What Goes Around...

Part Forty Nine

Chapter Forty Nine

Freya waited until Oscar's car followed Mitchell Cooper's off the driveway before she let herself back in the house. She had nowhere to go, but she had hoped that leaving them alone would force them to come to some form of compromise. Instead she'd heard a conversation that had brought tears to her eyes. Mitchell Cooper defended their relationship to her own brother, not only defended it, but spoke candidly about how he felt about her. For the first time ever she wondered whether this could work, whether there really could be a future for them, and whether she could dare to hope that he cared for her as more than just the mother of his child.

He'd said he'd marry her. That was a terrifying thought. She really hadn't thought that far ahead, and she'd NEVER imagined that as an eventuality with him. She had to think that part of this was him convincing her brother in any way he could. She had to be realistic, but that didn't mean her heart didn't surge in anticipation. In hope.

She was shaking with the reality of it all, her head a fuzz of confusion, but at the same time she had a stupid grin on her face, a happy, hopeful grin. She walked into the kitten and filled the kettle, still smiling. As she put it on to boil, she turned and almost jumped out of her skin. Stood a few feet away from her was Mitchell Cooper, arms folded, and eyebrow lifted in question, eyes studying her intently.

"Got to see Patricia hey?" His voice was smooth, warming her to her toes.

He smirked as she floundered, realising that she'd got found out. "I forgot something..." she offered weakly.

Stepping slowly and deliberately towards her, his only response was to incline his head in question.

"Really?"

Biting her bottom lip anxiously, she floundered; she'd never been a good liar, "yes. I er..."

Shaking his head he held up a finger to silence her, "you mean 'er...I was eavesdropping outside whilst you and my brother came to blows'."

"You didn't come to blows," she added quickly.

He nodded, "well he got one shot in."

"And you let him." She looked at his jaw, "does it hurt?"

"No."

Still stepping towards her, he kept his eyes fixed on her and her breath caught in her throat, she'd never felt so vulnerable, he was like a hardened predator, "what?"

"Nothing." His voice was a whisper, she wasn't sure she'd heard the word, or whether she'd read his lips. "Just waiting to hear what happened..."

Something had happened, but not necessarily between him and Oscar, the tension was building, she was finding it hard to draw in a breath, her attempt at a smile was weak, "I heard you talk."

He nodded, "how was that?"

She gulped, "well, you...you made him back down."

Inclining his head, he smiled again, "and?" When she shrugged he smiled, "did you hear me tell him that I wanted this baby?" A nod, "that I wanted you?" She nodded again, "was that amazing smile when I walked in because of what I said?"

Freya stepped back, suddenly her racing heart, her shaking knees, her erratic breath...it was all making it too hard to concentrate, to focus. He was cleverer than her, she suddenly realised, when it came to this, to whatever game he was playing she was in way over her head.

"I can't do this Mitchell, I can't."

Smiling he reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear, "I hated my name - Mitchell. As a boy, no one ever called me it." His fingers stayed at her hairline, his touch to her scalp a tingle, a caress. "But that's all you've ever called me."