A Natural Act (Contradictions) (32 page)

“
Well, if you know he loves you, and you’re sure you love him, you need to talk to him,” Mum sighs. “But be careful, Bella. You have to learn to love yourself before you can truly love another. I think you lost yourself with Nigel and I’m not sure you had chance to recover before you met this doctor.”

“
I know,” I nod. “I appreciate that, mum. My brain says the same but my heart disagrees. I miss him.”

“
Time will tell,” Dad says. “But I like seeing you on your way to happiness, Bella. You need me to come have a stern word with this doctor fellow, you let me know.”

“
Thanks, Dad,” I grin because I don’t think he’d be quite is bold if he were to come face to face with Craig.

“Sex on the beach?” Tucker grins at me mischievously.

“
Wouldn’t I get sand in uncomfortable places?” I blink innocently.

“
Screwdriver without the vodka it is,” he chuckles, getting my drink ready.

I take a sip and go back to reading the newspaper in front of me, enjoying the usual happy atmosphere of Scott’s Bar.

My mobile phone buzzes in my pocket and I answer the unknown number because it’s becoming more and more common for my clients or colleagues to call my mobile out of hours. Especially with a particularly complicated case which is high on my priorities at the moment.

“
Isabella West,” I answer formally.

“
I know who you are,” Nigel drawls back.

I sigh.
“What do you want, Nigel?”

“
Drop the case, Isabella.”

That was abrupt, I was expecting the usual game playing and mental torture.

“No.” I hang up and go back to my newspaper, pretending my heart isn’t beating at one million miles an hour.

Why this sudden change of heart? Why is he suddenly back in
touch? There’s been radio silence since I filed the charges. What’s changed for him to suddenly demand I drop them?

Maybe his father found out? I doubt he would be pleased if he found out his son risked a criminal record. He wouldn’t care what was on that record – just that Nigel had one.

Why would his father only just have found out though? I’m not sure what’s going on.

“
You okay, Izzy?” Tucker’s eye brows pull together as he looks at me.

“
Fine,” I shake my head. “Just my ex being an ass.”

“
Which one?” Carla calls over from the pint she’s pouring.

After all this time it’s still hard for me to consider Craig my ex. That puts him in the same category as Nigel and I find that unacceptable.

“Nigel,” I shout over.

“
You okay?” She frowns, coming closer.

I nod, ignoring my still vibrating phone because now that I know it’s him, I’m quite content to let it ring.

“You might not be in a minute,” she cringes looking over my shoulder.

I follow her gaze and my stomach instantly clenches. Craig fills the door to the pub and his eyes instantly zone in on mine.

I quickly swivel back around in my chair and focus on the nonsensical writing on my newspaper.

“
Tucker, I might be needing an actual screwdriver,” I mumble.

“
As in the DIY variety?” He offers.

“
As in the vodka variety. Stat,” I grimace.

“
Stat is a term for a medical emergency,” Craig’s deep voice appears from behind me. “You need a doctor, lady?”

“
No,” I answer without looking. “They’re bad from my health.”

I don’t get an answer but I feel his large body slide onto the stool next to me.

I flick mindlessly through the newspaper and gratefully accept the toxic-smelling cocktail Tucker pushes my way.

“
What’s this?” I ask him because it is most definitely not a screwdriver.

“
The sex on the beach I promised you,” he winks and starts wiping down the bar in front of us.

Craig growls and I ignore him.

“This is far more comfortable than I thought it’d be,” I tell him.

“
Sand free,” Tucker nods, watching Craig out of the corner of his eye. Wise move.

“
Can I get a pint,” he tells tucker.

“
No!” Carla comes bounding over. “You’re cut off.”

I grin into my delicious beach sex because she’s still on my side and I love it.

“Seriously?” Craig raises an amused eyebrow at her.

She nods defiantly.

He frowns. “Pint or I get the twins to pull your gym membership.”

“
I already paid for a year up front,” she gloats and crosses her arms across her chest.

“
They they’ll refund you,” Craig shrugs. “And you can’t fight for the club anymore.”

“
You wouldn’t,” she glares at him but he looks pretty serious to me.

“
Try me,” he shrugs.

“
Why are you being an ass?” She fumes.

“
Because I need to talk to Bella and that’s hard enough already. Don’t need you making it harder,” he growls back, flexing the muscles in his neck.

Considering he’s stopped fighting competitively, he doesn’t seem to have gotten any smaller. Mind you, from what I gather he’s at the gym every second of his spare time anyway.

“What do you want, Craig?” I ask him, painfully aware that I just asked Nigel the same thing.

“
Need to talk to you,” he repeats.

He’s already said that so I just wait for him to get to the point.

“You look good, lady,” he murmurs, a small smile in his voice.

I ignore him and stare at the page once more.

“Ignoring me?” He prompts, grabbing the base of my swivel stool and forcing me to face him.

I’m definitely ignoring
the overwhelming scent of cloves and the way looking at him makes my chest hurt.

“
I’m just waiting for you to say whatever it is you came here to say,” I retort nonchalantly.

“
What if I came here to see how you’re doing?” He cocks his head at me.

“
You’ve had two months to do that,” I scoff.

He grimaces and takes a swig of the beer Carla slams down in front of him with such force that it sloshes everywhere.

“Need to talk to you about the case,” he says eventually. All traces of humour are gone. He seems to have abandoned attempts to play nice.

“
What? Why?” I look up at his clear blue eyes. It’s a mistake but I had to know. He shouldn’t be involved in it.

