Your Lying Eyes

Your Lying Eyes Chapter 27

Anna was silent all the way to Howard's room, Chris' words still resounding in her ears.

'Why can't she be happy for us?' she asked herself, as she took Maisie out of the buggy, hugging her. 'Why did she have to spoil it just now downstairs?'

She looked over at Howard, busily packing a case with enough clothes to last for the next few days. Turning away from him, she stepped forward to the window, humming a tune to Maisie to try to soothe her, rocking her backwards and forwards.

Howard stopped his packing and glanced over at the two of them. She'd been so quiet since the incident downstairs. He frowned and watched her. The tune she was humming sounded slightly off key as she lowered her head to Maisie's, her shoulders starting to shake.

"You ok?" he asked her softly.

"Hm, yes," she replied, half turning to answer him, a weak smile on her lips. She turned back to the window, hiding her face from him.

He walked over to her and took Maisie out of her arms. She had just nodded off to sleep. He placed her back into the pram and strapped her in, covering her over with a blanket.

Anna was still facing the window, her shoulders shaking as she hugged herself.

"Come here," he said softly, turning her around to face him and pulling her close against him. Her arms circled his waist and she buried her face in his chest, not attempting to hide her tears now. Hugging her tight, he stroked her back and tried to soothe her.

After a few minutes, Anna stopped sobbing long enough to speak.

"Why did she have to be like that Howard? Why couldn't she have just been happy for us?" she asked him. "We've been friends for so long, she knows how I feel about you. She could have pretended just to keep me happy. I've never felt so much like hurting her. I don't like feeling like that."

Howard listened as she got it all out. He turned her face upwards and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"I think it was because she cares about you. She knows how upset you were when you found out about me and Sophie and the other times in the past. She saw how hurt you were then and doesn't want the same thing to happen again in the future."

"But it won't will it?" she whispered to him, looking up at him with big tearful eyes. "Will it Howard?"

"No hun, it won't. I've told you those days are over now. You and Maisie are the most important things in my life. I would be a fool to lose what I've got. I don't intend to chance it again," he told her softly. "I thought I had this time. I'm not going to waste this chance."

"I believe you Howard. I know you won't."

"Anyway, there is something else that could be part of it," said Howard. "Her and Jason. They've never got together have they? She could just be jealous of you and me. We have got back together after a serious split. She seems to be getting nowhere with him. It could be that has something to do with it."

Anna listened to him and nodded thoughtfully. She managed a watery smile and hugged him.

"I suppose so. You could be right," she told him.

"'Course I am. Now come on, come and help me pack this case. How much should I bring with me?" he asked her pulling her back to the set of drawers he'd been going through.

Half an hour later they were back in the car heading to the flat, Howard's cases in the boot. In the end they had packed up most of his things, so that they didn't have to keep returning there.

As he was unpacking in the bedroom, Anna's phone rang.

Finally. It was John returning her calls and messages that she'd left for him. She explained what had happened with Maisie and that she was now fully recovered. He'd noticed when she had suddenly disappeared from the club and the other girls had explained what had happened. When he had last spoken to her he'd told her to take a couple of days off work to get over the shock of Maisie's stay in hospital. Now he was thinking that she might need longer after the calls she had made to him

"What can I do for you Anna?" he asked her as soon as she said hello. "It must be something important for you to leave me so many messages. Hope Maisie isn't ill again?"

Anna explained what she wanted to talk to him about. She told him that she wanted to do the course at the university when it began the following September. He was delighted to hear that she had decided to do it, and promised her the firm's continuing support.

"I was wondering when our arrangement could start with me working from home," she asked him . "At the moment it would be really useful. Howard is going away on tour soon and it would mean that me and Maisie could join him. I could even still come to the office during the week if there was something that needed sorting out and involved me being there."

John was surprised to hear this at first but after listening to her, agreed that they could start that straight away.

"It may not have worked out for us, Anna, but I do want to see you happy and settled. After the way Joe's been behaving towards you recently, I can understand you wanting to put a bit of distance between you. Take the rest of this week off and we'll start our new arrangement next week. Stay in close touch with us for the first couple of weeks and if we need you to come into the office, we'll let you know."

Anna was delighted that he had agreed to what she wanted and promised that she would do just as he said.

Her face was beaming as she turned to Howard to tell him of John's decision.

"This means that we can be together properly," she told him and she hugged him. "We're all going to be together!"

"Hmm," said Howard thoughtfully as she sat at the side of him, her head against his shoulder. "Depends on what you mean by properly. Something Mark said earlier has been on my mind."

Anna smiled up at him and nodded.

"I think I know what you mean," she said softly. "That's something else I needed to make my mind up about."

"And have you?" he asked her, taking hold of her hand, hoping that she had reached the conclusion he wanted her to.

"Yes. I have." She smiled at him, her cheeks flushing a little.

"So?"

"Howard, I love you so much. I don't want to be with anyone else. Will you marry me?" she asked him shyly, hardly daring to look at his face.

"Yes, I will. I want that just as much as you do," he told her as he pulled her towards him and kissed her softly. Breaking the kiss, he reached into his pocket and pulled something out.

"When I was packing today, I made sure I brought this with me," he said as he opened his hand, revealing her engagement ring. "I hoped that it would be back where it belonged before too long," he said as he slid it over the third finger of her left hand. "I love you too Anna. I'm sorry about what's happened in the past. I'm going to make it up to you. I never want us to be apart again."

Anna flung her arms around him and kissed him.

"We won't How, we won't," she managed to say through the tears that were rolling down her cheeks.