Secrets at the Loch (Loch Lannick #5) - Hannah Ellis Page 0,28

history wasn’t something she usually spoke about, but she had an urge to talk. “He’s my grandad’s brother. My birth mother, Stephanie, was seventeen when she had me. My biological father left before I was even born. Stephanie couldn’t cope with me. She sort of unofficially gave me to her parents. When they couldn’t cope with me, Angus and Mary agreed to take me.” She paused as her chin twitched. Why couldn’t she manage to tell him without crying? If she could talk about it, maybe she’d be able to move on from it. Her past was such a jumble of people and emotions. If she could get it straight enough in her head to tell someone else, she might feel better about it all.

“Do you have any contact with any of your family, aside from Angus and Mary?”

“My grandma died. I see my grandad sometimes. Not often. He and Angus don’t speak anymore so it’s a bit awkward.”

“What about your birth mum?”

“She’s a waste of space.” Lexie’s eyes filled with tears again. She hated the pain in her chest. Why was she still letting the stupid woman get to her? Shaking her head, she lay back down. Talking about it was too hard.

“Do you need another hug?” Nick asked.

She chuckled. “No chance!”

“Fair enough.” He smiled warmly and it made her feel more settled again. “Do you want me to stay or go?”

“Can you stay?” She was too drained to pretend she didn’t want him around.

He nodded as he lay beside her.

She turned on her side to look at him. “Thank you,” she murmured as he switched off the lamp. After being adamant she wanted to be alone, having Nick around had been wonderfully comforting.

Chapter Thirteen

Seagulls screeched outside the window, dragging Lexie from a peaceful slumber. Bright sunlight burst into the room, making her squint as she came around. She reached across Nick for her phone.

His eyes opened in a flash. “What time is it?”

“Just after nine,” she said as the phone screen came into focus.

It seemed to take him a moment to process things, then he pulled the covers off and jumped up, swearing as he went.

“I thought you were on holiday for two weeks,” Lexie said.

“Staff meeting,” he said as he paused in the doorway. “I’m not sure whose stupid idea it was to have a staff meeting on Monday morning on the first day of the holidays … but I’m late.”

“Your shoes are here,” she called when he dashed onto the landing. He hurried back and sat on the bed to tie the laces. “Sorry I made you late.”

“Don’t worry about it. Are you okay?”

“Yes.” It wasn’t even a lie. Usually when her past resurfaced it took her days or even weeks to snap out of the funk. But she really felt okay. “Thanks.”

He rubbed her upper arm. “I really have to go. But you know you can always call me if you need to talk, or just want company.”

“Thanks, Nick.”

“I’ll talk to you later,” he said, then hurried away again.

Lexie needed to get ready for work too. She was heading for the bathroom when the quick succession of thuds on the stairs made her flinch. “Are you all right?” she called, peering over the bannister to see Nick land on his bum on the bottom step.

“Fine!” His cheeks flushed as he looked up at her. “That’s how I get downstairs when I’m in a rush.”

She smiled, having done exactly the same a hundred times. The stairs were steep; running down them inevitably led to lost footing and bumping down the final few.

“See you later,” she called as he ran for the door. He’d no doubt be mortified, but she found his clumsiness quite sweet.

She felt oddly content with the world as she got showered and dressed. When her mind drifted to how upset she’d been the previous evening, she didn’t have the knot in her stomach she usually did. She wasn’t even embarrassed that Nick had been witness to her breakdown. Lexie had opened up to him without feeling judged, and she felt a little lighter for it. Of course, she hadn’t told him the whole story, but it was a major step for her to share anything about her past.

“You’re up early,” her mum commented when Lexie let herself into the flat above the pub. Mary was reading the paper at the kitchen table while her dad sat opposite, doing the Sudoku puzzle.

“You know you could read the news online and save the trees?” Lexie