“
My evidence came into question.”

“
Your evidence?” I parrot because I don’t understand.

“
Submitted the printouts of your medical journal.”

“
So?”

“
It didn’t match the medical journal on the NHS system.”

“
What? How is that possible?”

“
It isn’t,” he grimaces. “Unless somebody with a lot of clearance manually edited the data direct from a central server.”

“
You mean if somebody paid them to do that?” I scowl, putting two and two together.

“
Exactly. Luckily, I had the photos as well which I gave in to back up the journals. The pictures are taken at the hospital with a geotag and a date and time stamp. As soon as the specialists determine they haven’t been tampered with, they’ll be able to prove that someone altered your medical records.”

“
Why would he do that?” I rant but then I know why. “He was going to fight the case,” I realise out loud. “He was going to claim I made it up to get his money. If my medical records showed nothing, it would have supported his story.”

“
Only he didn’t know I’d got the print outs or the photos,” Craig nods. “Only got them so I could show you what he’d done to you if you tried to go back to him.”

“
So now that the police know he altered the medical files, he’s in much deeper shit.”

Craig opens his mouth and then closes it again. He’s not used to hearing me swear but this situation calls for it.

“Needed to give you a heads up. Doubt he’ll be happy,” Craig apologises and I can see from his face that it’s genuine.

“
He’s not happy,” I admit. “Called me just before you got here.”

“
Did he threaten you?” He stiffens.

I shake my head.
“I hung up on him.”

“
Okay,” Craig nods. “Maybe I should stay at the flat for a few days. Make sure he doesn’t try anything.”

“
No thanks,” I answer abruptly because I don’t want Craig anywhere near me right now.

Nigel isn’t stupid enough to attack me in my own hom
e. Not how things are right now. He has too much to lose. He’s probably trying to figure out a way of eliminating any connections between himself and the person he paid to fix my records.

“
Bella, I’ll sleep on the sofa,” he grins.

“
If you need the flat, I’ll stay elsewhere,” I grind back.

“
Woman, don’t be stubborn,” he chuckles.

“
Don’t you talk to me like that, Craig Carter,” I shove his hand away from me as he reaches for me. “You don’t get to step in and out of my life as you please.”

“
Bella,” he frowns.

“
I’m going home,” I slide off my chair, maintaining the angry glare. “Alone.”

“
Wait,” he calls out but I carry on walking. Carla knows I’ll pay my tab tomorrow.

“
For fuck’s sake,” he bellows, jogging to catch up with me.

“
Go away.”

“
You’re mad at me. I get it. I’m a fucking asshole. Carla’s made that clear enough. But you might be in danger right now, lady, and it’s fucking killing me. So be pissed at me, but be pissed at me whilst I walk you home.

It isn’t a long walk so I slow my pace and let him walk by my side. I don’t reply though. He doesn’t get to chat with me.

It’s not a comfortable silence and that in itself feels alien. Craig is not a big talker but the silences always used to be comfortable. It was one of the things I loved about hanging out with him.

I’m relieved when we reach the building because at least the silence will end.

“Bella,” he pleads.

“
Thanks for walking me back,” I answer with my back to him as I open the building door. He follows me up the steps to the flat and I continue pretending he isn’t there.

“
Let me check the flat just in case,” he insists, stopping me before I can enter.

I groan because he’s being ridiculous but the faster her gets it over with, the faster he’ll be gone.

I rest my head against the door frame until he shouts “All Clear.”

“
Of course it’s clear,” I roll my eyes at him.

I look up to see him sat on the sofa. He’s taken his shoes off and he has his feet up. The throw blanket is already draped over him.

“Get out,” I tell him.

“
Nope,” he grins mischievously. “I’m fine here.”

“
Then I’m leaving,” I turn and grab my coat. The very same coat I had just removed.

In the blink of an eye he’s blocking my path to the one and only exit route from this apartment.

“For god’s sake, Craig!” I scream in exasperation.

“
Do you hate me that much that you can’t spend one night in the same apartment as me? I won’t even speak to you if you don’t want me to, Bella. I need to know you’re safe at the minute. I can’t lose you.”

“
You already lost me, Craig. You lost me the second you told me you didn’t want me.”

“
I never said I didn’t want you,” he growls. “I want you so much it fucking hurts. I just can’t have you.”

“
Why the hell not?” I shout.

Hi
s response is to shake his head in exasperation.

“
Don’t want to get stuck down in the past, Bella. Can we not just move forwards? Can’t we be friends? I need you to communicate with me so I can keep you safe.”

It’s been a long day and I’m exhausted. I’ve been harassed by both my exes and the
sex on the beach is making me sleepy. If I were more awake I’d point out the irony of Craig begging me to communicate.

“
I just want to sleep,” I plead. “I don’t need this, Craig. I just need to sleep.” I collapse in an exhausted ball of tension and try to control my breathing. I’m not crying because I’ve shed enough tears for a lifetime.

Craig sighs as he scoops me up in the normal effortless fashion and I hate how right it feels for him to hold me, for his masculine, clove scent to
embrace me.

He uses one hand to pull the cover off the bed and the gently places me on top of the delightfully comfortable mattress.

I’m too exhausted to argue as he unzips my skirt and pulls it down my body. I do, however, grunt in protest when he tries to unbutton my blouse.

“
Doctor, lady,” he whispers. “Seen it all before.”

He leaves my underwear on and pulls the cover over me. I’m already half asleep by the time he bends down to press a kiss to my forehead.