or keep your parents happy. I’m a woman with my own plans and dreams and neither of those consists of you any more. You can sit there and play the victim as much as you like, but I don’t believe the act for a second.’
‘This isn’t an act, Magda. You’re being unreasonable. I wanted to talk to you so that we could sort this out. Make another go of things.’
‘No. I don’t want to.’ She felt brave now. Concrete in what she was saying. ‘Life is too short to sit around and try to fix things that are beyond repair. And that’s what we are. There’s no going back from this. I mean it.’ She got up from her chair, leaving her meal almost untouched. ‘And do you know what? For the first time, I’ll leave the washing-up to you.’ Before she left the room, she turned back to him. ‘I should be honest about one more thing while I’m on a roll. I’ve slept with other men too. I regretted it instantly. It was an act of revenge that made me feel no better. I shouldn’t have sunk to your level, but I did, and I can’t change that now. But you should know anyway.’ And then, she left.
A couple of days later, days which had been filled w
ith a silent rage on Greg’s part, and a strange sort of cloud of disbelief on Magda’s, she drove away for the last time. She took very little with her, not wanting to waste any more time, and set off back in the direction she’d come from not long ago. As she drove away, she felt a sense of freedom washing over her that she had missed. It was the same feeling she’d loved all those years before. The feeling of suddenly having plenty of opportunities and the will and desire to chase after them.
A good couple of hours later, she was climbing out of the car and collecting her things from the boot. When she stepped up onto the porch, she noticed that her mother’s swinging bench had been repaired. It was a moment so full of wonderful surprise that she couldn’t hold back the tears. She abandoned her cases and walked tentatively towards it. She sat slowly upon the wood and allowed the bench to take the weight of her body. She swung herself backwards and forwards, gazing out at the street ahead as she pushed off with her feet.
‘Magda.’
Charlie’s voice took her by surprise and she turned to find him in the open doorway.
‘Hey, Dad.’
Charlie joined her on the bench and they swung together. They both faced forward.
‘Were you brave?’ he asked.
Magda nodded. ‘I was.’
‘Good. Your mum would be proud of you.’
‘I know.’
‘I’ll take your things inside for you.’
Charlie did exactly that and then, when he returned, asked her if she’d like a cup of tea.
‘I would,’ she replied. ‘In fact, I would love one.’
Charlie nodded before disappearing back inside the house.
After a few more minutes of silent swinging had passed, Magda pulled her phone out of her pocket and composed a quick text.
‘I’m back. Shall we meet? I think there’s more for us to talk about, isn’t there?’
Sophia’s reply came almost immediately. ‘Tell me when and where. I’m here for you. Always.’
Magda smiled as Charlie arrived with the hot tea. ‘Here you go, kid.’
Magda raised her cup and indicated for Charlie to do the same. ‘Shall we toast?’
‘What? With a cup of tea?’
She laughed. ‘Sure. Why not?’
‘Okay,’ he nodded. ‘Let’s toast.’ He lifted his cup and waited for Magda’s to join his.
‘To new beginnings,’ she announced with feeling, clinking her cup against her father’s.
‘I like the sound of that.’
‘Thank you for offering to let me come back here if I needed to.’ She sidled up a little closer to Charlie’s side. ‘No place has ever felt more like home to me, and home is always what I’ve been searching for.’
‘You know you’re always welcome here. You always have been. I would never have turned you away, not a chance. It’ll be nice to have another woman about the place anyway. I used to love that about your mum. No matter what, she always made this place feel like home, whether that was with the smell of her cooking or the way she hummed as she tidied or cleaned. I never once felt lonely, you know?’
Magda nodded. ‘So, when she went, it hit you like a freight train.’
‘Exactly. It knocked me for six. From the moment you were born, there was always somebody in the house besides me. You running around with your pigtails flying behind you.’ He chuckled softly at the memory. ‘What did he say? Greg?’
‘Not a lot. He seemed angry more than anything. I don’t think he could believe I meant what I was saying. He’s so used to having his way all the time, it must have come as a shock to him. He wanted to talk, to try and sort things out. Was I stupid for ignoring that request? For storming ahead with my speech anyway?’
‘If it feels right, then it’s right.’
‘It does feel right. I already feel lighter. I think he’s more concerned with what he’ll have to tell his parents more than anything. His mother thinks he’s this perfect man who never makes mistakes. I wish I could see her face when he tells her. Then again, he probably won’t. I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes out that everything is all my fault, that I’m the one who has caused the destruction. I told him the truth about me too. I know I’m not entirely innocent in it all, but I needed him to know that anyway. I couldn’t deal with keeping secrets. I’m sick to my back teeth of them.’
‘I don’t blame you. You made the right decision in getting it out there. It’s better that you told the truth, and set it free. You don’t have to keep it to yourself then, do you? Which always turns out to be painful. Do you know how long you’re going to stay for?’
‘No idea. Why? Are you trying to get rid of me already?’
‘Yep.’
