For some strange reason Grant appeared in Anna’s mind. She remembered his hurtful words. She recalled what Justin had tried to tell her, and then unconsciously her mind drifted to the car accident which had almost ended her life prematurely. Maybe this was it. How it was supposed to be. Had Grant been right when he told her that James deserved better? Or had Justin been right suggesting James didn’t want anything more than Anna could give him? She was more confused than ever before.
“Anna, what the hell happened? What did that idiot son of mine do this time?” Michael asked firmly. The directness of his words made Anna do a double take. Michael couldn’t help but grin with satisfaction when he saw a smile creep out from underneath Anna’s tears.
“Nothing. He didn’t do anything wrong. I think I did,” Anna sobbed, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand and sniffing loudly.
“I don’t understand,” Michael admitted, raising a quizzical eyebrow.
“Nobody knew it, but when James and I got together we agreed that we wouldn’t sleep together until we were married. It wasn’t a big deal. It was something that I believed in and James just accepted it. No questions asked. He never once pushed. Our entire relationship he’s been nothing but a perfect gentleman. You raised a great guy, Michael, you really did.” Anna forced a sad smile. “But last night we got carried away, and now, I feel like he blames me. Nothing happened, but James won’t even look at me. I can’t help but think that this is his way of ending things.” Anna collapsed into Michael’s arms. She was more exhausted than she realised. Her whole body shook violently with sobs and without Michael’s support she would have slumped to the floor in a puddle.
The shock etched on Michael’s face was evident. James and Anna had waited. They were so in love and so comfortable in other other’s arms that that to anyone looking they were one hundred percent together. “Anna, Princess. Come on, sweetheart. You know James better than that. And you know he wouldn’t do that to you. He loves you too much to ever hurt you. Deep down you know that.”
“I know he loves me. I do. I’m just not sure that he loves me enough anymore.” Anna’s smile almost broke Michael’s heart. Pulling her back from him, Michael planted his hands on her shoulders, waiting ’til he was sure she was stable enough on her feet to let her go. “Thank you, Michael. For everything.” Michael just nodded and vanished out the door.
***
James
Diana sat in the centre of her bed, trying to calm down her son, who was pacing around the room like a caged lion. When Anna had taken so long to get back to the hotel, James had been frantic with worry and rushed across town. “James, she’s fine. She just went for a walk. Why don’t you talk to her instead of snapping at me?” Diana suggested honestly.
James answered his mother coldly. “No!” with a simple, “I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night,” he stormed out.
Michael walked in and plastered his face with a fake smile. “Children are all fun and games, aren’t they?” he chuckled, flopping onto the bed next to his wife.
“What the hell is going on between those two? Three hours ago they couldn’t keep their eyes or hands off one another. Now one is crying her eyes out and the other is being a complete Neanderthal. What the hell happened?” Diana asked, laying her head down next to Michael’s.
“Actually,” Michael said, “I think it’s what’s not happening that’s hurting them.” Diana shot her husband a puzzled look. “It seems they have some old fashioned ideas.”
“What?”
“Anna believes in no sex before marriage.”
“What?” Diana gasped, shocked. She was there and helped to pick out the lingerie that James had bought her months ago. “That doesn’t sound right.”
“I swear! It’s the truth. Anna just told me. Last night everything that they knew and believed in almost came crashing down. And it seems like neither of them know how to deal with it. She’s scared he may want more. And I’m not quite sure what his problem is. But they need to sort this out now otherwise he won’t be focused on swimming tomorrow,” Michael stated bluntly. “They’re both just so damn stubborn.”
“I don’t think he’ll be able to put it behind him. He’s a complete mess at the moment,” Diana admitted, grabbing the phone. She put a call straight through to Joel, who she knew would still be awake.
Joel was pacing back and forth around his hotel suite. “I hate bloody waiting,” He muttered to himself. “Just get the damn thing over and done with. Celebrate me or crucify me, just get it over with.” Slumping forward, Joel poured himself a stiff brandy and watched as the snow fell to the ground. The phone rang and Joel nearly jumped through the roof.
“Hello?” Joel slurred after his standard two glasses of nerve calming bourbon.
“Joel? Is that you?” Diana questioned. She had known Joel since he first became James’s coach, many years ago. Now the two families were attached not only through swimming but they had become the very best of friends.
“Diana. What can I do for you?” Joel looked at his watch; it was much later than he had thought.
“Just wanted to give you the heads up that James and Anna have had a huge fight. It has threatened to end everything. We need your help to fix this before he swims tomorrow morning.” Diana had already formulated a plan, now she just needed Joel’s assistance to pull it off.
“Say no more. What do you need me to do?”
Diana explained the plan step by step before getting Joel’s word that he would make sure James was where he needed to be, when he needed to be. Diana thanked Joel for his help and hung up.
