Trust Me - Sheryl Browne Page 0,54

didn’t mind that he was an odd-jobbing builder, grabbing work where he could. He’d had a tough childhood. The oldest of four children of a single mother, he’d had to leave school at sixteen with few qualifications and take whatever job he could to provide for them all, he’d told her. He’d had few opportunities in life, but he’d made the best of his situation. He still looked after his mother, who was sick, apparently, making sure she had everything she needed. That couldn’t be easy for him with bills to pay on the house his ex-wife still lived in until it was sold, and debts to pay off, one of which was pressing. Millie respected him for caring enough to do that, loved him all the more because of it. She doubted her mum would approve of him, though, particularly given the age gap between them. Him being thirty was no big deal in Millie’s mind. Most women went out with older men, didn’t they? Sally’s husband, Dave, was ten years older than her.

Her mum was bound to think it was a big deal, though. She banged on endlessly about Millie not being distracted or dictated to by anyone and doing something with her life. Wasn’t she dictating, though, telling her she had to get her grades up, study hard, go to uni? Louis thought she was lucky having parents who were loaded and gave a stuff about her. Millie wasn’t so sure sometimes. It was hard trying to live up to her mum’s expectations.

Emily had warned her several times not to make the same mistakes she’d made. Millie despaired of that – her mum couldn’t see that she was basically saying that she and Ben were her mistakes. That she thought being married to her dad was a mistake. Despite all that, Millie had always thought their marriage was strong, that they were okay together, but from the shit going down now, they clearly weren’t. The smile seemed to have gone from her dad’s eyes. He looked nothing but worried and miserable. As for her mum, she seemed to be off the bloody wall, ranting on at him constantly, which she’d never done before; accusing him of being unfaithful.

Her dad wasn’t perfect, but Millie could never imagine him doing that. He had been working late a lot while taking over the practice, which she thought was understandable – he’d barely moved from his desk whenever she’d gone in with him on a Saturday – but he was always bringing her mum flowers, and she thought that was dead romantic. He listened to her – or he had before all this started – always looked at her with affection. He helped out around the house whenever he could. He even brought her tea in bed and massaged her shoulders when she felt tired, which seemed to be permanently recently. Was there a reason for that? Millie wondered, worrying quietly. But then she dismissed it. Her dad would know if there was. He wouldn’t be looking at Mum now with nothing but bewilderment in his eyes.

Would they split up? She didn’t want them to. She wasn’t sure she could bear it at home if her dad wasn’t around to lighten things. Goosebumps prickling her skin, she pulled up the sheet that was half covering her body and twisted her head to look at the man she’d given her virginity, her heart and her soul to. She was reassured when she felt that familiar little flip in her tummy. Things would get better, she was sure they would. She just had to be brave and explain to him what she wanted. She was a grown woman, after all. She could bring the scented candles and set the mood. It was way outdated to expect the man to do all the romancing.

He had extraordinary eyelashes, impossibly long; they almost brushed his high cheekbones as he slept. Studying him, she was tempted to reach out and touch them. A five o’clock shadow darkened his strong features, which only added to his rugged good looks. She hadn’t minded that it had been scratchy while they’d made love. He’d been desperate, frustrated, counting the days since the last time, he’d said, deep longing in his cobalt eyes as he’d pulled her into his arms, which Millie supposed was quite romantic.

She hadn’t been sure about going all the way with him at first. She’d wanted to take things more slowly, but she couldn’t expect him to