CORAL - Forever (A Romance Trilogy, Book 3) (15 page)

“Do you want to call Olivia?” I ask, biting
my bottom lip. Tristan leans forward and releases my lip from my teeth.

“Coral are you asking out of curiosity, or
because you think I still have feelings for her?”

I snort, caught out!

“Both…I think?” I say frowning. Tristan
frowns back at me. “There’s no feelings there’ – “So if you had to choose?” I
interrupt.

“It would be you,” he tells me firmly.

“Ok, good.” I breathe, feeling satisfied.

Tristan chuckles again. “Green eyed
monster!”

“I know, it’s not nice. I just…if you do
still like her, I’d rather know now. I just want you to be sure this is really
what you want, not what you think you want. I want reassurance that if Olivia
was suddenly back on the market, you wouldn’t go running to her.”

“No way,” Tristan says shaking his head.
“Is that ever going to happen. What you and I have is so much stronger than
what I had with Olivia. It’s you I want,” he reiterates.

Ok, feeling loads better about what
happened, and Tristan’s feelings for Olivia.

“Would it bother you if I did call her?” he
asks, “I’d like to apologise to her, maybe she’ll forgive me?” He muses.

“I don’t mind,” I say. “But it’s doubtful
she’ll forgive you. She sounded angry and upset on the phone.”

“Oh…” His face pales.

“Hey, we all make mistakes. No one’s
perfect,” I add.

“I guess,” he says, staring down at the
bedding.

“Tristan.” He looks up at me. “I want to
organise a grave for my Mom tomorrow?”

“We already have enough going on tomorrow.
I don’t want you over exerting yourself. Besides, after speaking to Gladys I
called the Psychiatric Facility. They kept your mother’s belongings along with
her ashes for you to collect, and I have located a plot at Hove Cemetery, or
you could go for an alternative,” he says.

“An alternative?” I question.

“Yes, when I did some research, I found
there’s a place called Woodland Burial. It’s basically a non-traditional, echo
friendly way of burying someone. Instead of a grave stone, you plant a tree.”

“A tree?” I squeak.

“You don’t like the idea?” He asks.

“Tristan, I love it…and I think we should
go with that option, but when did you sort of all this?” I ask incredulously.

He shrugs. “While you were recovering in
hospital.”

“Oh…”
Wow, he’s done so much!
He’s talked
to the detective, re-designed this bedroom, got Edith and Stu living here,
organised the party, sorted out my mother’s burial; and bought me two beautiful
birthday presents.

“Tristan,” I whisper, tears pooling in my
eyes. “Thank you, you’ve done so much, you’ve been wonderful,” I sniff.

“Hey, less of that,” he says.

“Sorry,” I sniff again.

“Baby.” Tristan gently pulls me to him,
wrapping his arm carefully around me. I snuggle closer to him, feeling safe and
protected.

I look up at Tristan. “Can we go see my
studio tomorrow?” I say, feeling weird about going out.

“No baby, how many times do I have to say
it? I don’t want you over exerting yourself. What are you worried about?” he
asks.

“I don’t know… I just want to see it I
guess.”

“Coral, be honest with me,” he says. “You looked
a little frightened then, what is it?”

I sigh inwardly. “Ok…ok…I’m freaking out
about going outside again and I don’t know why?”

“That’s normal baby,” he says.

“It is?” I squeak.

“Yes, victims of traumatic events often
take several weeks to process what happened, and even then, it can take a while
to get back to normality.”

“Normality?” I snort. “Tristan, you should
know I’ve never been normal,” I tease.

“Hey!” He warns. “Stop making a joke of
it.”

I frown again. “Maybe I need to see Cindy?”
I muse.

“That’s a good idea. George said you’ve
spoken to him and he’s coming here Tuesday afternoon. Maybe he can bring Cindy
with him?”

“Ok, I’ll call him. But I still need to
sort my studio,” I say.

