No Strings Attached

Chapter Twenty

“And you’re sure that neither are coincidences, maybe Sophie’s mum got really sick again, and she forgot to let you know? And Clara just ... did a flit?”

“No. Definitely not.”

“You’re sure because ...?”

“Davies has been on to it.”

“Davies?” Nate moved to the chair opposite Jay, before reclining back onto the back legs of it, “That fucking name keeps popping up around here, Jay ...”

Jayden’s head whipped up to meet Nate’s eyes – questions lingering behind the penetrating ice blue gaze.

“What are you saying?”

Nate kept his eyes on the door from the lounge, hearing footsteps advancing, as he linked his hands behind his neck.

“Just that it keeps popping up,” he shrugged casually. Jay’s mouth opened to respond, but at that moment, both girls appeared in the doorway again. Tori’s delicate features were cloaked with a mask of ice and detachment, her arms crossed over her midriff.

Her white skinny jeans hung low on her hips, and the plain black t shirt she wore with it hugged her ample bust and showed off her soft curves to perfection – the startling rope of her platinum blonde ponytail was an achingly sexy contrast.

“Nate, do you think you could put Ava’s pushchair into Shannon’s car, please?” she asked quietly, filling the baby bag with bottles and nappies, and all of the various other paraphernalia that she might need.

“Where are you going?” Anyone could see that Jayden hated having to ask that question right now, “In the Audi? Why not take the Land Rover?”

“Because it’s big, and bloody unmanageable,” she sniped, busying herself with packing the bag, “And we’re going out.”

“Out where?”

“Just out!”

Shannon awkwardly listened to their bickering, before placing Ava in her car seat. Quietly cooing and playing with the tiny, giggling baby girl, she looked up to find Nate’s eyes – dark and intense, and desperately sad on her, from his seat at the table. With his hands clasped lightly between his knees, and his body hunched over them, he looked absolutely desolate.

She gave him a small smile – just a lift of one corner of her lips, before carrying on tickling Ava’s tiny feet.

“Babe...” Jay followed her around beseechingly, grabbing her hand before it found something else to pack, “Please, understand ...”

Throwing her arms in the air, her hair whipped around to pound the centre of her back, not that she’d noticed. Her eyes were a dark amethyst – anger and irritation a swirling, dangerous tempest inside them.