by Farrar, M K
“Are people not being friendly? I thought there were plenty of others from other countries studying with you?”
“There are.” Another sigh escaped his lips. “Maybe it’s just that the only person I want to be around right now is you.”
He tugged her towards him. She was aware of Ollie in his bedroom, reading on his bed, but she couldn’t help smiling. “Haiden...”
He pressed himself closer, the fronts of their bodies grazing. “What?”
She still didn’t pull away, but tilted her head to the side, gazing up at him from beneath her eyelashes. “You know what.”
Ollie stepped out of his bedroom, and they jumped apart.
Instantly, she spun towards her son. “Hey, sweetie. Everything all right?”
“I’m hungry,” Ollie complained. “When’s dinner?”
“Soon. I’m just finishing it up now.”
She exchanged a glance with Haiden, who threw her a wink. The tension that had been between them dissipated. He wasn’t angry with her or doubting their relationship. This was purely about his education.
They ate dinner together, and once they were sure Ollie was finally sound asleep, they curled up together on the sofa in the pretence of watching television but spent most of the evening making out like a couple of teenagers. Kristen constantly had one ear out for any sign of movement upstairs, but with Haiden this close, there was no way she could resist. She put out of her mind how intimidated she’d been when he’d been standing in the bedroom doorway, and the hard look to his eyes.
Haiden had become like a drug, and she was well and truly addicted.
KRISTEN WOKE WITH A start.
Realising the time, she exclaimed in annoyance. She’d stayed up too late with Haiden the previous evening and had slept in late.
She hated that frantic moment where she realised the morning was going to be a rush now to get Ollie to school on time. Ollie hated being rushed, too, and she knew there were going to be tears before she’d even managed to leave the house.
If only Haiden had knocked on her bedroom door before he’d left for classes that morning. He must have realised she’d overslept.
Perhaps he figured she needed some rest after all the physical exertion.
She pressed a smile between her lips at the memory.
Working on fast forward, she got Ollie out of bed and shoved some breakfast at him, half throwing on his clothes while he ate. Her breakfast could wait until she got back from the school drop off. She wondered if she might hear from Andrew about her suspension today.
They made it to school, scraping in on the bell, and Kristen kissed her son goodbye and hurried home again. She’d barely managed to brush her hair before she’d left the house and was dying for a cup of tea.
Her home phone was ringing as she walked in the door, so she rushed to pick it up. “Hello?”
“Is that Kristen?”
It was a female voice—one she recognised but couldn’t quite place. “Yes, it is. Who’s this?”
“Kristen, it’s Lisa. Stephen’s wife. New wife, I mean.”
Her stomach twisted. “Lisa? Is everything okay?”
Lisa never called. She’d spoken to her on the odd occasion where Kristen had called the house when Ollie was staying over there, but that was all. They’d never really had a proper conversation about anything other than Ollie and a couple of passing niceties.
“No, it’s not,” Lisa said. “I’m afraid Stephen—” Her voice suddenly sounded strangled, and alarm jumped inside Kristen.
“Stephen what? What’s happened?”
“He’s been hit by a car,” she sobbed. “He was out on his run this morning, and he didn’t come home when he was supposed to. I got worried, but then the police turned up and said he was in hospital. Someone found him on the side of the road and called an ambulance.”
“Oh my God. Is he going to be okay?”
“We don’t know yet. He’s suffered a head injury and it looks like some broken bones as well.”
“Jesus. Do they know who hit him?”
“No, the bastard just left him there for dead.”
Her world spun, and she lowered her head, trying to make sense of what Lisa had told her. Stephen had been involved in a hit and run. While she had no love for him anymore, she’d never have wanted him to be hurt. Her heart tightened as she realised she’d have to tell Ollie his daddy was in hospital.
“What can I do to help?” she finally managed to say.
“Nothing, really. My mum is taking the kids, so I can be with him.”
“What about Ollie? Should I bring him in?”
“No, don’t. Stephen’s got tubes coming out of his nose and mouth, and he isn’t awake. It’s not a pretty sight, and I think it would only scare the children.”
“Yes, of course. Stupid of me.”
“Not at all. I’ve had a couple of hours to get my head around what’s happened. This is brand new to you. I wasn’t thinking straight at first. Thank God for my parents—they came over immediately.”
“You’re lucky to have them.” Crazily, she discovered herself to be jealous of a woman whose husband had just been involved in a hit and run. She shook the thought out of her head. “Please, will you let me know if there are any changes? And if you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask. I mean it, Lisa.”
“Thanks, Kristen. That’s kind of you.”
“It’s the least I can do.”
They said goodbye, with promises to keep in touch, and then Kristen sank down onto the sofa. She felt shaky and distanced from her surroundings, as though nothing was quite real.
Stephen was badly hurt. What would she do if he died?
She ran back over what had been said, making sure she hadn’t missed anything.
If Lisa had already had a couple of hours to let the news sink in, the accident must have happened early. Sometime between six and seven in the morning, she guessed. Christ, since when did Stephen start jogging? He never jogged when they were together.
