"Welcome home!" We all bellow as Hayden pushes the front door open for Abi.
Abi smiles, glancing at everyone in our friend group. "Oh my god! What are you guys doing here?"
Olivia drops the 'welcome home' sign in her hand, with a sigh. "Who told you?"
The squeak in Abi's voice goes even higher at her next words. "What? No one told me."
"You're a shit liar." Layla deadpans.
I nod. "Your voice goes up ten octaves."
"It was Hayden." Simon is the next to speak.
"I told you guys I couldn't keep a secret!" Hayden defends himself.
"Your job is literally to keep secrets." Jake retorts.
"Pfft. Minor details."
Abi winces as she takes a few more slow steps towards the couch. "I hope you guys brought alcohol, and lots of it."
"Not gonna happen babe. Doctors orders." Hayden picks the bottle of wine up from the table. "Me on the other hand."
"You're a dick."
"Sure I am." He winks.
"So are you two an item then?" Layla smirks from her seat.
Abi and Hayden share a look, before Hayden turns his attention back to Layla. "We're taking it one step at a time."
"Starting with Hayd here, being my personal maid." Abi grins.
The laughs she earned from her statement may have been part of the reason she was beaming, but the cheeky dimples and wink Hayden gave her, probably had a lot more to do with it.
*＊✿❀ ❀✿＊*
"Hey, sorry I'm late. I had a meeting with Clare." Olivia apologies, as she slips into the seat across from me outside the cafe.
I shake my head. "You're good, I'm only here myself. Hairdressing appointment ran late."
"Love the hair by the way." Olivia grins.
"Thanks babes. I though while I had a day off I'd get up early and do myself up. Just to make myself feel better."
"Because of Simon?"
I shake my head. "No, he's good. He's been spending most his time at the garage trying to get it up and running."
After Abi got out of hospital, Hayden temporarily moved into her house, where he's sleeping 'on the couch' of course. While I told Simon he could stay at my place until he got himself sorted, and he's actually been sleeping on the couch.
With the timing of my shifts and the effort he's putting in at the garage, we rarely see each other. So at least there's no chance of us hopping back into bed together. Today was my day off and Abi had a hospital appointment meaning I couldn't visit her, so I decided to hit the gym, do my makeup and get my hair done.
"I still can't believe he bought a garage out of the middle of nowhere. I mean talk about an impulse buy."
I nod my agreement. "This place does seem to keep the people once they visit. So how's everything at work? Any criminals I need to watch out for."
Olivia shakes her head. "It's mainly drug problems. It's more of a waiting game which I hate."
"That's always been the case with you." I grin.
"I'm offended!"
Olivias phone beeps, and after glancing at it she sighs. "I'm so sorry, but it's Clare. Looks like we're not waiting around anymore."
"You're good." I smile, as she stands up and collects her things. "Be careful."
"I'll do my best."
I unlock my phone, intending to go through my emails, when Layla's voice catches my attention. "Fancy seeing you here."
I smile, leaving my phone down on the table. "Hey. How are you."
Tammy groans, and drops into the seat Olivia had been occupying. "Stressed. It's Harrison's birthday next month and I want to do something special for him."
"Like a party?"
"I guess, but nothing major or he'd kill me."
I laugh. "What age is he?"
"Twenty four." She says, and I can't help but notice the loving glance she aims at her ring. "I just want him to have a good time."
"I'm pretty sure he'd love it even if it was just the two of you, chilling at home with a movie."
"You think?"
I give her a 'duh' look. "Have you seen the way the guy looks at you. Obsessed."
She grins. "Why is it that even though we're married, I still question if he still loves me."
"It's human nature, but you don't need to question it."
"So what about Hayden and Abi, they seem pretty comfy."
I nod. "I hope they give it a go, because they seem like the perfect match."
"Maybe a party is just what they need to finally get together. Abi should be good by then."
I nod, only somehow I'm sure that it's not going to take them that long.
*＊✿❀ ❀✿＊*
Later that night, I push the door closed behind me. Layla invited me over to her place to help plan the surprise party for Harrison, and I welcomed the distraction.
I flick the light in the living room on, and drop my bag on the sofa. When I get to the kitchen, I notice the dull garden lights casting a shadow on Simon.
I slide the porch door open and straight away make eye contact with him. He's shirtless, with a cigarette between his lips.
"Stressful day?" I slip into the 'pod' chair. I'm referencing the fact that he's smoking, something he rarely does anymore.
"Sure." His response is sarcastic, his way of telling me I know exactly why he's doing it.
We sit in silence for another few minutes, my thoughts going haywire. With a nervous sigh, I finally speak. "So when did my parents proposition you?"
Simon clears his throat. "The night before I told you I was leaving."
"What did they threaten you with? It's not like I was depending on their money?" I ask. "I mean how did they even find out? No one knew about us."
Simon shakes his head. "Seemingly one of your dads clients seen us, who knows when."
"And the threat?"
"You sure you wanna know ?"
"What was it?"
Simon huffs. "I was told that my place in the army was ready for me. I either took off on Monday or your dad set you up for a hit and run."
I freeze, not expecting my fathers threat to be to such an extent. "He was going to put his own daughter in jail, just to keep you away from me?"
"He had everything planned. Showed me and everything." He tells me and throws the cigarette into the ash tray. "Shit, Iz. Seeing your face when I told you I was leaving was hell, but if I didn't go I would have ended up killing him myself."
"I wish I realised." I bite my lip. "I mean our relationship was always up and down, but I should have realised you wouldn't have done that. Not after everything."
"You can't blame yourself, Isabella." Simon reaches for my hand. He pulls me over, so the I'm sitting right next to him and drapes his arm across the back of the sofa.
"We were doomed from the start weren't we." I sigh, dropping my head onto his shoulder. It was a statement more than a question.
"I guess we were."