This Can't Be Real

Chapter 20

Delamere Forest is peaceful at this time of the day. It's near lunch time and for all there's quite a few people out walking the walking trails, it's still quiet.

The trees are shielding the sun from us and whenever we pass someone, they smile brightly at us, causing us to smile in return.

"Are you going to tell me about Thom?" I ask, my hands sliding into the back pockets of my jeans.

"How much do you want to know?" He counters.

I give him a look as if to ask if he's kidding or not. Of course I want to know everything, but it's a case of how much is Joe going to tell me and wither or not I can handle everything he is going to tell me.

"Starting form the beginning would be a good place," I mutter.

He nods. "Alright."

"You can tell me as much as you think I should know if it helps."

"Your car was booked in for a service with Mercedes for a while. We had been putting it off so many times because other things came up and because it kept coming up on the dashboard saying it was to go in for a service, we took it to the local garage to get a service. The guys in the team spoke highly about Swanson Jones and Sons, so I booked it in there and dropped it off before being one of the guys picked me up to go to training.

"The guy at the reception desk told me it would be done by the afternoon and I told him that you'd pick it up as I'd still be at training. The guy was a nice guy and everyone in the garage was kind and very welcoming. I wouldn't say it was an overly busy garage, but as I was there for it opening, it may have gotten busier as the day went on.

"You were out with Jess and my sister had Zachary for the afternoon. Lunch time came and it was just after two o'clock when the garage phoned to tell me that your car was ready to be picked up. I called you and you went to pick it up."

He stops walking suddenly, causing me to stop walking and to look back at him. He takes a deep breath and looks up to the sky.

He's struggling. It's hard for him and if I was in his shoes, I'd be a mess by now. I'd be balling my eyes out and knowing my luck, Joe wouldn't believe me if I told him I was married to him. He'd brush me off so easily and say I was lying. I'd be a mess and woulnd't be able to go on.

I have to give him props for how well he's been handling this so far.

I step to him and place a hand in his. "Take your time," I whisper.

He looks at me and I can see the tears in his eyes that are threatening to fall. He blinks numerous times and squeezes my hand slightly.

"I was in James's car going home and just about to call you to say that you didn't need to come and pick me up from training, when a strange number appeared on my phone. My sudden instinct was to ignore the call and just continue to call you, but something inside of me was telling me to not ignore the call. I answered it and it was a policeman.

"He explained to me that you were in a car accident and that you were taken to the nearest hospital for treatment. I was beside myself and practically demanded James to drive faster and go over the speed limit on the road so I could get to you.

"Eventually, I got to you and I broke down. I didn't know what to do or how to act. Nothing like this has ever happened to anyone I know and because we had just found out that you were pregnant the week before, I thought the worse. I thought there was no baby.

"My parents couldn't console me, neither could my sister, Jess, or any of my friends. I . . . I didn't know what to do other than place the blame on the garage who had serviced your car. I called my lawyers and they contacted the police and the garage. As of right now, the garage is closed temporally till everything's sorted and all of our cars go to the dealerships for services and everything."

"But what-"

"It turns out that Thom was the mechanic who was working on your car and by rights, he should be staying away from us due to the restraining order I have in place to keep him away from us. How Jess doesn't realise that he is the guy who dealt with your car, I don't know."

"Doesn't-"

"I think she thinks that it was a different garage we took your car to and the fact Thom hasn't been out to work in a few weeks, I don't know how that hasn't raised some red flags for her. He doesn't have any work and I'm glad he isn't working on anyone else's cars if that's what he can do to yours."

"But it could just be an easy mistake he made. I mean, I not trying to defend the guy, but surely that's worth consideration."

"It wasn't a mistake, Leigh. It's far from it," he finishes.

He starts walking again and I turn to keep up.

"Surely Thom knows-"

"He knows who both you and I are, yes. However, it still doesn't define what else he's done in the past."

"The past? What about the past? What's he done that's so bad and that would lead to him doing this? I don't get it."

"You're not supposed to get it. Neither of us are supposed to get it, that's why he's done it."

"Done what? Joe-" I grab his forearm and haul him round to look at me. "-what has he done?"

"Leigh, I don't beg, but for this, don't make me beg you to drop it."

 "Then just tell me what it is he's done!" I snap.

His eyes scan my face as if to see if he can see any tell-tale signs of me being in a bad mental place. I feel fine and I know I can handle whatever it is he's going to say to me. At least, I think I can.

"If I tell you, I'm not doing it here." He says quietly.

"Joe, just fucking tell me!" I shout.

"Leigh, I'm warning you. Don't make me do it here."

"There's no one around to hear us!"

"It's a personal matter and I'm not going to say it here."

"Joe-"

"I mean it, Leigh. Don't."

"Why? Why won't you just say it to me?"

He looks away from me and my hands cover my mouth instantly. I take as a step back from him and I actually feel sick. I feel like I'm going to throw up and it has nothing to do with morning sickness.

"It was him, wasn't it?" I ask in a state of shock.

He turns his head and looks back at me. "Yes," he confirms.

"He was the guy that tried to rape me."

"Yes."

"Oh my God." I feel faint. I need a seat and I don't care if I have to sit on the ground, as long as I'm not standing I don't care.

"And the guy who smashed into you during the crash," Joe adds.

My eyes widen and at this, I fall to the ground in a heep.