Your Lying Eyes

Your Lying Eyes Chapter 48

The next morning Chloe arrived at the house at nine o'clock.  Mark was to drop her off  before taking some more of her things back to his house.  It felt a little strange as she had always lived in as part of her job.

"That's something I'll have to get for you," said Jason as he let her and Mark into the hallway, "a key of your own so that you can let yourself in!"

He and Mark went upstairs to get some more boxes that Chloe had packed the night before.

"Seemed strange, coming from Mark's house this morning," said Chloe as she sat at the table, wiping Maisie's chin clean from the breakfast that had dribbled there.

"Yes, well that's it, changes happen all the time.  Life has a habit of springing them on you every now and then," said Anna as she placed a mug of tea for Chloe on the table.

"What's that?" asked Jason as he and Mark joined them in the kitchen.

"How changes keep happening in life," Anna repeated, placing a bowl of muesli down in front of Jason.

"Well that was a big change last night for us," grinned Mark.  "I nearly bought her back here again!  Then I remembered that I'd asked her to move in with me!  I suppose I'll get used to it eventually!"

Chloe blushed and giggled. She got up and followed Mark to the door, seeing him out.  He kissed her on the cheek and told her that he would pick her up later that evening.  She walked back into the kitchen, smiling happily.

Anna looked at her and smiled sadly to herself.  She wished she and Jason could be as open about their relationship as Chloe and Mark were.  But by the end of today they would be.  She had phoned Howard already that morning to see if she could go over and speak to him.  His first concern as always had been about Mais.  After reassuring him that she was ok, they'd arranged to meet up and have lunch in Gary's house.  He was going to be out with Sandy.  They were another couple whose relationship was growing deeper by the day.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" he'd asked her over the phone.

"I'd rather wait and talk to you properly later on," she'd replied, hoping that she wasn't making matters worse for later.

"Ok then, see you about 12.30 then," he'd said and rung off.

It was now 11.30.  She was getting ready in her room.  Jason sat behind her on the bed as she finished drying her hair.

"I can still come with you, you only need to say," he told her, leaning forward and touching her shoulder to show he was talking to her.

"It's ok.  I've told you I can handle this myself," she told him.  "There's nothing for you to worry about, honestly."  She turned the hairdryer off and turned around to face him.  "Look Jason, we agreed.  I'm going to do this myself alright.  It will be ok."

"Yeah, well, it's a good job Gary's going to be there or I would go with you," he said.  "He is going to be in the house isn't he?"

"Jason! Stop going on about it! It'll be ok!" she cried in exasperation.  "Honestly!  I have had conversations with him in the past.  He is my husband you know."

Jason nodded and turned away from her, starting to make his way out of the room.  Anna put her brush down on the dressing table, realising that she had upset him.

"Jason, don't go.  I'm sorry, I don't need to remind you do I?" she took hold of his arm and turned him around to face her.  Her hands went to cup his face.  "I'm sorry," she said softly, "I know you only want to help me and keep me safe, but I can do this.  For all his faults, Howard would never, ever hurt me like that.  Like I said last night, he'll probably shout and swear at me, throw things around, but I'm ready for that.  And I promise you, if it looks like things are going to get out of hand, I'll be out of there.  I'll ring you I promise hun."