London Dusk (A Dawn to Dusk Novella) (2 page)

But work was something I would have to turn my attention to at some point in the very near future. Without Luke
's income supporting me, I sincerely doubted that I would be able to survive for long. "You bastard," I muttered, once again draining my whiskey glass. Emotions welled up inside me, swirling around. "YOU BASTARD!"

I smiled
, feeling a tad better. But not for long. I didn't know what to do. I had to pay for Elsie's care costs, as well as live myself. I didn't have a mortgage to pay, but I did have an energy bill, plus the phone and internet, as well as for another load of firewood to be delivered. I knew I didn't have much in my accounts, but I wondered if Luke would mind me accessing our joint account to cover those things – fuck him, he owed me after what I'd seen tonight.

I pulled the brand new iPhone out of my pocket and turned it over in my hands. I had completely forgotten about it. I
'd bought it that day as a special treat to myself, and because my old phone had finally bitten the dust after five years. I had no idea how to really work the iPhone, but the people in the shop had transferred everything over so apparently it was just like my old one. I unlocked it and opened my contacts. I scrolled through until I reached Jax's number and dialled.

Jax is my other best friend. She
's straightforward, French, and very loving. A lot of people, if they're not used to her, think that she's over the top ‘touchy-feely' but that's just how she's always been. When I first met her I almost thought she was a lesbian, but she's most definitely not. She would know what to do.

But the phone rang and rang
, so I left a quick message asking her to phone me back.

I sat there watching the fire crackle in the hearth
, and snuggled under my duvet, waiting for the phone to ring. My mind kept replaying the look on both Luke's and Nicole's faces. I could tell that Luke didn't expect me to be so ballsy with them. What did he expect? Me to roll over and take it? Be meek about the situation? No. And the cheek of them desecrating my house like that! Elsie would be absolutely appalled by that sort of carry on.

I wasn
't going to sleep in that room anymore. Tomorrow I was going to move my stuff back into my old room, the one I grew up in. I didn't care that it wasn't the largest room in the house. I didn't want to ever sleep in that room ever again. And I was going to buy a new bed with new linen on our joint account. Luke could suck that one up.

***

Two Months Later

Finding a park on the street is near impossible in London, especially when you're in a rush. Already I had driven through three parking buildings and had yet to strike gold. Nothing pissed me off more than being late.

"Just one more loop
..." I muttered, "and then I'm just going to double park."

T
he cafe Luke had chosen drawing closer. And then I saw one. It was a small park, but since I had a Mini, I was pretty sure I could get into it.

It took a fifty-point turn to eventually get the car into the spot. When I turned the engine off
, I rubbed my sweaty hands down my pants. I spritzed some perfume over me. I hardly ever wore the stuff, but I was so nervous and I didn't want Luke to smell my fear.

I bit my lip as I grabbed my handbag from the passenger seat
, and ran across the road.

I opened the door to the warm
, bright cafe, immediately noting how well-dressed everyone was. Mellow French café tunes sounded across the room, drowned out occasionally with bouts of laughter from the patrons. I gritted my teeth in determination, scanning the room for Luke.

"Can I help you?" Someone asked
, pulling my attention from the crowd.

I shook my head
. "I don't think so. I'm just meeting my boy-" I stopped and cleared my throat. "Err, friend here. My friend."

The waitress smiled at me
. "That's fine. If he's not here already, just find yourself a spot. We're quite full today, but a table has just cleared over there, so that's probably your best bet. I'll come and take your order when he gets here."

I thanked her and wove my way between tables to
wards the empty table I wanted to find an 'out of the way' place, so that Luke and I could actually have a good, honest discussion, but the only table free was placed right in the middle of the room. Grimacing, I hung my handbag over the back on the chair and sat down. I rubbed the back of my neck as I checked my phone for messages, but there was nothing. I watched the people in the room. They were all dressed rather well, and the atmosphere of the place gave me the impression that this was a very swanky joint.