***
Anna
Anna had already begun packing. She’d already placed calls to the airline and taken the only available seat tomorrow afternoon on a flight to London. She’d then stay overnight in London before boarding a direct flight back to Sydney. Although she was almost blinded by tears, she was determined. If James didn’t want her here, then she wouldn’t be. As efficiently as possible she stuffed clothes back into her suitcase, collected her bathroom belongings, leaving out only what she would need in the morning. After running around madly for nearly an hour, an exhausted Anna fell into bed, wrapping her body around the pillow.
***
James
James couldn’t sleep that night either. His guilt was all consuming. James knew he had to be in the pool by six but at four in the morning he was still staring aimlessly at the ceiling. He couldn’t figure out why he had run out on Anna. She was trying to do something special for him, she looked absolutely edible, and he had left her walking the streets of Manchester in the snow. Alone.
James was furious with himself for not talking to Anna when he was at Chesterfield Castle. What had she been thinking to go walking the streets alone? Why hadn’t she gone straight back to the hotel? Why hadn’t he taken her back? He was the one who was supposed to keep her safe and instead he’d left her alone in the middle of a deserted park in the middle of the night. But the one question that threatened to burn a hole right through him was what would happen next? Nobody knew the answer. And sadly nobody could help him figure it out. That was something that he and Anna would have to face on their own.
***
Anna
Anna rose early that morning, determined to cram as much as she could into the little time she had left. She showered quickly and emerged wearing a pair of faded jeans and a baggy cream turtleneck jumper. Her hair was gathered under a black beret, which allowed a mass of long brown curls to flow down her back. It was a relatively simple outfit, but when combined with a discreet amount of natural coloured makeup she looked understated but classy. Her first stop would be to the brook at the bottom of the gardens. In the few short hours Anna had been in England it had already wormed its way into her broken heart.
It was still dark outside as she slipped quietly down the stairs and out the front door. The gardens were still coated by a dusting of fine white snow. A heavy fog lingered in the air, making everything feel
sad and haunted. At the bottom of the garden Anna sat down on a cold, snow covered rock and watched with fascination as the water trickled down, passing over the mossy rocks. There was no sign of life. The birds had left the trees and the huge green frog was long gone. A deathly silence hung heavily in the air. After half an hour or so, when the damp had seeped through her jeans Anna left paradise and headed back towards the castle.
***
James
James was in the pool early. He dived in and started lapping at five that morning. He was confident that he could win his races but it was the sitting in his room, not doing anything that was driving him crazy. Sitting alone in silence, revisiting that stupid fight with Anna, James had to do something physical to distract himself. Now as he lapped up and down, he realised it wasn’t working. Anna invaded his thoughts no matter where he went or what he was doing.
Ian wandered down a little after six. With a combination of awe and envy in his eyes, Ian watched as James pushed harder and faster than ever. With a little over five hours before he went head to head with the world’s best, he looked like he was doing his best to tire himself out now. As James approached the end of the lane, Ian tapped him on the shoulder. “Mate, what are you doing? Take it easy. The races aren’t until later.” Ian laughed, trying to make James smile. It was obvious to anyone that something was wrong. Really wrong.
“I’m good. I just thought I could do with the extra training.” James’s attempt to lie was a pathetic one and he knew it.
“Are you fucking serious? In all your races you are at least one second ahead of everyone and in one race you are five seconds clear. You don’t need the extra training. What you do need to do is apologise to that fiancée of yours before it’s too late.” Ian smirked cheekily.
“You know?” James asked. Ian just nodded and handed James a towel. James was already running across the pool deck when he turned and called out his thanks.
When he reached his hotel room, Joel was already sitting on his bed waiting. With a smile bigger than the cat that ate the canary, Joel couldn’t stifle a laugh as James ran straight past him and dived head first into the shower. Joel continued to chuckle as James broke yet another world record for the fastest man ever to shower and dress. When he emerged barely moments later he had only four hours before his races started, yet for some reason this didn’t seem important anymore. Nothing was as important as finding Anna. Within minutes he had jumped in a taxi and raced across town towards Anna.
James sprang from the car and took the stairs two at a time. He met his mother on the landing about halfway up. James nearly knocked her off her feet as he came rushing around the corner.
“James! What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be getting ready?” Diana asked, attempting to avert her son’s attention.
“Mum, where is she?” James pleaded.
“James, come sit down and I’ll order you a coffee,” Diana begged.
“Mum!” James shouted. “Which one is Anna’s room? Please,” he begged, dragging his hands through his hair.
“It was room twenty-six.”
“What the hell do you mean it ‘was’? Where is she? What the fuck is going on?” James boomed, his voice a mixture of rage and fear. He was running out of time and now his own mother was playing tricks on him.
“James, sweetheart. Anna left early this morning. She has checked out. Without a word, she’s gone. Your father has been out looking for her all morning but we have no idea even where to start.” Diana watched her son closely. His eyes filled with tears as the realisation set in. James’s heart broke as he sunk to his knees.
