Trust Me - Sheryl Browne Page 0,68

eyes. ‘Millie stormed out again.’

Jake’s heart jolted. He’d heard Ben on his phone upstairs when he’d come in, but he hadn’t even asked where Millie was. He’d assumed she was in her bedroom; that both kids were less than happy with him and therefore avoiding him. ‘What happened?’ he asked warily.

‘We argued,’ she said with a rueful sigh. ‘I knew Millie would be emotional, thinking we were breaking up. She was really trying to be there for me, but I managed to put my foot in it again.’

Jake felt the foundations of his world shift another inch. ‘Are we?’ he asked throatily.

She took an agonising minute to reply. ‘I don’t know,’ she said eventually, going back to the island to pick up her wine glass. She didn’t take a drink, contemplating the contents distractedly instead. ‘I can’t see how we can work things out when you clearly hate me.’

She couldn’t think that that was how he felt, surely? ‘I don’t hate you, Emily.’ Guilt wrenching his stomach, he walked across to her.

‘No?’ She emitted a hollow laugh. ‘It feels that way, Jake.’

‘Christ, Emily, I could never feel that way about you. I love you. I’ve always loved you. I fell in love with you approximately ten seconds after I saw you.’

He was exaggerating, but not by much. She’d made him smile, something he hadn’t done for a while. It had felt good. A switch had flicked inside him that day. He’d felt something other than a need to work, to keep studying to stop himself from thinking. He’d felt hope. She’d saved him. She must know that.

‘Please believe I’m sorry,’ he begged her. ‘I should never have said the things I did. I have no idea what was going on in my head. I thought, after what you accused me of with Natasha, that …’ Struggling to explain, he trailed off hopelessly.

‘That I’d sent that vile letter to her? And then another to Zoe to shift suspicion from myself?’ Emily searched his face long and hard.

‘I was wrong. I’m sorry,’ Jake reiterated.

She nodded. ‘And Sally? Are you sorry about her?’

Jake glanced awkwardly down. ‘I should have mentioned it,’ he admitted. ‘It just …’ He was about to add that it hadn’t occurred to him it wasn’t common knowledge by now when Emily spoke over him.

‘It’s her, isn’t it? Sally? It’s her you’re seeing?’

His gaze snapped back to her. ‘What?’ He looked at her, stunned.

‘She obviously hates me. She must, to be doing what she’s doing,’ Emily continued, confounding him.

She actually believed that … Jesus. ‘She’s not doing anything, Emily,’ Jake said, his heart plummeting all over again.

‘Oh, I see.’ She drew in a breath. ‘So you think I’m quite capable of the evil you accused me of, but not her? I think that sums up how you really feel about me, don’t you?’

‘You mean you think it’s Sally who’s sending the letters out?’ Jake searched her eyes, saw the conviction in them, and felt trepidation run the length of his spine.

‘She knows I check your email,’ Emily pointed out. ‘It was the perfect way to cause trouble between us. And she would definitely have wanted to warn Natasha off if there were some basis in it, wouldn’t she?’

‘And the letters to Zoe and Jennifer?’ He tried very hard to keep his voice calm.

‘To deflect suspicion from herself. Isn’t that what you thought I was doing?’

He felt hopelessness wash through him. ‘I don’t believe that, Emily,’ he said quietly. ‘I’ve known her for some years and—’

‘Evidently.’ Sweeping a disappointed gaze over him, she planted her glass back on the island and turned away. ‘I rest my case.’

‘Emily …’ Jake caught hold of her arm. ‘I was confused back at the surgery. Devastated for Zoe. I said some cruel things and I’m truly sorry. I can’t say I think Sally’s involved, though. I can’t imagine her doing something like this.’

Emily pulled away from him. ‘You need to talk to Millie,’ she said, changing the subject. ‘Assuming you have time in your busy schedule.’

Jake sighed in utter despair. ‘I will,’ he said, guessing that Millie must have been considerably upset when she’d left. ‘Is she at Anna’s?’ he asked, glancing at the wall clock, wondering whether he should call her.

‘No. I’ve spoken to Anna’s mother,’ Emily said, her tone flat. ‘Millie’s seeing someone. Someone unsuitable. Someone older than her. She refused to tell me anything more about him.’

Jake buried another sigh. She’d obviously got Millie’s back up. He knew she was concerned about