Back In His Arms (4 page)

Carla thought of gorgeous Angelique giving Atreus a massage in the past, as she must have done for him to make such a remark, and felt another flash of jealousy.
 
She had to remind herself that she trusted Atreus.

“So,” Angelique said once Carla had cinched her robe together and come to stand with her at the side table.
 
“I have cinnamon oil there, jasmine there, rose there, lavender there, then there’s blue lotus, verbena, gardenia and vanilla.
 
You could choose any you want, as many as you want, and then I’m going to mix them with coconut and jojoba oil.
 
This is all about you, okay, so you choose exactly what you want.
 
Whatever makes you feel good.”

By the time she had made her selection and Angelique had arranged the oil and the bed, Carla felt much more relaxed.

“I’m sorry we got off to such a bad start,” said Carla, then giggled. “Maybe Atreus will learn to knock the door now, uh?”

Angelique grinned.

“Aww, you’re so nice,” said Angelique.
 
She leaned forward and wrapped Carla up in a warm hug.
 
“You’re so much nicer than that horrible Serene.
 
I shouldn’t really say it but I cannot stand the woman.”

“That makes two of us,” Carla said, hugging her back.

“Well, never mind that,” dismissed Angelique. “Let’s not pay her no mind.
 
Oh gosh, listen to me, I come here talking about that silly woman when I’m supposed to be relaxing you.”

“That’s okay,” Carla said with a smile.

“All right, my girl,” Angelique said.
 
“Now, do you have any special music that you want on during the massage?”

“Good idea,” said Carla.
 
She remembered a selection Atreus had put together for them when they were back in Greece.
 
She glanced at the bedside table.
 
“Oh, but it’s on Atreus’ phone and I think he took it with him.
 
Can I go grab it quickly?”

“I’ll go get it for you,” said Angelique.

“No, no, it’s okay,” Carla said.
 
“I wouldn’t mind dropping in on Dios anyway before we start.
 
I’ll go.”

“No problem,” Angelique said.
 
“You want me to wait in here or outside?”

“Oh, in here is fine,” Carla said.
 
She handed her the TV remote with a smile.
 
“Make yourself comfortable.”

Angelique gave her another hug.

“You’re the best!”

Carla hurried down the corridor and checked on Dios sleeping soundly in his crib.
 
She paused to look down at him.
 
His hands were still so small, curled up in a fist.
 
It was hard to comprehend that this tiny boy would soon be a big brother.

She padded down the stairs to the dining room and lifted her hand to the handle of the glass door.
 
She froze as she saw Atreus and Serene in the room alone, their bodies pressed up against each other as they kissed.
 
They did not see her.
 
Sobs stuck in her throat and not knowing what to say or do, she turned and bolted back up the stairs.

*****

“Get off me!”
 
Atreus demanded, pushing Serene away from him.
 
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Atreus, I came here for
you
,” Serene said, forcing herself onto him again.
 
“Please don’t turn the mother of your child away.”

Atreus wriggled away from her grasp and held onto her shoulders so she could not advance toward him again.
 
“What?
 
You’ve come here for
me
?”

“Yes, of course,” Serene admitted.
 
Her eyes welled up with tears.
 
“I don’t want Nikolas anymore.
 
I did not realize what kind of a man he was.
 
He’s a cruel man, Atreus, nothing like you.”

“I am in love with Carla,” Atreus stated bluntly.

“Let’s forget any of this ever happened,” Serene pleaded.
 
“Let’s forget Carla and Nikolas and go back to when we were happy, just you and me.”

“You’re forgetting your son,” Atreus said icily.

“Right, and Dios, of course,” said Serene.
 
“That goes without saying.”

“We will never be together again,” Atreus declared.
 
“Never.”

Serene gazed into his eyes.

“But we were so perfect together, you and me.
 
I was the one who stood by you when you had nothing, when you
were
nothing, because I saw potential in you.
 
I was there every step of the way when you build Kostas Shipping from the ground up.
 
Admit it, you would never have been successful without me.
 
You need me.”

“Things have changed,” said Atreus.
 
His voice was flat.
 
“You left me.
 
You left our son without a second glance.
 
You only care when it suits you.”

“But—”

“Read my lips, Serene.
 
Even if hell itself freezes over we will never be together again.
 
I love Carla.
 
I am going to marry her and spend the rest of my life with her and if you don’t like it that’s just tough.”

“So is that how you want to play it?” Serene dared him.

“I’m not playing.”
 

“That’s good to hear.
 
Neither am I.
 
I’m going to destroy everything you have.” Serene vowed.

Atreus threw the glass door open and turned at the threshold to face her.

“Bring it on.”

He walked out and slammed the door behind him.

*****

“What a bastard,” Angelique said, pacing the floor.
 
“I just can’t believe it.”

Carla stuffed a couple of the warmest outfits Atreus’ staff had purchased into a holdall, her hands shaking.

“I would never have believed it either, if I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes.”

It took all her strength to keep from collapsing on the bed in heaving sobs.

