Closer to the Heart (The Heart Trilogy Book 3)

by Unknown

  "So when will you be back"

  "I'll check the flights tomorrow, but I want to see Mum settled in the home and that might take a week or two"

  "So you might be back for Charlotte's premier"

  "You bet I will, even if I have to come straight from the airport to the theatre"

  "She'll be overjoyed"

  "I know and James, I can't wait to see you"

  I left Charlotte a text message and her reply woke me in the middle of the night, a smiley face adorned the words "Can't wait"

  The hospital called the next morning and arranged the date for Mum's move, so that we had time to choose some things for her to take from home. I booked a flight and managed to secure one for the day before the premier before I walked down for what would be one of my last few sailing lessons. I was the first aboard and as I waited for Seb to arrive I stroked the smooth surface of the yacht that would one day belong to me. I was still day-dreaming about the perfect sailing trip with James beside me, looking for a sheltered cove so that we could undress and make love on the sandy shore.

  "Hey Steph, you're looking better today"

  I blushed as my memory faded and I turned to Seb.

  "Yes, things are moving in the right direction and it looks like I might be on my way home soon"

  His face fell slightly but he hugged me and then we set sail together. The sea was calm and still so we struggled to catch the wind at times and just coasted along. I told him about my trip out with Dad in the storm and watched as his face paled, a memory flickered there.

  "Dangerous thing storms, you can never guess their next move" he mumbled, as he tied off a few knots.

  "I know, I was clinging on and praying but Dad was in control. I guess I have a lot still to learn"

  "Not really, just one lesson I'm going to tell you today"

  "What's that?"

  "We'll stop half way and I'll share it with you" he smiled, sadly.

  We went in the opposite direction and as I steered I admired the more rugged coastline, sharp cliff faces dived into the deeper sea. But then we rounded a point off the mainland and I gasped.

  "Wow, a beautiful hidden beach, you should have bought me here yesterday"

  "It’s a special place for me" he whispered, standing close as I slowed. He gathered in the sail and I dropped the anchor. The warm sun beat down and I stripped down to my bikini.

  "Sorry I can't resist"

  I left him stunned on the deck as I dived into the deep azure ocean beneath us. Surfacing I lay on my back and gazed up at Stephanie's Star bobbing around on the swell.

  "Come on Seb, it’s exhilarating"

  He stripped off his shirt and tightened his shorts before he jumped in to join me.

  The water stripped me of my inhibitions and I playfully splashed him as he surfaced. He spluttered and aimed a splash back but I had already turned to swim. I stroked strongly towards the shore of the deserted beach, I could hear him gaining on me so it was no surprise when his hand grabbed my foot and pulled me under. He let go and I surfaced to find him bobbing in the water ahead of me.

  "That's what you get for splashing me" he laughed, his face the most vibrant I had seen since our first meeting. The joy of simply playing in the waves had allowed the years to strip away from his features. With his wet hair curling over his face he looked younger than his 36 years.

  "Race you to the beach" I shouted, kicking off into a frantic front crawl.

  "You're on"

  He had a slight head start on me but I soon caught up and passed him, a first for me as when I raced James he always won.

  I flopped down on the wet sand just beyond the reach of the waves and stared up at the cloudless sky. Seb did the same a few moments later, each of us panting to catch our breath.

  "You'd better not tell anyone I was beaten by a girl, I have a reputation to uphold"

  "A reputation, you do surprise me"

  He turned onto his side, resting his head in his hand.

  "There's a lot you don't know about me and I guess with you going home you're not going to find out"

  I could detect the flirtation in his voice as I mirrored his move and stared back at him.

  "So why is this special to you?" I asked "since we're chatting"

  He lay back down on the sand, staring into the sky.

  "Are you ready for a long story"

  "Yes" I replied, rolling onto my stomach and resting my chin on my hands.

  He took a deep breath and I knew that he was worried about sharing his story.

  "Well, this beach was the last place that I was really with Lena, the woman I loved. Her father had a fantastic yacht, nearly double the size of yours and we had been out together on it many times. I taught Lena how to sail when we were teenagers and had just met. It was just a normal weekend treat for us to borrow her father's yacht and sail wherever we wanted to on the coast. This bay was our favourite and it barely got any visitors so like today it was deserted, just the two of us. After a picnic lunch and you know" he giggled slightly and I watched the blush spread over his cheeks.

  "We were lying on our picnic blanket watching the clouds roll in from the horizon, the sea darkening along with the sky. We packed up our things and rowed back to the boat, hoping we could chase the storm back to the mainland before it struck. The wind was whipping around in all directions as I hoisted the sails and turned us back to the harbour. It really swept in quickly and soon the rain was pelting us, the swell had gotten bigger and then lightening started to strike. I was aware that the mast could potentially be a target for it but without the sail up we'd never make it back to shore. We had nowhere to go other than to aim for the harbour. Then it happened and the mast was struck and as it fell it pushed Lena aside and overboard, she bumped her head with force onto the side. Luckily we had put our lifejackets on and anchored ourselves to the yacht so all I needed to do was pull her back in on the tie that bound her"

  Seb paused and I could see the strain of remembering etched onto his face, the years were creeping back onto his skin.

