in the city, of course. His family owned – still own, in fact – the Grand Hotel; they had an apartment that covered the entire top two floors. Whereas we lived in a cramped duplex in Tensta.’
‘Tensta? I don’t know it.’
He gave a wry smile. ‘No, it’s a suburb in the north-west of the city.’
‘And you didn’t see each other then?’
‘He was at a boarding school in Switzerland, and his family travelled a lot. He was only really around in the summers. I used to feel like I spent all year waiting to see him.’ He gave an embarrassed smile and looked away.
‘Max, if you were such good friends, why haven’t you gone to see him?’
‘Because . . . how can I, Bell? I’m the bastard sleeping with his wife!’
And now he’s the bastard sleeping with yours, she thought, watching as he dragged a hand through his hair again. She hated that she was stuck in the middle of this and being forced to lie, but this wasn’t her secret to tell. ‘So, if you were his friend, then you were Hanna’s too, I assume?’
‘Of course. I went to their wedding.’
Bell nodded. She could see how it had played out – Hanna in a tailspin after the doctors’ prognosis; old friends consoling each other, comfort turning into refuge, into something more . . . But was it guilt, or rekindled love, that had sent her spinning back into her husband’s arms again?
‘So then Emil must understand how it would have happened between you and her, even if he doesn’t want to admit it to himself.’
He was silent for a moment, watching her. ‘. . . You’d tell me if you knew anything, wouldn’t you, Bell?’
‘Max –’
‘Please don’t tell me I’m being paranoid. I’m not a fool. When Hanna heard about the accident, she rushed out in the middle of a storm to be with him. And now she’s been there all weekend, just her and Emil and Linus, playing happy families. You got given the weekend off –’
She swallowed, wishing she had never set foot in that room that night and seen what she’d seen. Ignorance would have been bliss. ‘For the record, I asked for that time off. But they’re not alone, if that’s what you’re thinking. Måns is there too.’
‘The old guy’s still going?’
‘He’s still going – slowly, but going.’ She smiled. ‘Plus, there’s cooks, gardeners, a physio . . . . Look, she’s only there because Emil was concussed, and I think she was terrified he was going to slip back into a coma again.’
He shot her a sceptical look. ‘Statistically, that wasn’t likely to happen.’
‘Statistically, Emil was never supposed to wake up.’
‘Touché.’ With a mirthless smile he sat back in the chair again, staring into space. They sat in easy silence, Bell drinking her coffee as his fingers tapped absently on the crossword.
He glanced over at her again. ‘So back to you – why have you lost weight? You didn’t answer before.’
‘Oh.’ She gave a groan, trying to make light of it, find a reason. ‘You know – boy trouble. The usual.’
‘Ah.’ Sympathetic nod. ‘Anyone I know?’
She shook her head. ‘No. He’s . . . uh, a sailor, skippers a megaboat. Leaving for New Zealand soon, just my luck.’
‘New Zealand?’ he grimaced. ‘That really is unfortunate.’
‘Yeah. He couldn’t get further away.’
‘Well, I’m sorry to hear that – but don’t cry too many tears over him. In my experience, The One appears whether you’re looking for them or not.’ He shot her a wry look. ‘Clearly, I was not.’
She gave a sympathetic smile.
‘Anyway,’ he said, changing the subject. ‘Enough of our respective heartbreaks. What’s the plan for today? When are you going back? I’ve packed a bag for Linus, just some little things he forgot –’
‘Back?’ She got up, taking their empty cups over to the sink.
‘To 007.’
‘Oh. I’m not,’ she said over her shoulder, rinsing them.
‘You’re not going back?’ he echoed, as though he hadn’t heard correctly.
‘No.’
He came over and joined her by the sink. ‘But Hanna hasn’t mentioned you not staying there.’
‘Well, I was only needed to help Linus settle in and get to know his father. Emil I mean,’ she corrected, flashing an apologetic smile. ‘Which he’s now done.’
‘But it’s only been two weeks.’
‘I know, but it’s going well. They’re certainly relaxed together. You know, Emil’s like the cool uncle.’ She shot another apologetic smile. ‘Not that you’re not cool.’