Sweet as Honey (The Seven Sisters) - By Caitlyn Robertson Page 0,20
lashed out with the blade, only realising as he swore and yelled at her that it was James. He yelled at her and ran out of the house, his hands and face covered in blood.
That was the last time she’d seen him. She left the house and begged her parents to take her back. Since then she’d got herself a job working the local supermarket and was trying to make a life for herself.
Honey had listened to the sorry story with rising nausea. She knew the other jurors would think Sarah sounded pathetic, a victim, too weak to stand up to the bully she’d fallen for. They would find it difficult to understand why she’d stayed with James, just as Dex and Honey’s family had found it difficult to understand why she’d stayed with Ian for so long. She hadn’t been able to explain to anyone that her own lack of confidence and low self-worth meant she’d constantly blamed herself for the problems in their relationship. It hadn’t been quite as bad as Sarah’s relationship with James, but there were definite echoes. Honey sympathised with Sarah and knew how difficult it must have been for her.
She stuffed the uneaten chicken sandwich back in its wrapper and checked her watch. Still fifteen minutes to go before she had to be back.
Taking on her phone, she saw she had two messages. One from the wedding organiser checking the colour of the lilies for the tables, and one from Dex.
She texted the wedding organiser back with White, please! Then she read Dex’s message.
Ring me and let me know you’re okay, it said, sent about half an hour ago.
Honey hesitated, wanting to speak to him but not really wanting to talk about the case. But she missed him, and suddenly longed to hear his voice.
In the end, she gave in and dialled his number.
It took him about ten rings to answer, and she was just about to leave a message on his answerphone.
“Hello?” he said.
Was it her imagination, or had he made that one word sound irritable? “It’s me,” she said, flustered.
For a moment, he didn’t say anything. She thought she heard the scrape of a chair, a mumbled sentence to someone in the room. Then he said, “Hi.”
He sounded strange. Or was it her imagination?
“Are you busy?” she asked, as she did whenever she rang him while he was on duty.
“Ah, no. Just taking a bit of lunch.”
Still, his words were stilted. Perhaps he was working through his lunch break. It wouldn’t be the first time. “I won’t keep you,” she said. “Just wanted to let you know I’m okay. I did get picked though.”
“Shit. I’m sorry.”
“I know. Hardly anyone turned up! Typical.”
“Couldn’t you ask the judge to excuse you?” he said.
She shifted awkwardly. “It’s a bit late now. The case has started.”
“Honey, honestly. You should have told the judge once you were chosen—I’m sure he would have excused you.” He sounded irritated that she hadn’t thought of that herself.
She frowned and scraped at a mark on the steering wheel. “It’s my civic duty. I wanted to do it.” It was partly true. To be honest, it hadn’t entered her head that she could have asked to be excused after she’d been chosen. And now she was stuck there for the next few days. The judge had said the evidence would be presented over Monday, Tuesday and possibly Wednesday, and then they would have to make their decision. She could be there until the end of the week!
“What’s the case about?” he asked.
She hesitated. “I’m not supposed to say.”
He gave a barely suppressed sigh. “Fair enough.”
She flushed, even though he couldn’t see her. “It’s the rules, Dex. I’m not supposed to discuss it with anyone.”
“Not even the guy you’re marrying at the end of the week?”
She couldn’t tell if he was amused or irritated. “You are a police officer,” she pointed out. “You could have been involved the night it happened.”
“I suppose.” Obviously picking up on her mood, he fell silent.
Her stomach knotted. They hardly ever argued, and she wasn’t used to this feeling of awkwardness with him. Yet again, she worried about the distant look he’d had in his eyes over the past week. She swallowed down the panic that threatened to rise within her. He would never leave her at the altar. He’d only done that before because Cathryn had been so awful to him.
“I’d better go,” he said.
Something was definitely wrong. She closed her eyes and tried to envisage him