Angelique sucked her teeth and shook her head.

“What an idiot that man is.”

“How can I get off this island?” Carla said.
 
She picked up her smartphone from the bed.
 
“I can only find flights from Nassau.”

“Don’t you worry, my girl,” Angelique replied.
 
“You book your flight and I’ll sort out everything else.”
 
She took her own smartphone from her pocket and strode over to the door.
 
She twisted the key until it clicked.
 
“Just in case the rat tries to come up here.”

As Angelique made some calls, Carla threw an outfit on and felt a warm rush of affection toward Angelique.
 
She felt so petty for having been jealous earlier on.

So, after everything that had happened, she was to go back to England again.
 
If only she could forget it all, pretend Atreus and Dios had never existed, but she knew that she would have to live with the memories like a shadow hanging over her.
 
And part of her didn’t
want
to forget.
 
Surges of love and hatred battled it out in her chest every time she thought of Atreus.
 
She pictured Dios asking where she was, calling out, ‘
Mama, Mama!
’ and crawling around the sprawling Bahamian mansion to look for her.
 
She wanted to sink to the floor and wail.
 

She thought of the baby growing inside her, the baby she had been so overjoyed about.
 
She wondered what kind of life that baby would have now, with a cheater for a father and a lonely, hurting woman for a mother.
 
The thought of an abortion flickered through her mind.

“I’ve got you a boat, my girl,” Angelique said.
 
“Let’s go.”

“Let me just book the flight, one sec.”

She made some taps on her smartphone and paid with her credit card.
 
Just as the payment was processing, there was a knock at the door.

“Carla?”
 
Atreus’ voice said at the other side.
 
“Can I come in?”

Carla’s heart ached at the sound of his deep voice.

“No,”
 
was all she could manage to say.

“Huh?”
 
Atreus called out, trying the doorknob and finding it locked.
 
“What’s going on?
 
Angelique?”

“What?”
 
Angelique answered.

“What’s wrong?
 
Can I come in?”

“No!” said Angelique, gesturing to Carla that she should say more.

“No,” Carla repeated.
 
She tried to make her voice sound strong.
 
“Go away please.”

There was a short silence.

“Okay,” Atreus said slowly.
 
“But is there something wrong?”

“You bet there’s something wrong,” Angelique clarified.

Carla felt a surge of strength run through her and shot to her feet.

“I’m leaving this place
right now
!”

“What?
 
Why?” Atreus asked.
 
“What is…please just open this door so we can talk.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” said Carla.

“Then why do you want to leave?
 
I don’t understand.”

“Yeah, yeah, keep pretending,” Angelique said.

“Pretending?
 
Angelique, I demand you open this door.”

“Okay,” Angelique called out, then turned to Carla and whispered.
 
“You got everything ready?”

Carla picked up her bag and nodded.

“When I open the door, just run out right past him,” Angelique whispered.
 
“I’ll handle the rest.”

“Okay,” Carla said.

Angelique approached the door, unlocked it and removed the key.
 
Atreus had been leaning on the door and stumbled onto his knees as she opened it.
 
His face was a picture of devastation.

Carla’s heart felt like it was about to fall out, but she remembered what she had just seen; the picture she guessed would remain emblazoned on her mind forever as a permanent memento of her heartbreak.
 
She pushed past Atreus.

“Carla, please!”
 
He scrambled to his feet and tried to go after her but Angelique stood resolutely in his way.

He tried to push past her but she pushed back.
 
Hard.
 
Still off balance, he fell against the wall, and Angelique seized her chance.
 
She slammed the bedroom door and quickly turned the key, locking him in.

“Carla!”
 
Atreus called out.
 
“
Carla
!”

Carla shook out her long blonde waves and forced a smile.

“Time to wake up from this dream.”

*****

Chapter 4

“You can stay here as long as you like, dear,” Mary Simpson said.

“You don’t know how good it feels to be here with you,” said Carla.

She cradled her hot tea mug and took a tentative sip.
 
As awful as she felt, the comfort of being with her grandparents, in the house that held so many happy memories, went a long way to relieving her pain.

At least she felt she could grieve there.
 
She had held in tears through all the boat rides with Angelique, through her long wait at Nassau airport, through the flight and through the taxi ride to Turnham Green.
 
As soon as they had opened the door and she’d seen their kind loving faces and the floral wallpaper, she melted into their arms with a river of tears.

Charles sat at the table and stared at his hands.

“I’m so sorry, Carla,” he said.
 
“I thought he was a good man.
 
I truly did.”

Carla reached over to give him a hug.

“It’s not your fault, granddad.
 
He put on a very good act.”

“Still, I should have seen through it,” he said.
 
“My sweet girl.”

“You couldn’t have known,” said Mary.
 
“These people are very good at hiding things.
 
Psychopaths.
 
I watched a program on the telly about it the other day.
 
You know even serial killers look just like normal, friendly people.
 
You’d never know.”

Carla vowed she’d never trust another man again.

“Why don’t we all have some more apple crumble and custard,” Mary suggested.