  "If you don't want to continue, I understand" I said, feeling soft tears already creeping down my cheeks.

  "No, I've never told anyone about what really happened, I just couldn't" he took a breath and I waited.

  "With Lena in my arms I let the storm carry us for a while as I revived her. There was no blood, just the beginnings of a bruise forming on her temple. Once she was awake and knew who she was and who I was and what had happened I bundled her down into the small cabin area and wrapped her in a blanket. Then I just got on with salvaging what I could of the mast and sail before I engaged the small engine that would take us back to safety. Russell and Wilbur were looking out for us as we were the only boat still out and it was a relief to just throw him the rope so he could tie us back in. He helped me carry Lena off the yacht and into his cottage. She was cold and shivering with shock but she seemed alright, considering she had been knocked unconscious for probably five minutes, maybe longer I can't remember.

  Her father wasn't very pleased when I told him about the damage but again he was grateful that his daughter was alive and for the next week everything went back to normal. Then she started getting headaches, so powerful that she would be in bed for days on end. I took her to the hospital and they checked her over and said that it would all calm down, that it would just take time. Then she started to forget things, simple things like the date, appointments she had made. We returned to the Hospital and after a barrage of tests then concluded that the bump might have caused the dementia but there was no proof and she could have just ended up with it anyway without the accident. There was nothing we could do to stem it, they couldn't say whether it would take weeks, months or years to progress. Sadly for us it’s only taken a few yearsbetween the accident and how she is now. Sometimes I think it's getting better, when she smiles at me and calls me Sebby, her nick-name for me. But then in a flash it's all gone again and I'm just a stranger to her."

  Seb wi
ped a hand over his eyes, as if to shade them from the sun glinting on the sea, but I guessed to hide his own tears.

  "Her father blamed me of course and pays for all her treatment, in fact she lives at the family home now and I just call in and see her every day and sometimes if she's having a good day we come down here. I like to think that she remembers all the good times we shared. You know running down the boards when we were teenagers, sneaking stolen kisses between the boats. Sitting for hours on the wall and planning our future, it’s all gone now, all finished”

  He sat up and hugged his knees together, rocking slightly and looking straight ahead at the line of the horizon. I rolled over and then sat up, my turn to comfort him as I slid my arm over his shoulder. He jumped slightly at my touch but then relaxed back into it. His solid bulk felt comforting and I sighed softly.

  “Thanks for listening” he said, turning so that he stared at me. He leaned in and kissed me, taking me off guard. His mouth felt soft and salty against mine. His hand caught hold of my hair and for a moment I forgot and kissed him back. I pulled back and his half closed eyes opened, a blush spreading over his skin that matched mine.

  “Oh god, I’m sorry I shouldn’t have done that”

  “I understand” I mumbled, feeling just as guilty. I stood up and brushed the dry sand off my skin. I held out my hand and Seb stood up and shook it.

  “Thanks for being a friend, I don’t have that many these days”

  “Friends forever, as don’t worry I will come back here one day”

  The sun was starting to sink towards the ocean, ready for its evening dip.

  “Come on” he said “I’ll race you back”

  He ran into the surf and I tried to catch up, pleased that I had helped un-burden him the way he had helped me on our last sailing lesson. Reaching the harbour we wandered back along the board walk together and arranged to meet again at the weekend.

  Chapter 32

  The weeks flew by as Charlotte slept, ate and danced. The schedule was gruelling and she could barely keep her eyes open at the end of each day. Her dreams were filled with Mitchell and the baby she hoped was theirs. Zach had hardly been down to see her as his clubs were busy and apart from a weekend with Julia who came to visit her only friend was David on reception. His demeanour was always cheerful whatever the time of day she passed. Gradually her waist line had started to expand and she took to binding it up as she still hadn't said anything to anyone. The only person who knew about the baby was Zach.

  Her morning sickness had passed and apart from feeling hungry and craving cheese and onion crisps with chip shop mushy peas she felt positively glowing with energy. Lucas had improved under their extra practice sessions and they sometimes stayed late to rehearse the script. He was a great guy and she didn't even have to worry about any untoward advances as he was well and truly in love with his partner Thomas. The rest of the cast were friendly and they had all bonded as the work schedule got tougher and opening night loomed.

  Zach had been missing Charlotte but at the same time his clubs and further plans for the unveiling of Felicity's subterfuge were taking shape. Keith had been fairly silent on his investigation into Sasha, until an email came through asking Zach to meet him at the same cafe the following morning. With some trepidation Zach arrived early and sipped his coffee. It was a fortnight until Charlotte’s debut and he had still heard nothing back from Dan about accepting the invitation. He knew he would have to chase it up soon as without them his plan had failed. He was so deep in thought that Keith startled him as he placed his own mug onto the table.

  “Morning Mr King”

  “Morning Mr Madison, so what have you got for me?”

  Keith slid into the chair opposite and took a sip from his cup before reaching into his bag for some paperwork. He held it under his palm and stared at Zach.