“Darling, I had your studio packed up. It’s
all in boxes downstairs.”

“It is?” I gasp, staring back at him with
wide eyes.

“Yes, in the big reception room.”

“Oh…why did you do that?” I ask.

“Well, when the detectives had
finished…Edith and I boxed everything up for you. I didn’t think you’d want to
go back there, and I knew you wouldn’t be in any state to pack it all up. I
threw away the clothes Susannah shredded though, I hope you don’t mind?” He
says.

“No, I don’t mind. So my studio is empty
and locked up?”

“Yes, apart from the furniture.”
How
weird is that?

“Ok,” I say. I’m not really sure how I feel
about that.

“You just need to decide what to do with
it, when you’re ready that is.” Then it hits me, my bills – My mortgage!
Holy
crap!

“Oh!” I go to scoot out of bed so I can
fire my laptop up and transfer some money, but Tristan stops me. “Coral, what
are you doing?”

“I need to put my laptop on Tristan!”

“Why? Why do you look panicked?”

“I’m not panicking Tristan, I just don’t
want to get charged.” I say a little breathlessly.

“Charged? For what?” He asks.

“For being late on my mortgage, and my
bills. I need to transfer some money across to-” I stop talking because Tristan
is looking very sheepish right now. “What have you done?” I huff. I already
know this is going to have something to do with money.

“You had your monthly wage go into your
account from Garland’s, so you have no need to worry.” He says, his eyes cast
down, his face serious, but I can see his lips trying to twitch up into a smile
– He’s definitely done something!

“And?” I prompt. He’s still not looking at
me. “Look at me Tristan.” He knows I’m not going to like this.

He sighs, then trying to fight his smile he
looks up at me. “I transferred some money across to your account. I wasn’t sure
if your wages covered everything, so I thought better to be safe than sorry.”
He says, smiling widely at me now.

I cock one eyebrow up at him. “When you say
‘some money’ ?”

Tristan loses the grin. “Does it matter ?”
He looks wary now, and so he damn well should be.

“How much Tristan?” I balk.

He sighs again and looks down at the bed.
“Twenty five thousand.”
Holy fuck!

I nod my head several times. I know what to
do, but I’m not going to tell him. I’ll simply transfer the money back into his
account tomorrow.

“Coral, I want you to have it. I don’t want
it back!” He says. How the hell does he read my mind like that!
It’s spooky!

I completely ignore him. “I mean it!” He
states.

“Fine!” I say. I’m still transferring it
back! He looks angry for a second then shakes his head and smiles his wide
smile at me. I smile back at him. “So I guess I’ve officially moved in with
you?”

“Yep,” he says, grinning widely.

“Happy?” I ask, remembering Tristan teasing
me when he told me he’d bought this place, and how he would be happy when I’d
moved in.

“Yes, very,” he says. “You?”

“I remember you teasing me about moving
in,” I say. “And yes, I am over the moon to be here, because you’re here.”

“Ah, sweet baby,” he says, gently kissing
me. “Coral, are you really happy about having house guests living with us?
Would you rather it be just the two of us?”

“I’m happy,” I say. “Don’t change
anything.”

“Ok.” He grins. “Any other questions?”

“Yes, I have no job Tristan. What am I
going to do?”

“Well you could always come back to Chester
House?” He suggests.

“Maybe…I don’t know,” I muse. “But if I’m
not there and Susannah is…locked away, who’s working there?”

“Actually Karen is here at the moment, and
Joyce is there too, just finishing off until I get back.”

“Oh, ok.”
I wanted to meet Karen, I
wonder if I will?

“Any other questions?” He asks again.

“Why?” I question curiously.

“Because I have questions, but I want you
to finish first.”

“Um…well there is one more thing. But promise
me you won’t get mad?” I quietly say.

“Why would I get mad?” he says. I cock one
eyebrow up at him. “Ok, I won’t get mad.” He laughs.