I hoped like hell Luke would arrive. I didn
't want to pay for anything as I was still completely skint. I had tried to get a job, anything that would help keep me afloat, but I'd had no such luck. No one wanted to employ a historian with no practical work experience, like serving in shops or cafes. The bank had given me a small loan to help me keep Elsie's care costs at bay, and I had been mainly living off my credit card over the last two months. I was in debt up to my eyeballs, and something was going to give sooner or later. Luckily for me, I had managed to throw myself into my work and I finished off that report, and had been paid for it. That had definitely helped, but it was by no means lucrative. It just meant I didn't rack up the bills as quickly as I could have.

There was talk in the wind of another report coming my way
, but nothing had been confirmed yet. This was the biggest issue I was having. I had nothing secure and no stable income. Writing that report after Luke had left helped me get through. It had been a brilliant distraction from facing my own demons. Now I didn't have anything.

Where the hell was Luke?
I crossed my legs, but couldn't stop my foot from tapping away, and I found myself wiping the sweat from my hands again. I didn't want to see him. I had received a few messages from him since I threw him out, and he'd been around to pick up a few things and some clothing while I wasn't there, but other than that – there had been nothing. Not even an apology. I'd been through the blues over this, I'd been through anger. Now I was just numb. But that didn't stop me being nervous about seeing him again.

Around me
, plates clattered, glasses tinkled as they were carried, people laughed, and there was a constant level of chatter.

And then I saw his sandy-blonde
, over styled hair as he walked into the café. Luke wasn't bad looking, but he was definitely no super model. He had a good figure, probably from the hours that he spent at the gym each week. Now that I thought about it though, I wondered if he'd ever really been to the gym. I closed my eyes, and took a deep calming breath. "It's going to be fine," I whispered. I looked down at my chipped and very imperfect nails and started picking at the rough edges of them again.

"McKenna
," Luke said with a small smile as he reached the table, his hazel eyes giving me a once over. He looked as though he was about to lean down and kiss me on the cheek, but then he changed his mind. He shrugged off his suit jacket, and hung it over the back of the chair. "Can I get you a coffee or something?"

"Yes
, please." My voice came out with a slight pitch.

He waved the waitress over
, who took our order. "So ... I wanted to meet with you so that we could go over some of our mutually acquired assets, and the division of those."

He looked uncomfortable. Good. It didn't stop me from feeling slightly nauseous
.

"What assets?"

He cleared his throat and ran his hand through his hair. "Well ... you know. There
are
a lot of my things still at the house that I would like to get back."

I nodded
. "Yes, I agree with that. There are. I've already put most of your things in boxes in the garage. You're more than welcome to come any time to get them, just don't bring 'her' with you."

Luke refused to look at me
, choosing to watch other people instead. "You know ..." He paused, and loosened his collar. "She's a good person. And she really misses you."

I stared at him
, unable to believe what I was hearing. "You have got to be joking. Luke," I said, dangerously quiet. "You cheated on me with my best friend, and then have the gall to defend her?"

He
avoided my gaze. "Nicole was always there for me, Mack. Always. She actually understood. When you were working, you were so caught up in whatever project you had at the time, and you hardly ever spent any time with me, or any of us. Sometimes this would go on for months! What did you really expect, McKenna? That I was going to wait around while you finished the next report, and then the next? It was a never ending cycle of poorly paying, all-consuming reports, which cost us money. And our relationship."

"You're blaming this on me?"
The people at the next table stopped talking, and a couple of them began eying us up.

Luke reached out and patted my hand
, which I quickly withdrew from his reach. "Settle down, please." His voice and eyes pleading with me. "I don't want us to have a scene."

"Well then you chose the wrong place
, Luke," I spat. The waitress chose that moment to put our coffees down in front of us, diffusing the situation.

"Listen. I want all of this resolved
, just as much as you do," he said after she left, looking resigned to the fact that I was pissed off at him.

I stirred my latte
, waiting for him to say something else, and trying to think about what I wanted to say. Since the day I had walked into my house to find him shagging my best friend, it had been some of the worst months of my life.

"So
, what do you want to resolve? You can come and pick up your stuff. I'm happy for you to do that."

