Captive

Chapter Twenty Six

Silence rang through the house, shadows creeping into every corner, the air filled with a freshness it had not had in months. She had opened every window in the house as soon as he was gone, then every door as wide as they would go and even though dusk was drawing in she was not quite ready to close them yet. The smell of bleach had been so overpowering those first few nights she had needed to open her bedroom window and close the door tight to air it out or she would never have slept. As it was she lay awake a long time second guessing herself, trying to tell herself she had made the right decision. Kane had followed her over and was in the bedroom next door, as he had been when they were children but Mark had stubbornly refused to come. He'd said it was enough that he would pay his share but he sure as hell wasn't coming to see the old bastard as well. Dani was furious but Juliet accepted it, gently told her it was ok. Mark had born the brunt of a lot of their Dad's anger growing up and she could understand him not wanting to see him if he had a choice. It had been Kane that sat down and talked his dad round. Juliet wasn't exactly sure what had been said but suddenly her dad was meek as a kitten and willingly packing his bag to go and stay at the Maple Leaf Institute.

She closed her eyes as she thought of the flight home. Her stomach had been in knots, fearful Bret would sit with her but it was Davey who took the seat beside her, revealing that Bret and Owen had had to return early because of their dad. Guilt had surged through her but Davey reassured her the old man was ok, he'd had a fall and hurt his hip but thankfully it wasn't broken. He didn't really mention Bret at all after that and they chatted about British music for most of the flight. It was only when they landed that Davey suddenly took her hands in his.

"Don't be a stranger love, ok? And if you can find it in you, try to forgive Bret. I know he messed up but he's not a bad bloke really."

She hadn't given any kind of response, not wanting to make any kind of promise that she couldn't keep. Pain ripped through her every time she thought of Bret and even now her hand would stray to her throat, missing the familiar weight of the maple leaf pendant she had worn for so long. But it was over; it had to be. She couldn't be with any man she had realised; they all carried too much risk. When she slept though she often dreamed of him and he remained her fantasy hero because her sleeping self would not give him up.

Turning in her bed she picked up her phone from habit but there were no missed calls or new messages. She should be pleased he was respecting her decision she supposed, but irrationally it hurt that he kept his distance. She had wanted him to fight for her, to try and persuade her she was wrong, but he hadn't. He'd let her walk away and three weeks later still made no effort to contact her. For just a moment her finger hovered over his number but then she locked her phone, placing it face down on her bedside table with a ragged sigh. It was for the best; there was no way of overcoming everything they had been through. If they did try to get together the resentment of their shared past would always come between them and she was better off alone anyway.

Stretching out and glancing at the clock she saw that it was half past six now and decided she'd get up. She had an appointment at the hospital for her angina anyway later that morning so she might as well be up. Kane had offered to take her but there was a bus ran from the bottom of the road and she wanted her older brother to rest. He looked exhausted by events of the last few days. He'd had a full on schedule before he took the compassionate leave and being around his dad was always tiring. The last thing he needed was a morning at the hospital with her while she had tests done to check how she was getting on or the stress of if they felt she was any worse. Surgery had been mentioned a couple of times which she always blanched at but so far she had managed to keep on top of her symptoms with meds and a healthy diet.

The bus ride to the hospital was quiet as it was still early in the day for shoppers but late enough that workers were already well on their way. She walked up to the hospital and could feel her stomach churning; these appointments always made her nervous. The nurse saw her first to take her height and weight and to check on her medication.