‘How do I know it won’t happen again?’
‘Because I don’t cheat, Maddy. Never.’
She so wanted to believe him. ‘But she’s very attractive.’
‘Listen to me,’ he said, crouching in front of her. ‘I don’t love her, I don’t want her. I only ever want to be with you.’
Madeline looked into his earnest blue eyes and wanted to believe him, but the scene from last night kept replaying in her head and she didn’t want to trust her heart to him and be back in this position ever again.
She sat back in her chair, distancing herself from his presence. Her temples were starting to throb. ‘I don’t know, Marcus. Too much has happened. I can’t think properly.’
Marcus stood, bitterly disappointed that she hadn’t taken him at his word. ‘You shouldn’t have to think,’ he said calmly, trying to be rational. ‘You should know. We’ve been inseparable for six weeks. You should know in your gut. Trust your gut, Maddy.’
Just like a man to simplify the emotion out of it. Madeline shook her head and swallowed the threatening tears. He didn’t get to tell her what she should know. ‘The only thing I know in my gut at the moment is that the man who supposedly loves me is still sexually attracted to his ex-wife.’
Marcus felt that like a hammer between the eyes. How could he convince her that he felt nothing for Tabitha? ‘It wasn’t like that, Maddy. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing.’
‘And when another moment comes along?’
He sighed, seeing the confusion in her eyes. She looked utterly torn. Too much had happened and they weren’t getting anywhere by going back over the same ground.
‘I love you, Maddy, and I know you love me, too. We can make this work. Don’t shut me out.’
‘I can’t. You’re asking too much of me. Everyone I’ve loved has left me or let me down. My parents. Abby. Simon. And now you. I should have kept that damn ring on and pretended my life was fine.’
Marcus was horrified at the very thought. ‘Maddy, no.’ She’d been so shut off, so guarded. ‘You can’t seriously want to go back there.’
‘Yes,’ she said, nodding her head vigorously, tears streaming down her face. ‘Because I know how to play that role. There’s two roles I know how to play really well in my life. One is the shut-off Madeline and the other is the grieving Madeline. And I know which hurts less.’
‘Maddy.’
He reached for her but she shrank from it. ‘Get out,’ she said on a sob. ‘Just go. Please, go.’
Marcus opened his mouth to object but he had upset her enough, every tear of hers feeling like a drop of acid searing his flesh. She looked so miserable and it tore at his insides.
So he left. For now anyway. But he’d be back.
Madeline was about to finish for the day when Veronica buzzed her. ‘There’s a Tabitha here to see you.’
Madeline paused. What the hell?
She had a headache which the two tablets she had taken at lunch were only just managing to hold in check. Did she really want to confront the woman who’d been the catalyst for the damn thing in the first place?
‘Send her in,’ she said, too weary to think. How much more emotionally draining could this day get?
Tabitha entered and, despite Marcus’s assurances that Tabitha and he were over, Madeline felt a streak of jealousy.
‘Sit down.’ She indicated the chair to the other woman.
‘I owe you an apology,’ Tabitha said, sitting. ‘Last night was unforgivable.’
Madeline looked at her hands, not saying anything. Last night had replayed in her head so much she was giddy with it.
‘I didn’t expect to see Marcus with a woman. I had this plan to carry out and your presence threw a spanner in the works.’
‘Oh?’ Madeline’s curiosity was piqued despite the pounding of her head. She listened as Tabitha told her everything and, by the end of it, she even felt sorry for Marcus. ‘So what are you going to do now?’ Madeline asked.
‘Marcus phoned Tony and spoke to him. I owe him big time for that, which is why I’m here. He didn’t have to help me after the stunt I pulled and he probably wouldn’t thank me for being here either but I’m flying out soon - ’
She stopped, suddenly looking worried. ‘That’s all right, isn’t it? You said the baby’s okay? Everything looked good, right?’
‘Yes. The foetus looked very healthy. Any more spotting?’
‘No.’
‘Good. Just rest for the next couple of days. If the spotting starts again or you experience any cramping, go and see your GP,’ Madeline advised.
It felt surreal to be calmly advising Tabitha like she was just any patient.
‘I will.’ The other woman nodded. ‘I’m keen to get back and see Tony and start sorting out our problems.’
‘Good for you.’ Madeline’s smile felt tight on her face. Chit-chat after all that had happened seemed bizarre.
‘Marcus is in love with you.’
‘Apparently, yes.’
Tabitha waited for a few seconds for Madeline to elaborate. ‘You don’t understand. Marcus had never been in love with anyone. Not even me, really.’
‘And yet he slept with you.’
Tabitha regarded Madeline closely. ‘Marcus told me you were having problems with that. Please, let me assure you, that wasn’t about love. That was part of my grand plan to get Tony back. And, as far as Marcus was concerned, it was just a pleasant way to say goodbye. Don’t punish him for something that happened before he even met you.’
‘Except it had huge consequences for Marcus and I, didn’t it?’ Madeline said testily. ‘I don’t mean to be rude but to quote a famous person, there are three people in this relationship. And that’s just not going to work for me.’
‘I get that but I promise I want no place in your relationship. I’m sorry I’ve stuffed everything up, I really am and I hope you guys work it out. I like you. You’re good for him.’
‘You don’t even know me,’ Madeline said, not really warmed
