CORAL - Fallen (A Romance Trilogy, Book 2) (55 page)

“
What about them?
”
I whisper.

“
I have to go
,”
she says and hangs up.
I shake my head in wonder, who are Cathy, Rebecca and Sarah? –
Another
time Coral!

I sigh inwardly, I was right, it was
Susannah that told Tristan about Olivia. What the hell did Susannah say to
convince Tristan to believe her – a woman he’
s k
nown less than a year – over Olivia, who he lived with, shared time
with, loved, surely his allegiance should have been to Olivia? My stomach
starts to sink, I have a dreadful feeling he’
ll do the
same with me, that he
’
ll
believe Susannah instead, but I h
ave no choice, he has
to know.

I fold the paperwork over, stuff it back
inside the envelope, place it in my bag with my mobile, zip it up and shakily
stand to my feet. Stepping outside the cubicle, I walk over to the sinks and
stare at my reflection –
Come on Coral!

As I wash my hands in a complete daze, I
try not to think too hard about Tristan’
s reaction, I
try not to think about him disbelieving me, I have to stay focused, I have to
stay calm.

Shaking my head at myself, I quickly dry my
hands at the blower, head out the ladies and storm down the hallway; feeling
totally numb with fear. I walk straight past my desk, ignoring the line that’
s ringing, and pull my hand up to knock on the door
.

“
Coral!
” I whip my head round and see Joe stood before me.

“
What?
”
I snap as she stands there looking like a
lost lamb.

“
I can
’
t get rid of the woman on the line
,”
she says.
I look
down at the phone on my desk. I see the red light flashing, the line continuing
to ring.

“
I can
’
t deal with this right
now Joe,”
I answer sharply.

“
But she won
’
t stop calling!
”
Joe shrieks.
I replay her last words to me.
I can't get rid of the woman on the line…

I feel a cold sweat instantly cover my
body. “
What woman Joe?
”
I question breathlessly.

“
She
’
s from Social Se
rvices,”
she says her voice trembling.

My heart calms a little. “
Social Services?
”
I
question frowning hard.

“
Yeah she..
.she wants to talk to you,”
Joe explains.

“
Me?
”
I ask
surprised. “
What would they want with me?
”
I add
cocking my head to the side, Joe
looks nervous; her fingers twisting against one another. “
Joe?
”

She looks up at me with wide worried eyes. “
What if it
’
s about
my kids?
”
she chokes, tears
spilling down her cheeks.
Shit, what if it is?

I step forward, pull her to me and try to
comfort her. “
I'm sure it
’
s not, but either way you know I
’
d give you a glowing report, right?
”
I pull back and smile down at her.

Joe smiles back in relief.
“
Thanks
,”
she sniffs.
“
Shall
I tell her to call back? It
’
s
the fifth time she
’
s called
.”

“
Really?
”
I say sur
prised
again.

“
Yeah, she really
wants to speak to you
.”
Damn it!
Really bad timing!

“
Is that her?
”
I say pointing with my chin. Joe nods.
Better to get this out of the way so I can talk to Tristan. I grit
my teeth walk over to my desk and pick up the handset.

“Garland & Associates’–“
Coral Stevens?
”
A
woman with a Jamaican accent
asks interrupting me.

“
Yes
,”
I snap looking up at Joe who
’
s hoping from one foot to the other.

“
Formerly Coral
Foster?
”
Fuck!

My eyes widen with fear and my heart starts
thumping against my chest. I feel all the blood drain out of my face. That was
my name until I took Gladys’
s. I try to stop myself
from hyperventilating.

“
Miss Stevens?
”
she prompts.

“
Yes
,”
I murmur my voice trembling. Just at that
moment Joyce comes out of her offi
ce, the look on my
face stops her dead in her tracks.

“
I'm sorry to call
you at work. I tried getting hold of your Foster Mother, but there was no
answer. My name is Laticia Smith, as I said I'm calling from Social
’ – “
Why are you calling me?
”
I interrupt
my
voice barely a whisper.

“
I'm afraid I have
some bad news
,”
she says, her
voice sounding sorrowful.

“
Bad news?
”
I question and look up at Joyce.

“
Yes. I'm afraid it
’
s about your birth mother
.”
I close my eyes and grit my teeth.

“
What about her?
”
I whispe
r, the
dream of her protecting me from Susannah comes into my mind’
s eye.

