Trying Not To Love You

Part Ninety

Chapter Ninety

Martha laughed at Ethan as he ran around the park, the boy was her salvation, truly he was. It had been seven long weeks since Sonny had left, since they’d had that wonderful weekend in the hotel, when they’d been a couple, with no hassle, no judgement and most importantly no interference. That had been bliss, perfect. But it was a long time past, when she was alone she still cried, still struggled to come to terms with losing the one man who’d seemed more important to her than herself, but she had her son, her improving relationship with her father, and the acerbic Aunt Lucy It could be SO much worse.  Calling him from his antics, she took his hand and led him home.

She glanced at her phone as they reached the flat above the restaurant and wanted to groan out loud. Another message from her friend. Wanting her to join her old school friends on a night out.

Helen nagged her repeatedly to go out, to socialise, obviously no one knew about the rekindling of her relationship with Sonny, so no one guessed her reasons for seeming so morose. She always blamed her lethargy on being tossed in at the deep end with the pub, that she needed time to catch up, get her feet on the ground. Most believed it, but she knew that Paul thought differently. But she wasn’t happy to start up those conversations, even though Paul had proved himself a confidante and friend.

                “Why don’t you take tonight off Martha?” Paul cornered as she turned up to work that evening. “The girls are going to Northbury, you could do with a night off, you slog here every day.”

As Martha looked at him and opened her mouth to reply, a voice from behind her beat her to it.

                “I agree with the night off, you look wrecked girlfriend, but don’t go to Northbury. Stay here with ME and tell me why you aren’t answering my calls!”

She spun around to see Jack stood there, a beaming smile on his face, but as soon as he met her eyes that smile dropped, “I thought I was joking about you looking wrecked. What the hell is going on here and why the hell are you working? And where the hell is that hunky stud of yours?” He glanced at Paul, “no offence but he is something of an oil painting.”

Martha groaned, “Paul, can you manage?”

He laughed, “of course. That’s what I was trying to tell you. Now go sit!” He handed her an ice cold bottle of white wine and two glasses, "wave if you want anything.”

Jack giggled and fluttered his eyelashes flirtatiously, “I take it all back, you are just as cute!”

Paul’s laughter accompanied them as they moved to a booth at the back of the pub.

Sitting next to each other, Jack put his arm around Martha’s shoulders, “so spill. What the hell went wrong?”

Martha hated that she was almost on the verge of tears again, she took a deep breath, and then another, “it was perfect, we worked things out, got back on track, then we had a night away....a hotel...perfect...but...” she dropped her head for a moment, “he got Jade pregnant.”

Jack gasped, “really? Fake tits and tan? OMG.”

Martha appreciated his concern, and he was trying his best to make this as light-hearted as he could.

                “Yep, they’ve left. I don’t know where he is, but that’s it. Game over.”

Jack shook his head, “he doesn’t have to marry her just cos they’ve got a kid.”

Martha sighed, “it’s his thing, he was in care, he wants to be a real father, not an absent one, and he couldn’t risk her flitting off and him never see him again. Plus...” She gave a soft exhale, “I told you I can’t have any more kids Jack, I can’t give him the family he wants, and I can’t watch them together, I couldn’t have handled it if they were here.  So they left town.”