Page 36 of If We Were Young

With a curt nod, Matthew—NOOOOO he was back in my head again—straightened from his chair.

The phone rang but I couldn’t reach for it because I battled in a stare down with the man in the suit.

“Ronnie.” Natalie poked her head through the door breaking my focus. “It’s the school.”

“Already?” My heart pounded like a runaway horse. “But it’s early still.”

“Afraid so.”

Acutely aware of my audience, I picked up my phone and listened to the school secretary on the other end of the line.

Sighing, feeling it somewhere down near my toes, I dropped my phone back into its cradle and then reached for my bag. “I’ve got to go. I apologise, but it’s important.” I didn’t know what to say or where to look. Didn’t want the failure of my parenting to be painted all over my face. My mother could judge me enough for that later. “Fred, I’ll ring in a bit, okay?”

Way to look professional. Our first day on the job and the boss was already running from the office. I couldn’t look at Matthew.

I pushed past, my feet on the way to the reception, when his voice pulled me back like I was held on elastic. “Ronnie?”

I turned, unwilling but helpless. “I’m sorry, Matt…” Gah. “Mr Carling, I need to get to my daughter’s school.”

“Is she ill?”

“Uh. No.” But she would be when she got home, and I skinned her alive.

“My car is in the car park across the road. Can I give you a lift?” His tone softened. That Scottish melody plucking chords. I stuttered a little.

“Oh, it’s okay. I can get the train; my car is parked at the station car park.” I didn’t add that I’d done this unscheduled pick up more than I’d like. I knew the platforms I needed to wait on, and the spot to stand in to get on the train at a good place to quickly get off and find my car.

He pushed his hands into the pockets of his suit trousers. No lying, my gaze followed, and he pulled out a set of car keys. “It’s not a problem.”

Those eyes made it clear he wouldn’t let me say no. The shades of blue were sky and slate. Heaven and earth.

“Thanks.”

I couldn’t get in a car with him. It would just be us in a confined space.

I followed him to the lift, and he pressed the button. Natalie almost fell off her chair as she watched us walk past. From the corner of my eyes, I caught Fred slouching on the doorframe of my office and leaning against it, watching us leave, his blonde head turned in our direction.

I cleared my throat as the doors shut.

And breathe.

Breathe.

Breathe? Was I crazy?

There wasn’t enough air for us both to survive the trip down to the main entrance hall. Everything was glass and shiny; a greenhouse for my skin to burn under.

His shoulders were straight, his lips straighter. I cast him a side eye, trying to read his features. “You can just speak you know.” He didn’t look at me; his words tingled like sparks of electricity.

“I know,” I squeaked. “Thanks for the lift.”

“It’s okay.” He turned a little and for a flash I thought I saw a churning in the depths of his eyes that mirrored the seasick sensation I’d got in my stomach. “Children can be a challenge.”

My mouth popped open. I’d spent so long trying to block him from my head, while studiously obsessing over him, that I never thought him and her would have kids.

Of course they would.

I mean they’d been married since the dawn of time.