The Heart of Deception

Chapter 25

Lauren’s heart sank at the sight of the hire car parked out on the verge. Justin Paige had wanted to keep a low profile, so, had opted to stay in the Northern Suburbs of Brisbane. More precisely, he had chosen to reside in their home.

Normally, Lauren and Michael loved entertaining visitors from overseas. They frequently opened their home to strangers usually sent to them by family and friends. Only this time, the circumstances surrounding their current guest, had created an uneasy atmosphere.

In an attempt to give him some privacy, they offered him accommodation downstairs in the study, which was equipped with a comfortable sofa bed. Unfortunately, the living and utility rooms were all upstairs, which meant they still bumped into one another frequently.

Once inside, Lauren’s heart sank even further. Noises at the other end of the house alerted her to the fact Justin was upstairs, in the bathroom. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders, and lifted her head. Heading into the kitchen, she switched on the kettle.

I suppose I’d best be polite, and offer him tea, or something, she told herself. To be honest, she didn’t want any, and she secretly hoped he didn’t either. What she really wanted was to go to her room, where she could shut the door on the world, and cry herself to sleep.

After ten minutes of restlessly pacing the kitchen, stirring a mug of tea she had no interest in, she tipped it into the sink. All she had succeeded in doing was reliving her last scene with Kurt. Seeing his broad back, turned against her, in her mind's eye, intensified the agonising feelings of rejection. She spun on her heel, and fled down the passage. Halfway to her room, she almost collided with Justin. They sidestepped simultaneously several times, before both stopped.

“I’m sorry...” Lauren mumbled, shrugging her shoulders feebly.

When she tried to step around him, he deliberately blocked her path, both his hands on her shoulders. Slowly, one of his hands tilted her face his. Through a mist of tears, she saw her anguish mirrored in his reddened eyes.

“Lauren?” His voice trembled, as his mouth closed over hers. Her lips remained motionless beneath his, while her arms hung limply at her side. He gradually pulled away from her, shaking his head with embarrassment.

“Forgive me. I don’t know what came over me. It’s just that you look so much like Laur ... like her. I couldn’t help myself.” He nervously watched her staring blankly at the stripes on his shirt.

“How could he not have noticed the difference?” he exclaimed emotively. “You feel different. You taste different. Your mannerisms are different. He must be a bloody idiot!”

At the derision in his voice, her tear-filled eyes met his, as she forlornly shook her head.

“No,” Lauren whispered with a sob.  “Just blinkered by his love for her.”

Justin gathered her against his chest as she tried to push past him. How long they stood, crying in each other’s arms, neither one knew. Later, they retired to the lounge, where they exchanged stories, between their tears.

“Why’d you agree to do it?” he asked finally.

Lauren smiled sadly. “She was my sister. She was my best friend - the other half of me. I loved her. She was so unhappy, I’d have done anything I could to have helped her.”

“And now? Are you going to take that trip to England?”

She shrugged dolefully. “I don’t know. Maybe later. The novelty of the idea has worn off somewhat.”

“Is that because your sister was killed there, or because you’re in love with your brother-in-law?”

Colour flooded into her face. “I didn’t say anything about...”