Lost Time

Chapter Five

Mia was surprised at the woman's voice at the other end of the phone.... "Stephanie? What do you need to talk about?"

"Derek."

"What about him?"

"Just leave him alone ok?" Her voice was still soft. She sounded nervous.

"Leave him alone? What are you talking about?"

"You've hurt him once before, don't do it again." Stephanie hardened her voice slightly.

The last statement made Mia mad. She couldn't believe Derek would have lied about her...

"Hurt him? What did he tell you?"

"That's just it Mia. He never tells me anything about you. Whenever he talks about his old team he'll go on and on about the others, but if I ask anything about you he clams up. And then you show up a few days ago, and I've barely seen or spoken to him since. He won't answer the phone to me, he's secretive. He's obviously avoiding me."

Stephanie still hadn't mentioned Samantha... Could he really have still not told her about him?

"Stephanie you should really be speaking with him about this." She tried to stay calm.

"Well I'm telling you. Just back off ok?" She certainly didn't sound sweet anymore. Mia could feel her blood boiling and that was like a red rag to a bull.

"Back off?"

"You've obviously stirred up some bad memories for him."

"Sweetheart, I don't know what you think is going on, but you need to get your facts straight before threatening me. I suggest you get hold of Derek and talk to him."

As she cut the phone call off she cursed Derek. She was not about to fight over any man, no matter how she felt about him. Her fingers hovered over Derek's name on her phone. She pressed the dial button and then just as quickly cancelled it. She knew if she spoke to him now it would only end badly.

"C'mon Samantha its time for bed. Go and clean your teeth."

After putting Samantha to bed, Mia started to tidy her toys away. She thought about the conversation with Stephanie. Why wouldn't he have told her yet about Samantha? Did she really hurt him when she left? He knew that wasn't her fault right? Her mind was racing and she had no idea of what she would say to him when she saw him next.

Derek drove home with a smile on his face oblivious to the conversation that had just gone on between the two women. Mia had done a fantastic job raising their child. She was bright and articulate just like Mia, but liked sports and a bit of rough and tumble, just like himself. The one trait he couldn't quite work out where it had come from was how well behaved she was. She always listened to Mia... There was no back chat, no tantrums... That was one way in which she was definitely different to both of her parents.

His mind however, did then wander to the two women. He still hadn't told Stephanie about Samantha and didn't have a clue how he was going to. The truth was he didn't want to deal with the grief this was going to cause him. He just wanted to concentrate on his daughter and he couldn't get Mia out of his mind.

As if on cue, his phone rang.

"Hi Stephanie."

"Finally Derek! Where the hell have you been?"

"What?"

"You've been ignoring me. Are you on the way home?"

"Yes."

"Ok. I'll see you there." And the phone went dead before he could say anything. He knew he had to face her sooner or later and time was running out before he left for Canada.