"Uh yes
, thanks." He looked uncomfortable again. "There's also the matter of everything else that we need to sort out."

I stared at him
. "Like what, exactly?"

"Well
... your car." He cleared his throat. "I bought that car for you, so ... I'd like to be paid back if you are going to keep it."

My eyes flew to the window
, where I spotted my little red Mini Cooper across the road, parked between two massive SUVs. "Of course I want to keep it, it's
my
car! I know it was a gift, but you can't give someone something and then expect them to pay you back for it!" I turned my cold glare back to him. "What do you think I am? Some sort mistress you can keep for sex and housewifely duties, and then when it suits you – take everything away again? We were in a
relationship
, Luke."

"Well then
, you know how much it cost, so I'd like at least the depreciated value of the Mini back. Also, we need to talk about Elsie's care costs that I have been forking out because you haven't been making any money. I have a spreadsheet I can send you regarding all those. I think I'm entitled to some sort of money back for all the years I've paid for her to be cared for."

"
A spreadsheet…of course. Ever the accountant." I took in a deep breath. That was thousands of pounds right there for her care. "Where on earth am I going to find that sort of money, Luke? Where?"

He shrugged
. "That's not really my problem. I paid for Elsie out of my income ... now you can pay me back."

I swallowed
, heat rising to my cheeks. "We were in a relationship, Luke!" I repeated, my voice laced with anger. "You agreed that WE would pay for Elsie's care in return for the house. You AGREED."

Luke nodded. "
I know I did. Which brings me to my next point. We have been in a de-facto relationship for seven years, so legally I'm entitled to half the house."

I leaned back and gave him a cold
, measured look. He was serious. Heat flared in my cheeks. "You want my fucking house now, too? What, it's not enough that you already have my best friend… now you want half of the only home I have ever really known?"

He looked at me pointedly.
"I think I'm entitled, McKenna. I supported you our entire relationship, it's only fair that I have half."

I crossed my arms over my chest
, and my lip automatically curled. "You are a heartless prick, aren't you?" I couldn't believe it; I was actually seeing red as I stared at him. "My aunt signed that house over to me, Luke,
me!
" I put my palms down on the table and pushed my chair noisily back as I stood. "You are not going to take my family home out from under me." My voice was getting louder and louder, but I no longer cared. Luke just stared right back at me, infuriating me even more.

"
Then I'll see you in court."

"
Fuck off, Luke. Fuck off out of my life. You're an arsehole. If you want your shit from MY house, you'll find it on the lawn."

He shook his head
, a smug smile on his face. "My lawyer has already told me I have a case. If you won't settle this between us, it goes to court."

I flung my bag over my shoulder
, and turned on my heel.

"
I mean it, McKenna," Luke shouted at me across the café. People had stopped talking, and they stared at us in a stunned silence. "You owe me. Don't you ever forget that."

I kept walking. Tears pricked my eyes as I pushed the café door open and stepped out into the fresh air. I crossed the busy road
, and reached my car. I couldn't stop the tears from falling now, and sobs threatened to wrack my body. I didn't want to cry in public though. I held my breath as I unlocked the car and climbed inside, slamming the door shut.

Shoving the key in the ignition
, I practically launched the car out of the car park before I had to pull over a mile down the road, anger and remorse consuming me.

I raised my water bottle to my lips and slugged back
, letting the water calm me down as I drank. "Luke!" I said to myself in a whisper. "How could you?"

A message tinkled on my phone
, and I pulled it out of my bag to read it. It was Jax.
How did coffee go?

Awful
,
I responded. I leaned my head back on the headrest and watched the traffic pass me by. I had to get home. I couldn't believe I had told Luke I would throw all his shit on the lawn. That was such a Desperate Housewives stunt to pull. Unfortunately though, the more I thought about it, Luke did actually have a case. He had supported me throughout, my career had only bought in a trickle of an income. He'd also supported Elsie. He had paid for the power, internet and the phone connection, as well as all the food. And to top it off, he had also bought me my lovely car.