“Well, it’s about Susannah,” I say.
Tristan’s face falls and his eyes slowly darken.

“What about Susannah?” He says through
gritted teeth.

“Hey, you promised!” He closes his eyes
briefly and he takes a deep breath in, trying to reign in his temper, when he
opens them I can see his chocolate colour is coming back.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers. “Please
continue.”

“I don’t want her rotting away in a Mental
Institution Tristan, look what happened to my mother. Susannah is imbalanced, I
know that, but only because of what happened, I’m sure with the right care and
attention, she’ll get back on her feet. Have the chance at a happy, full life,
maybe even fall in love again, have a family…” I drift off, thinking about her
rotting away in that horrid place.

“Coral, you’re a complete conundrum to me,”
Tristan says shaking his head. Then he turns over onto his back and stares up
at the ceiling. “She almost killed you…could have killed me and you want to
help her?” He says incredulously.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I’ve just told you why,” I say.

“But…I just don’t understand…” He says,
running his hand through his hair.

“Tristan, if I remember rightly, you really
liked Susannah before all this happened. You praised her, said she was the best
member of staff you ever had, you trusted her, was fond of her even. Yet, you’re
happy for her to rot away in some awful place that makes a person worse, not better?
She was let down by the system Tristan, just like my Mom was, I just…” I stop
and take a breath.

“Yes I did trust her,” he spits. “But that
was before I found out she was a complete lunatic.”

“She is not a lunatic,” I argue. “She’s a
very frightened, lost person. Tristan she lost her husband who she evidently
loved, god knows how I would have felt had I lost you…and then to lose your
unborn child…” I break off shivering slightly, but I notice Tristan tense up
beside me.

“What?” I question, sitting up so I can see
his eyes.

“Nothing,” he says closing them on me.

“Tristan!” I scold. “Remember what we
promised. We have to be honest and to talk to one another. I know you’re
keeping something back from me.”

Tristan sighs heavily and runs his hand
through his hair again. “What do you want me to do about Susannah?” He questions,
trying to throw me of the scent.

“I don’t know, can’t we send her to the
Priory or something?” I question.

“The Priory?” He snorts.

“You know what I mean,” I say. “Will she be
charged with attempted murder?”

“Probably, but her solicitor will no doubt
plead insanity,” he says.

“And if we drop the charges, she won’t have
to go to an Institution?” I question.

“Coral, why are you really doing this baby,
because I’m trying really hard to understand?” He says.

“Because I’m guessing she was a happy
stable person before…” I drift off, imagining Susannah bouncing her baby on her
knee, her husband beside her. Suddenly Tristan leans up on his elbow, and
stares down at me, then he softly strokes my cheek.

“You want her to have a second chance?” he
softly says. I nod my head. “Ok, we drop the charges as long as she goes where
I want her to go, and right now, it’s on a completely different continent. I
don’t want her anywhere near you or me,” he snaps.

“Thank you,” I muse. “I want to see her
too,” I add.

“No!” he barks.

“Tristan, you’re not telling me what I can
and can't do, let’s just get that straight right now, before we’re married. I
want to see her, I will see her, and you can either come with me, or not, it’s
your choice.”
There, that told him!

“Why on earth would you want to see her?” He
challenges.

“I want to ask her something,” I whisper.

“And what might that be?” He questions.

“It’s a girl thing,” I say.

“A girl thing?” He snorts sarcastically.

“Yep, anyway I’m done, well apart from my
original question.” Tristan tenses again. “You know…” I ponder on purpose, “the
one about Dr Green?”

Tristan sighs and closes his eyes. “I was
just pissed at her because she wanted to…” He stops for a moment then
continues. “I’m not married to you, or your next of kin, so we argued about who
should tell you what had happened if you didn’t remember. I got George in to
see her, explain your past, and how it’s best, knowing what you’re like, for me
to explain everything to you. I knew it had to be someone that you trusted, not
a complete stranger.”