She suddenly felt horribly alone.
Reaching for her mobile phone, she typed in a message.
Something has happened. I need you.
And then she sat back and tried to figure out how she was going to break the news of Stephen’s accident to their son.
Chapter Twenty-six
Kristen opened the door to her sister.
“Oh my God, Kristen,” Violet said, opening up her arms to scoop Kristen into them. “I came straight here. I’m so sorry about Stephen. Are you okay? Do they know what happened?”
Kristen sagged into Violet’s embrace and choked back a sob. Violet had responded as soon as she’d sent the message, and after Kristen had told her about Stephen, she’d dropped everything to come over.
“I’m so sorry about all those things I said the other day,” Violet continued. “I don’t know what got into me. You’re a great mum, and I know you’ll make the right choices for Ollie.”
She shook her head. “No, you were right. I was taking it too far. Ollie loves school. He’d be miserable if he had to stay home with me all day, and besides, it’s not teaching him how to deal with his problems if I’m just hiding him away from them. You were right to say I was taking a leaf out of Mum’s book of parenting.”
“So, we’re okay?” she asked with a cautious smile.
Kristen smiled back and put out her arms. “Of course.”
The two sisters hugged each other hard, then they went into the kitchen and sank down into chairs at the table.
“So, is Stephen going to be okay?” Violet asked cautiously.
“We don’t know much yet. He’s got a fractured skull, and broken arm and ribs. Looks like the top half off his body took most of the impact.”
“My God.” She placed her fingers to her lips. “Do they know who did it yet?”
“Nope. No clue. It was a quiet road, and he was out jogging. Someone hit him from behind and just took off. Luckily, someone else came along not lon
g after and called an ambulance.”
“I’ve never been a fan of Stephen’s, but I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. It must have been terrifying, lying there, hurt and not able to do anything about it.”
Kristen grimaced. “I know. Hopefully, he won’t remember much of that part, though.”
“What are you going to do about Ollie? Are you going to take him in to see his dad?”
Kristen pulled a saltshaker towards her, twisting it in her fingers as a distraction. “No, there’s no point in frightening him. And it’s not as though he’d have seen Stephen this week anyway, so he doesn’t know any different. I’d rather he goes to see him when Stephen is doing better. If there’s machines and tubes and stuff, I don’t think Ollie would handle it too well.”
She nodded. “I understand. You’re making the right choice.”
“I hope so.”
Kristen let out a sigh and put her head in her hands. She was so tired—tired of everything. Tired of fighting all the time. She felt as though she’d been doing it her whole life and right now, she’d had enough. She wanted to walk away and start again, but she couldn’t do that. She had Ollie to think of, and so, even though she was exhausted, and nothing ever seemed to be good enough, she’d wake up tomorrow and start fighting all over again.
Violet’s wrapped her fingers around Kristen’s arm and gave her a squeeze. “Hey, you’re doing a great job, and everything will be all right.”
She lifted her gaze to her sister. “If you keep saying that, will it make it true?”
“You bet.”
The two sisters smiled at each other.
Kristen heard the click of the front door opening and turned at the sound. The kitchen door pushed open, and Haiden appeared around the corner. He spotted the two women and their serious expressions and frowned.
“Kristen, what’s wrong? Is it Ollie?”
She stood to greet him. “No. It’s Stephen. He’s been involved in a hit and run. He’s badly hurt.” Her voice broke on the last sentence and Haiden’s look of concerned deepened.
“Oh, shit.” He pulled her into his arms, his hands in her hair, her face pressed to his chest. The heat of his breath warmed the top of her head.
Aware that Violet was still sitting at the table, she pulled away and glanced over at her sister. She caught the knowing look Violet gave her. Well, that was one cat out of the bag. Not that it mattered now, she guessed. There were bigger things to worry about.
Chapter Twenty-seven
The next few days passed in a blur.
She broke the news to Ollie after he’d finished school that same day.
Ollie had looked up at her, his eyes wide with worry and confusion. “So, Daddy and Felix both had a bad accident?”
Her heart sank. Of course, she hadn’t even thought about Felix. Did that make her a horrible person? Now, poor Ollie had two people in his life who’d been badly hurt. Things like people getting seriously hurt, or even killed, were theoretical to five-year-olds. Sometimes they didn’t even really understand what it all meant until it happened to someone close, and even then, they had trouble comprehending what it meant for the future.
“Yes, but they’re completely different accidents. It’s just bad luck, that’s all.”
“Is Daddy going to be all right?”
“He’s got the best doctors looking after him right now, so you don’t have to worry at all, okay?”
She hadn’t really answered his question, but she didn’t want to directly lie to him. She couldn’t say for sure that Stephen was going to be all right, but it wasn’t as though she was going to tell Ollie that. She bit back tears at the possibility of having to tell Ollie his father had died. The idea of being the cause of such pain for her son was unbearable. She prayed it wouldn’t come to that.