It took him a few minutes to pull himself together before he ran back down the stairs and out the door. James didn’t know where to start looking for her, but he knew that she would head for home. And James knew he had to stop her before she got that far. He caught a taxi back to the restaurant where they had dined last night. From there he planned to retrace the exact steps that she had led him down last night. Maybe she had gone there? But what if she wasn’t? Where else could she be? He reached the restaurant and there was no sign of her. James recognised the face of the waitress who had been flirting with him and with a fake smile he turned and walked inside. He begged her for help. She finally gave in and told him that Anna had walked past only half an hour ago. Finally, he had something he could work with. It mightn’t be much but right now he was clinging to straws and that would have to be enough.
Running down the street, across the snow-covered grass in the park, James’s runners crackled on the frozen grass. The air was crisp and clean, the breeze stinging James’s eyes as he willed himself to run faster and further. He searched for any sign of her. His lungs began to ache from the gasps of frigid air he was sucking in. He knew this was a less than ideal preparation for tonight’s final but Anna was too important to care about anything else. He stopped to catch his breath and slumped over, hands on his knees. It was then that he had found it. The sign that he had been praying for. It was the crucifix off Anna’s chain that hung around her neck. James picked up the tiny silver cross and looked around, his eyes searching. His heart told him that she couldn’t be too far away. With renewed energy, James began to run again.
***
Anna
Anna stood motionless outside a toy store, completely captivated by the window display. The gasp caught in Anna’s throat as she took it all in. Wooden train sets, porcelain dolls, the softest teddy bears, bats, and balls, and Barbies all lined the shelves in perfect harmony. Inside she saw a little girl hugging her father’s leg, begging for all the toys she could get her hands on. It reminded Anna of her own father. When Anna was little her dad would take her shopping and buy her toys and clothes and chocolates. Now even in her adult years she still remained as close as ever to her father. Anna had this hidden ability to get anything she wanted from him.
Anna shuffled down the pavement slowly. The soft, fluffy snowflakes were filling her hair while her eyes sparkled with all the hope and joy that she had just seen in that little girl’s eye. Maybe I’ll go home and spend some time with Mum and Dad, Anna thought miserably. She had nothing else to do. The only thing she had planned for when she returned was a wedding. A wedding that she now needed to cancel. Anna’s fingertips were beginning to freeze and she decided that a cup of coffee would warm her before she headed for the airport.
Anna strolled into a small, cosy café dragging her heavy suitcase along behind her. After ordering her coffee and a cinnamon scroll, she sat down in a booth looking out the window. The snow was falling harder now and had begun to pile up on the windowsill. The busy streets were filling with shoppers; the roads were becoming congested with the early morning traffic. Anna sat in silence, watching the people in the outside world continue with their busy lives without a care in the world.
“You all right, Miss?” a young man asked, refilling her cup.
“Sorry. I beg your pardon?” Anna had been brought back from wherever it was that her imagination had taken her.
“You sure that you’re okay?” He smiled at her. He was a handsome young man, even in his black shirt, matching pants and red apron that hung low on his hips. Anna guessed he would have been in his late thirties or early forties.
“Yes, thank you.” Anna forced a smile.
“Let me guess,” he said, as he slid into the other side of the booth. “You’ve just had your heartbroken or you’ve just broken someone’s heart.” His eyes glowed with truth and genuine concern.
“Something like that,” Anna spluttered. “I don’t think he’s even realised that I’m gone.” A single tear escaped and trickled over Anna’s cheek.
“I’m sure he does. My guess is he’s out there somewhere searching for you this very moment.” He smiled at her. “You’re Australian, aren’t you?”
“Yes. How did you guess?” Anna’s mood began to lighten.
“Your accent. I like it. I’m William. How do you do, Miss…”
“It’s very nice t
o meet you, William. I’m Anna. Anna White.” She smiled warmly, placing her hand in his. Anna was quickly flustered as he dropped a quick kiss on her knuckles instead of the expected hand shake. This man was old enough to be her father yet he was giving her butterflies in her stomach.
“So tell me, what’s Australia like?” he asked. For the next forty-five minutes they sat chatting like they were the oldest and dearest friends. He asked about the wildlife and the geography, history and food all while carefully avoiding anything personal. In turn, Anna asked him all about England and congratulated him on everything she had already experienced.
“So, Anna. You speak about Australia with such passion; it’s as if part of your country and culture in somehow embedded into who you are. So, tell me then why are you in England? You make Australia sound so incredible, I can’t understand why anyone would ever want to leave.” His honesty was a trait which Anna admired.
“I’m here with my fiancé. But me being here, turns out it was a mistake. So I’m on my way home.” Anna’s upbeat and cheery mood quickly dissipated, as she unconsciously started fidgeting with her engagement ring.
“Why is he in England? That is, if you don’t mind me asking.” This guy was good. He had cheered Anna up and was now trying to make her see sense. Running away was not the answer.
“He came to swim,” Anna answered flatly.
“Oh, a swimmer?” Anna just nodded. “Which one is he? I take it he swims for Australia?” William asked politely.
Perfection Is Just An Illusion (Swimming Upstream Series Book 1) Page 17