Distraction

Chapter Forty-One

With Eliot and his god-awful family already gone, and Ed planning to leave that day, Zoe could see the light at the end of Christmas hell. Once she had Jonathon to herself, she could tell him she'd had three offers on his house, one from a cash buyer ready to exchange as soon as the solicitors pulled their bloody fingers out. Maybe if she got out the leather thigh boots and handcuffs, she could persuade him to move to Kendal.

Dumping her shopping bags in the hallway, Zoe checked her lipstick, removed a smudge of eyeliner and went in search of him. He was so going to love her new scarlet babydoll. Her pussycat smile vanished when she walked into the drawing room. Ed sat in an armchair with his head in his hands and Jonathon stood in the great bay window, looking out into the garden.

'Hello,' she said, heading over to Jonathon, purposefully ignoring Ed. 'How was golf?'

Jonathon glanced down, frowning at the hand she'd rested on his shoulder. 'Ed, could you give us a minute?'

Zoe's heart rate increased as Ed obediently left the room. 'What's going on?'

'Ed told me.'

Zoe kept her smile despite the bile rising in her throat. 'Told you what?'

Jonathon reached out, stroking her hair, his eyes scanning her face as if memorising every millimetre. 'You were like a dream. I couldn't understand why I deserved you. People said it was for the money, but I never really believed that. It wasn't that, was it?'

'No. You're the most amazing man-'

'He told me what happened on Christmas Day.'

Zoe sucked in a lungful of air as her world shifted underneath her.

'I'm sorry,' she whispered, 'but you have to forgive me. It'll never happen again.'

Jonathon kissed her forehead. 'You have to leave.'

Please, please, no. She held his face. 'But you fucked Maggie and I forgave you.'

'He loves you, Zoe. I can't ruin my son's chance of happiness.'

'He doesn't have a chance of happiness with me. I chose you, not him.'

'And you have no idea what that means to me.' For a moment, Jonathon let her kiss him, her mouth clinging to his. 'But I can't do this to him.'

'Please, no,' Zoe begged, unable to stop the tears trickling down her cheeks. This was her chance to be happy, really happy. 'I love you. I've never really loved anyone before, but I love you and I don't give a damn about the money.' Oddly, she meant it.

'He's my son, Zoe. I choose him, not you.'

He didn't love her. He couldn't. If he did, he wouldn't turn her away like this, wilfully making her unhappy. Did he really think she'd say, okay, and bugger off with Ed? Was that what Jonathon thought of her? Zoe raised her chin and with her last ounces of self-control she took out the keys to the Z4, dangling them in front of him.

'Keep it,' Jonathon said, resuming his vigil on the garden.

She pushed the keys into his hand. 'I've had all the cars I need from this family.'

Tears streamed down her face as she walked upstairs, refusing to run. Yes, the money was good, the toys, the shiny trinkets, but more than that, Jonathon gave her power and respect, now, it'd all gone - ripped from her, destroyed by Ed.

With every item she threw in a case, she prayed Jonathon would come in, telling her he'd changed his mind, but he never. In the end, the shadow that came over the room was Ed's. He offered to carry her bags, his eyes hopeful.