Luckily, Stephen had taken Ollie the previous weekend, so Ollie wasn’t expecting to go to his dad’s again. Due to Stephen’s erratic schedule, Ollie didn’t really know any different when it came to his father not being around. Of course, Ollie had asked to see his dad, but she’d told him that his dad was busy with the doctors. It broke her heart that Ollie had heard about his dad being too busy to see him so often that the boy simply accepted the excuse.
Later that day, the police found the car they suspected to be used in the hit and run. The owner of the car had reported it stolen around seven in the morning. It was after the hit and run had occurred, but the police believed it was simply because the owners hadn’t been awake to notice the car missing, and there was no reason to think they were involved in any way. They still had no idea who’d been driving the car. It appeared to have been wiped clean of prints after it had been dumped.
Stephen woke up after three days, but he was far from out of the woods. He’d suffered some swelling on his brain that affected his speech, and the pain medication they’d given him for his injuries didn’t help. Kristen went in to see him while Ollie was at school and was shocked at how bad he’d looked. She’d barely recognised him—covered in tubes and bandages—and he hadn’t seemed to know who she was either. His speech had been slurred, and he’d barely looked at her.
Lisa was by his side the whole time. “He doesn’t remember what happened,” she told Kristen. “It might come back to him, but it might not. The doctors say it’s pretty common to block it out.”
“But they think he’s going to be all right?”
“Yes, he’s out of the woods now. It’s going to take some time, but we’re over the worst of it.”
She reached out and took Lisa’s hand. “He’s lucky to have you,” she said, genuinely meaning it. Lisa seemed calm and together, and totally devoted to Stephen. She wasn’t sure Stephen deserved to have someone like Lisa, but perhaps this accident would make him realise how blessed he was to have such an amazing woman who clearly loved him.
That afternoon, she went home and cried all over again. Cried in relief that Stephen was going to be okay, cried with relief that Ollie wasn’t going to lose his father, and cried at the prospect of the uncertainty of her near future while Stephen was recovering. She hadn’t wanted to mention anything to Lisa—aware the other woman had more than enough on her plate—but she wondered if she’d still be receiving maintenance payments. Plus, she could hardly expect either Stephen or Lisa to take Ollie for any time until Stephen was better. She was most definitely doing this on her own for the foreseeable future.
Both Violet and Haiden had been brilliant since the accident. Violet was helping out with Ollie, since she was between yet another temp job and didn’t have anywhere else to be. Haiden had been caring and supportive, but neither of them could take away the emotional burden she carried.
After she got back from the hospital, she put her head in her hands and let out a sigh.
Haiden regarded her. He’d been coming home earlier and earlier from the university, and she had the feeling he wasn’t even going to classes anymore, but she didn’t have it in her to deal with his issues with his course as well.
“I think you need a break,” he said. “This has all been too much for you.”
She sniffed. “I can’t afford a break.”
He sat back, twisting his lips as he thought. “You know, one of the other students I’m doing my masters with is even older than me.”
“And?” The weariness in her voice was clear. She didn’t want to listen to any problems he might be having in his course.
He held up a hand. “Let me finish. He’s got a family holiday cottage up on the moors. He’s often talked about how they rent it out. Let me see if he’ll rent it out to me, and we’ll take the weekend up there. Away from this place, and all the people, and the school. Just the two of us.”
She couldn’t imagine that—not having to think about anyone else for an entire weekend. Just the idea made the weight lift from her shoulders.
“I think I’d really like that. It would be good for me.” She realised what he’d said about it just being the two of them. “What about Ollie?
”
“Won’t your sister have him? It’ll only be for one night.”
She nodded. “I’ll ask.”
Things had been better between her and Violet since Stephen’s accident. It would only be one night, wouldn’t it? She felt bad at leaving Ollie, but he hadn’t been badly affected by his father’s accident. Things might be different if Stephen was a full-time father, but since Ollie hadn’t seen the extent of his injuries yet, the boy was getting on with things as usual.
When Violet popped around to see how she was doing, she broached the subject. Violet was fully aware that Kristen and Haiden’s relationship was more than just host and student by now, but she’d known better than to comment on it.
“Haiden wants us to have a night away. Apparently one of his fellow mature students has a little cottage up on the moors. He thinks it’ll do me good to get away.”
Violet nodded. “I agree. It will. I’ll take Ollie for the night. He can stay with me, or I’ll come and stay here—whichever you prefer. I’ll be happy to spend some time with him.”
Kristen pulled a face, her insides twisting. “How can I just leave him when his dad’s been in an accident?”
“You said yourself that he’s completely unaware how bad the accident was. Ollie’s fine.”
“I know, but ...” She trailed off.
“Well, then. Decision made.”
The idea of getting away from this place did appeal. Too much had been happening, and it would be wonderful being somewhere different with Haiden—somewhere she didn’t have to worry about someone seeing them together. She was completely drained by the events of the last few weeks, and she needed some time to recharge. She’d be able to come back refreshed and be a better mum for Ollie.
“Thanks, Violet. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Chapter Twenty-eight
Haiden slammed down the boot of the car. “Ready?”