  “Things have been a bit hot recently, the police have been sniffing round questioning me about Felicity’s husband and then about another murder seventeen years ago. I hope you haven’t been saying anything to anyone”

  Zach shook his head and wondered who the other investigation pertained to. “Of course they didn’t have a search warrant with them so they went away empty handed”

  “Does Felicity know about any of this?” Zach asked, he was worried that this might be keeping her from accepting his invitation.

  “God no, so long as she stays in America the Police over here can’t touch her. She’s not worried as her husband’s death was recorded as accidental”

  Zach watched Keith look away and take a long gulp of his drink, he wondered what he was hiding.

  “So why the meeting” Zach asked.

  “I have some information on your missing person but I need you assurance that none of this gets to Felicity”

  “You have my word, she is not my favourite person”

  Keith pushed the folder over the table to Zach.

  “Take a look, so who was she to you?”

  “That’s none of your business” Zach replied, sneaking a peak into the file and suppressing a gasp at the beautiful, familiar face of Sasha.

  “Is this the right girl?”

  “Yes, how much do I owe you?”

  “Let’s call it quits”

  “That’s very generous of you”

  “Well, I never know when I might need a favour in return” Keith stood up and held out his hand. Zach shook it and smiled.

  Back in his flat that evening he poured his usual and sat down with the file. He was about to open it when his phone rang.

  “Hi Zach”

  “Hi Dan, how are you?”

  "Good thanks and looking forward to seeing you in London in a fortnight. Felicity wants to know if your flat will be available for us to stay in."

  "It can be arranged I'll just need to talk to Lexie"

  "Is it all of you?"

  "Yes and Matthew's new girlfriend Maya"

  "Oh, are you sure you don't want to book into a hotel instead?"

  "Well Matthew might but Felicity is really hoping you're still with that sexy darling Casey and that perhaps the four of us can have a little soiree after the event"

  Zach sighed, this was going to be interesting and he needed to warn Charlotte about Matthew/Mitchell and his new girlfriend.

  "We'll probably come straight to the Theatre and then go for supper afterwards"

  "Fine Dan, I'll book an extra seat and see you in a couple of weeks"

  "I can't wait, sex with just Felicity and her American cronies is just as boring as with the English bunch, Casey is something else and I can't wait"

  Zach felt sick thinking about Dan getting his hands on Charlotte but he knew that over his dead body would it happen and if Mitchell saw her then he had no idea what would un-fold.

  He put the folder down and dialled Charlotte instead, he hoped she would be home from rehearsals by now. Waiting for her to pick up his mind filled with her image. He wondered how she was going to take the news, but her phone just went to answerphone and so did the landline number into the flat. For some reason her no answer worried him and when she had not replied within an hour he needed no further encouragement. Grabbing his jacket and keys he jumped into his car and drove to London, it didn't matter that it was nearly midnight he needed to be there. The folder lay discarded on the coffee table. With the motorways and highways deserted the Ferrari cut through the miles at speed all the while Zach waited for a reply to his messages.

  Opening the flat he could hear no music just silence and the lights were all out. He opened the door to the bedroom but the bed was empty so she walked down the corridor to the lounge. A small table lamp was the only light on as he found Charlotte sprawled out on the sofa, sound asleep in her dressing gown, a half finished plate of what looked like crisps and peas on the coffee table. She shifted slightly as he lent down and picked her up, she half woke and wrapped her slender arms around his neck.

  "Mitch, I'm so tired" she murmured. Zach simply carried her to the
bedroom and when she wouldn't let him go he kicked off his shoes and lay down beside her. When she released him and moved away he slipped out of the rest of his clothes. He then went back to sleep, achingly aware of her near naked body beside him.

  As dawn broke he got up and pulled on his dressing gown and wandered into the kitchen. He was just enjoying his first sip of coffee when Charlotte appeared in the doorway.

  "You scared me, why didn't you call and say you were coming?"

  "I did try but never got an answer"

  Charlotte glanced into the hallway and saw the answerphone blinking red, she pulled her mobile phone from her dressing gown pocket and found the same message.

  "Oops, I must have been asleep, have you been here long?"

  "Oh just a few hours"

  He offered her a cup of coffee but she shook her head and crossed to the fridge for a glass of milk.

  "So what do I owe the pleasure" she asked, sitting down next to him.

  "Just a bit of news I think you might or might not want to hear"

  "And"

  "Shall I order some breakfast or are you practising on a Saturday these days?"

  Savouring the treat of smoked salmon and cream cheese on bagels Charlotte waited for Zach to reveal his news.

  "I've bought the whole of the front row for your debut performance"

  "Oh, so are they coming?"

  "Yes that's why I thought I'd better let you know in preparation as according to Daniel, Matthew or Mitchell is bringing his girlfriend"

  Zach watched the colour drain from Charlie's face like a visible opaque curtain. She turned away from his gaze as tears started to slip over her cheekbones. Her hand on the table trembled and Zach reached for it. When she tried to pull it away he held her tighter and then moved so that his arms could wrap around her shoulders. Her tears seeped into the fabric of his gown as his heart started to race for this beautiful creature. She looked up at him, her eyes swollen, her lips wobbled with the effort of staying strong.