Page 138 of Tears of Gold

I wait until the door shuts before I turn back around. “What a tosser.”

Abi starts to laugh and then Gerard, then Philip. Until everyone is laughing and I’m wiping at my eyes, an insane rush of release coursing through my veins.

“Come on, Eli.” I turn to him holding out my hand. “Let’s go back to the hotel. The jury won’t decide anything today.”

He shakes his head. “I don’t think so. Your case was convincing.” He wraps me in his arms. “I love you.”

Smiling, I reach up, my tummy totally getting in my way and I kiss the edge of his mouth. “I love you.”

Reggie barrels through the door. “Faith, they’re back.”

“What?” I freeze, my lungs solidifying on the exhale.

“They are back. We’ve got to go.” Reggie hesitates. “Unless you don’t want to hear?”

“Fuck that.” I pull myself together. “I am watching that bastard stay down.”

I follow him, Eli’s hand tight in mine. My footsteps are heavy like I’m wading through water. Eli won’t let go. He follows me straight to the table where I will sit with Reggie and he helps me into my chair. His lips kiss mine. His eyes burn with an intensity I can’t even contemplate. He presses something into my hand and it’s only when he turns to walk away, I glance down. A V, the same as the one I inked on his shoulder is sketched onto a folded piece of paper. I open it and tears well up in my eyes.

V is for Victory. My victory was the day I met you and you changed the course of my life.

I fold it back up and hold it so damn tight it might never unfold again.

Everything happens so fast and so slow all at once.

When ‘guilty’ is said by the spokesperson of the jury I want to sear it into my heart, but I can’t because I’m staring at Aiden, at the monster who tried to ruin me. I watch his face as it falls and his eyes meet mine. And I fucking smile in that bastard’s face.

V is for victory. V is for me.

* * *

“Come on. Eli can wait just half an hour while you pop into mine first.” Abi whines down the phone. Sometimes it’s hard to differentiate between her and Charlotte.

I shift uncomfortably in my seat. The Range Rover might be top of the range, but it’s still not spacious enough for me and my bump. Whatever this date is Eli has planned—I have to drive to it myself in his monster car.

I didn’t want to tell him I was too tired for this. Filming the show, and the court case—although surprisingly brief—has knackered me out. All I wanted today was to lie in bed while he tickled the bump and played his little game of chase the foot which I know for a fact he doesn’t realise actually hurts. I’m exhausted, the emotional battering of the last few months have taken it out on me; that and pregnancy—who knew lumping a baby around hurt so much.

It’s why I made the decision to burn my mother’s file. Eli didn’t agree but he held my hand as I tossed it into the grate in the sitting room of our home.

I’m too exhausted for the past; my energy now is solely for my future. I’m happy with my choice. Freed by it almost.

“Earth to Faith!” I realise Abi has been gabbing on trying to get me to swing by and see her first before I meet him.

She’s not going to let me get away with being this close and not stopping by. “I’ll call him and see.”

“Yay. Love you.”

“Love you, too.” I disconnect the call and then hit dial on Eli’s number on loudspeaker.

“Are you nearly here?”

“I am, but Abi wants to see me. Do you mind if I push back half an hour?”

There’s a beat of a pause. “You want to delay our date for Abi?”

“Just half an hour. She wants to tell me something. I reckon she’s pregnant again.”

“Poor Adam.”