Trying Not To Love You

Part Seventy Five

Chapter Seventy Five

Sonny staggered slightly, he’d honestly thought that they’d have the chance to discuss her revelations. Instead she’d gone. He was devastated. Now he had an equally devastated Carl in his bar waiting to see his daughter. 

Coming back down stairs he shook his head at Carl, not ready to accept, unable to digest that she had left, “sorry mate, she’s gone.”

                “Gone?”

Sonny nodded, “I...er...I wish I could help more. She was here last night.”

                “How was she?”

Sighing he shook his head, “not good, but then what do you expect.”

                “It’s not what you think; it’s not what she thinks.”

Sonny patted him on the back, “that might be so, but it’s the fact that you’ve lied to her, she had such a hard time over you about  Ethan, but that’s nothing compared to this.” As the older man looked devastated, he added quickly, “I’m not judging you Carl, this is all a mess. I just want to find her, get her back here. I am worried about her.”

Ethan was skipping alongside Martha as they walked into the airport.

                “I’m so excited!” He sang to her, and she squeezed his hand. It was the first decent holiday they’d been on, and they were about to fly, for him it was the first time, and his excitement was palpable. With Ethan so cheery it was easier for Martha to forget things for a moment.

When she’d sat trying to contemplate all she’d seen the previous evening, she’d sent a text message to Jack simply saying, “Help!” Jack was aware that things were precarious, and he was a really good friend, she thought about staying with him or a few days, just to get away. She knew that leaving was maybe not the answer to her problems, but it was definitely essential at the moment,  she felt as though she couldn't breathe.

But Sonny had turned up, and she’d been distracted and inadvertently ignored her phone until she’d got into bed after rushing away from him. It was then she saw a message flashing on her phone.

                “Am in Tenerife at our villa, brought Evie away for a break. Come join us? Mike is home for another week before he comes to join us. Call him, he’ll do anything you want. Please come?”

She hadn’t specified what her crisis was, but he’d come good. Again. Some time in the sun was just what she needed, it would give her chance to calm down and work out what she wanted. And Ethan could have his first proper holiday.

Ethan had woken her ridiculously early, so she’d called Mike on the off chance he was awake, Jack’s husband was a city worker, and he rarely seemed to need sleep, and fortunately he was up, heading to the gym!

                “Come down, I’ll organise flights.”

She was determined not to take advantage, “I can do that.”

                “Ok. Anything else?”

She sighed, instantly contradicting her earlier thoughts, “I want to get my things from my godmother’s house, it's  empty she’s not there.”

                “Have you got keys? Or do I need a break-in-and-enterer?”

And just like that the two men took over. She’d dressed Ethan and left the pub, Sonny hadn’t stirred, and that made things easier. So she left him a note. She knew he’d be angry, she knew how she’d felt finding his months earlier. But she wasn’t about to wake him, she had to get away and he’d try and stop her.