“I’m sorry to say s
he
passed away yesterday
,”
she
answers mournfully.

I open my eyes and blink twice, my head
feels foggy and my ears are ringing. I feel the handset slip from between my
fingers and hit the desk. I hear Joyce call out for Tristan in the distance,
but the fog washes over me and everything goes black...

***

“
Coral?
”
I hear
Tristan
’
s voice, but he sounds
like he
’
s miles away.

“
Coral open your
eyes
.”
I know I should, but I
want to stay
in the murky grey haze. I feel something
cool being placed on my forehead, it feels so nice.

“
Coral
?”
I hear a different voice
, I think it’
s Joyce
.
“
Come on darling open your eyes
.”

I don't know where I am, but it
’
s comfortable.
Why
won't they leave me alone?

“
Coral
...”
Tr
istan’
s voice sounds strangled, I feel his cool fingertips brush across my
cheeks.

“
I think we should
just wait. Let her come round in her own time, she
’
s had a nasty shock
,”
Joyce says.
A nasty shock?

I try to remember but it doesn’
t
come to me.

“
Why would they
contact her about that?
”
Tristan asks.

“
Next of kin I
suppose
,”
Joyce answers.

“
You think they
’
d be a little more delicate. Getting news
like that is bad enough at the best of time
s, but while
you’
re at work..
.it doesn’
t seem r
ight.”
Tristan
sounds upset.

I try to remember…

“
I
’
ve contacted Gladys she
’
s coming over to take her home
.”
Gladys?

“
I
’
d rather take her back to our place
,”
Tristan grumbles.

“
I don't think it
’
s the right time Tristan, I think she
should
be with her Mother.”
Mother?

That’
s ringing a
bell? I search the recesses of my mind –
Mother?

I hear a voice tell me
‘
she passed away yesterday
’
Mom?

I search for some kind of meaning, but all
I keep getting are flash images of me and my Mom, before things got bad.
Playing hide and seek, me giggling loudly as she throws me up in the air then catches
me in her arms, tickling me all over. Making pancakes, kissing me goodnight,
telling me she loves me…
Mom?

The fog suddenly lifts – My Mom is dead! –
No!

My eyes dart open, my mouth swims with
saliva –
Shit!
I'm going to throw up!

I only wretch once, I see Tristan’
s blurry figure push something underneath me, and I
’
m violently sick
.

“
Jesus
.”
I hear him hiss, as his hand gently
strokes my back.

“
It
’
s normal
,”
Joyce tells him
. “
Most
people are
sick after fainting.”

I wretch several times until my stomach is completely
empty, then the burning comes. My lungs feel like they’
re
on fire, my throat feels like I
’
ve gargled with a glass of acid.

“
Gaviscon
,”
I choke.

“
I think I have
some
,”
Joyce says.

Moments later, she’
s
handing me a spoon and the bottle, with shaking hands I try to open the top,
but it won
’
t budge. Tristan
takes it off me,
take off the cap, carefully fills up the
spoon with the thick pink liquid and spoon feeds it to me like a child.

“Another?”
he asks.

I swallow and nod. He does the same again
and slowly but surely, the burning fades away. I look up at my surroundings,
I'm in Joyce’
s office and I'm on the sofa, Tristan is
sat beside me, Joyce kneeling in front of me.

“
Coral
,”
Joyce say
s
softly. I look up and meet her eyes. “
Do you remember
what happened?
”

“
My Mother is dead
,”
I answer blankly.

Joyce nods solemnly at me, patting my hand.
“
Yes darling
.”

“
How?
”
I croak my throat feeling bruised.

Tristan passes me a glass of water I take a
tentative sip.

“
There not sure
darling. There
’
s going to be a
post-mortem
.”

I gasp at this news and close my eyes,
silent tears starts to flow down my cheeks. I don't understand why I'm crying
for her?

Then I think about my photograph that’
s missing and s
wallow hard. What if Susannah
killed my Mom? I shake the thought away, she can't have done, it’
s a secure facility.

I swipe angrily at my tears and jerk to my
feet. “
I'm sorry I was sick
,”
I say to Joyce then begin to walk towards her door.

“
Darling, where a
re you going?”
she asks.

“
Back to work
,”
I answer numbly. Tristan is at the door
before I can open it, shaking his head sympathetically at me.