Magda laughed. ‘I need to get the ball rolling with the divorce. I want that over and done with as quickly as possible. The sooner the better in my opinion. And then…’ She gazed off into the distance. ‘I don’t know what I’ll do next.’
‘Well, the world is your oyster, as they say.’
‘It is. I’m going to need to find myself a job. And then a place to live. I really appreciate you letting me stay here, but the truth is I can’t for ever, can I? Even apart from Greg, I’m going to need to discover my own independence again. I’ve missed that. Being in control of my life and everything that involves.’
‘I agree.’
‘And I’m happy to be closer to Sophia too. I’ve missed her so much over the years. She was my rock at one point.’
‘I bet she missed you too. Anyway, I better get back inside. There’s an antiques programme in a short while that I don’t want to miss.’
Magda smiled and watched Charlie rise from the bench and head back inside.
She was grateful for this time alone. She needed to set things straight in her mind and figure out what she was going to do next. It already felt strange, but in a good way, to have again created that gap between herself and Greg, but permanently this time. No matter how far away she went, it would never be far enough. He’d always be there, she knew that, and this was something he wouldn’t forget in a hurry. He was the type of man to hold grudges and seek revenge if he felt inclined to do so. Magda just hoped he’d be mature about the divorce and deal with it properly, like adults should.
She kicked at the ground to set the bench swinging again, and closed her eyes. This was her chance at a fresh start. A new beginning. A chance to right the mistakes she had made and live the life she wanted to. No more drama. No more loneliness. She should have realised sooner that she would always have this place to come to when she needed to retreat. It was her safe haven and she felt calmer and more content that she had in years.
As she continued to swing, she spotted a figure at the end of the street approaching quickly. She knew who it was immediately. She placed her foot on the ground to pause the swinging and waited, patiently, while Sophia got closer.
‘Your mum’s bench,’ she commented when she finally arrived on the porch. ‘He fixed it?’
Magda nodded, and Sophia sat down beside her.
‘I feel like it’s a sign somehow.’
‘What?’ laughed Magda. ‘The bench?’
‘Well, it’s fixed now,’ she said simply. ‘After all these years left broken, hanging lopsided, it’s fixed. It’s kind of like you.’
Magda thought about it. ‘Yeah,’ she said. ‘Yeah, I suppose it is, isn’t it?’
If you loved Right Here Waiting for You, then turn the page for an exclusive extract from:
A HOME IN SUNSET BAY
Chapter One
Above the familiar stretch of golden sand in Sunset Bay, the sky was a brilliant blue, and within this blue the resident seagulls swooped and dived like miniature stunt-planes as they called to each other in morning merriment. The sky was their playground and they took advantage of it, gliding together with their wings spread wide, slicing with precision through the air. On the horizon where the sea met the sky, Mia could see a smattering
of white blobs, sailboats she realised, which looked as if an artist had smudged them into the distance with his fingertip. This early in the morning, and with it only being mid-June so not yet in the busiest throes of summer, she had the entire beach to herself and it was the most wonderful feeling in the world.
She maintained a steady pace as the sea rushed up to kiss the soles of her trainers and remained focused on the point up ahead near the craggy rocks where she’d stop, turn, and head back in the direction she’d come from. This had become a habit since she’d relocated to the seaside town, but she felt as if she’d been doing it all of her life.
It was invigorating, jogging alongside the sea as it frothed and rolled and sprayed, and when she was alone like this, she felt like the beach belonged to her. She loved the feel of the sea breeze buffeting her cheeks, and found the song of the circling seagulls strangely comforting. Nothing could beat beginning the day in this way, which was why she didn’t mind waking up that little bit earlier to ensure she had time to do so.
When she’d moved to Sunset Bay, she remembered thinking to herself during that first morning on the beach, ‘I could get used to this,’ and get used to it she had. The town thrummed through her veins and she thrived on the very essence of it. It was a delicious slice of seaside paradise which came with the added bonus of a busy seasonal fair on the pier, coupled with the sweet scent of doughnuts, the bustling Christmas market when December rolled around and, last but by no means least, Dolly’s Diner, which had been handed down to Mia by Grandma Dolly when she’d sadly passed away. Life had always been brighter and felt so much more exciting beside the sea, so Mia had shot down there like a whippet as soon as she’d been able to.
As much as she loved the town she lived in, there were times when she’d gaze out across the ocean and wonder what else was out there. She lapped up holiday tales from the locals eagerly, desperately trying to picture their descriptions in her mind. As they recalled their vibrant cocktails sipped at the poolside and the unbearable, sweltering heat they’d had to endure, she would imagine herself in the same scenarios and feel a deep yearning in her chest. There were days when the urge to leave and go exploring for a couple of months was so overwhelming that she’d fling open her wardrobe doors and greedily seek out her suitcase tucked away at the back, hidden in the shadows of her hanging clothes. Her fancy ideas of jetting away were replaced with the reality of her responsibilities soon after.
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