Look Back at Me (Fleckney Fields Series, Book 1)

The First Slice

When she drove Sam to Nana's, it was already close to eleven. The cottage was dark, and Sam unlocked the door with his key. He took off and hung his jacket in the closet, and headed straight upstairs, no doubt to the guest bedroom where his children slept. Viola was going to leave when she caught a glimpse of something white on Nana's sofa in the drawing room. It was Rhys' button-up she realised - and she slowly approached him. He didn't fit, of course, and his left leg was hanging off the sofa, his foot on the floor, while his right ankle was propped on the armrest. His hands were folded on his stomach, on the shirt, his jacket open.

"Rhys," she said softly and touched his shoulder. "Rhys, wake up."

He frowned, made a grunt like noise, and then his eyes opened slowly.

"Sam's here," she whispered. "You can go now."

He pressed his lips and gave her a dark look. She could see his features set, in the moonlight streaming from the window. He didn't argue, though, and sat up.

"What did the hospital say?" he asked.

"She's going to be OK," Viola said - and after a moment of hesitation she sat down on the sofa, keeping distance between their bodies. She wanted to tell him he needed to go to bed, but it was none of her business after all. Perhaps, 'not yet,' but definitely 'not anymore' for now. "How are Pat and Lily handling it?"

"It's not the first time," he said darkly. "Nana and I played Cluedo with them." His voice wavered, and he threw her a pained look. "Children shouldn't take this sort of shite that well..."

She nodded and gently put her hand on his forearm. "I'm sorry, Rhys."

He shook his head, and her heart clenched in sympathy. She shifted closer, and then he turned sharply and scooped her in a crushing embrace. To her shock, she felt his body tremble, and she wrapped her arms around him.

"It's my fault," he said, and Viola suppressed a gasp. "She hasn't had an episode for a year," he whispered. "She– She worked, you know– I thought, I helped. I–"

Viola slightly moved away from him and cupped his face with both her hands, making him look at her. HIs lips were pressed in a distressed line, his eyebrows furrowed, and she thought she saw tears in his eyes.

"Rhys," she whispered and stroked his cheeks with the tips of her fingers. "I know you meant well."

"I fucked up," he said, and his lips twisted in a humourless smirk that looked like a snarl. "Sam's right. I thought I'd fix everything. And instead–"

He closed his eyes, tilted his head, and pressed half his face into her palm.

"You'll do better next time," she said, and he exhaled sharply, his breath tickling her skin.

"Stay with me, Vi," he whispered and lifted his face. "Please? Just– I don't mean anything– you know." He gave her a begging look. "But just have a cuppa, or let's eat something."

"Sure," she answered softly. "Let's drive to your place, and order something."

***

When she parked her car in his driveway and walked in, he was already ordering. She looked at her watch. At this time the only food available would be pizza from Mama Gianna, a small place in Fleckney Woulds that served those with midnight hunger in the county.

She washed her hands in his bathroom and walked back to the drawing room. He was sitting on his blue velvet sofa, his head dropped back, his eyes closed. He looked up as soon as she came in and patted the sofa near him.