Happily Never After

Chapter 21

I hold Carter's hand tightly as we walk into the kitchen an hour after we gave our keen observer a floor show. I take a glance out at the back garden and scan the garden for the black figure but they seemed to have disappeared. Thank goodness for that!

Carter lets go of my hand and pulls out the nearest black leather chair from under the six seater glass table, for me to sit on. I smile at him and sit down on it. I feel his hands gracefully sit on my shoulders and almost melt under his touch.

"Nice of you two to join us," Isobel comments while eyeing us closely from where she sat across from me.

"We were merely talking about our plans after tonight," Carter lies so easily.

"I see," she nods, not quite believing what her son was telling her.

"We have decided to sell this house and move somewhere more private," Carter announces.

Isobel stops looking at the documents in front of her and stares up at Carter, mouth slightly open in shock. "Carer, if this-"

"Mother, this is about change. I have lived here since I moved out of the family home," he starts explaining. "I just think that it would be best for Sarah and I to get a place that we can call our home. Not just mine."

Isobel closes her mouth and nods, her lips slightly puckering. "I will have the agent come and give you some options to pick from and -"

"Mother, it's already been done." Carters hands slide over my shoulders and grip the back of my chair. "We have already seen a house that will be perfect for us."

I tense slightly but it soon fades when Carter's hands move back onto my shoulders.

"You'll have to invite everyone round-" Isobel starts.

"Tonight."

"T-tonight? When did you-?"

"While we were upstairs, I had my laptop set up in my room and we browsed through some houses. We came across a house that would be perfect for us and it's available to move into straight away."

"Your son and his fiancée seem to have everything figured out, Isobel." A brunette woman, who easily looks to be in her early fifties, acknowledges with a smile.

"It seems he does," Isobel agrees freely.

"Now, I have to go and meet father at our new house and take care of a few things while I'm out."

"Tell your father that I will be home for six before the wedding which starts at eight," Isobel informs, directing her words to Carter and only Carter.

"Of course, mother."

One of Carter's hands slips from my shoulder and moves to his trouser pocket. Isobel watches him closely and before I knew it, he was placing a set of car keys down in front of me on the table.

"Take the Bentley to go and see your friends. Inform them of what's happening and I will see you at our new house," he whispers before kissing my cheek.

I smile and before Carter says his goodbyes to everyone and leaves me alone with his mother and her friends.

"I feel sorry for Carter," the redheaded woman in her forties comments once the front door slams shut.

I turn my head and look at her.

"Why's that, Debbi?" Isobel asks, writing a few things down on the documents before her.

"Kathy trapped him and hurt him to a point of no return to normality."

"He was fine, Debbi. He returned to his normal self when he had enough of her."