How to Kill Men and Get Away With It(74)

‘Hmm?’

‘You were miles away then.’ He nuzzles into the back of my neck and breathes me in. ‘Missed you. Where have you been anyway? I tried calling.’

I turn around and wrap my arms around his waist, letting my head rest against his chest.

How honest can I be here?

‘I went to see an old friend, well, an ex actually.’ I look up into Charlie’s eyes, gauging his reaction. ‘My one ex, actually.’

He frowns slightly, a tiny crease of confusion between his eyebrows. ‘Anything I need to be worried about?’

I shake my head. ‘No. He’s in a residential hospital.’

Charlie’s brows shoot up.

‘He was in an accident, well, attacked, in his home a few years ago. He’s been left with locked-in syndrome. It’s awful.’

‘I remember reading about this, I think. Wasn’t he an author or playwright or something?’

‘Yeah. Adam Edwards. I’ve not seen him since it happened.

I couldn’t bear it.’

‘You weren’t with him then? As in together when it happened?’

‘No. We’d already split. He dumped me for someone else. It was a pretty shit time to be honest.’

‘Who in their right mind would dump you?’ He kisses the top of my head.

‘Well, many would argue that he wasn’t.’ I attempt a weak smile. ‘He had serious mental health issues.’

‘It’s the only explanation for picking someone over you that I can think of. So, it was a bit of a shock?’

‘Yeah. I wasn’t really prepared. The last time I saw him, we had a huge row about him cheating on me. It was weird seeing him like that.’

‘He can’t do anything?’

‘He can communicate with blinks, but that’s it.’

Charlie pulls me closer to him. ‘I’m sorry it’s upset you so much. Glass of wine needed?’

I nod. ‘Please.’

He heads over to the fridge and pulls out a bottle of Sancerre. ‘Why now though?’

‘Why now what?’

‘Why did you decide to see him now? After all this time?’

‘Guilt,’ I say. It’s not a lie.

Charlie hands me my drink and looks at me with that little brow furrow thing again, his eyes questioning.

‘I feel guilty that I haven’t visited him sooner. It’s been years and his girlfriend shoved him in this hospital and his parents have moved abroad. He’s just been left there. Trapped in his own mind. I feel terrible.’

‘You know your problem, Kitty Collins? Your heart is too big.’ He pulls me in for a kiss and I let myself melt into his goodness, hoping that maybe some of it will transfer to me.





63


PEMBERTON MANOR, KENSINGTON

‘Are you sure you’re feeling up to this?’ Charlie asks as our car pulls up outside the Pembertons’ giant house. ‘You still seem low after seeing your ex yesterday. I don’t want you relapsing when you’re doing so well.’

I look over at him, his nose scrunched up a little. Concern or distaste? I wish I could read people better. ‘I’m fine,’ I say. ‘A party is actually what I need right now. Take me out of my head for a bit.’

He frowns.

‘Not literally out of my head. I know I need to take it easy.’

‘That’s up to you. Like I said, I’m not your carer. But I do love you and I don’t ever want to see you as low as you were.’

I kiss his cheek and let him get out of the car first so he can come around and open my door for me. I’m all for equality and stuff, but there’s still room for some old-fashioned chivalry in the world. As he offers his hand to help me out of the car, I feel a jolt of pleasure and proprietary pride shoot through me. Mine.

We’d decided on She-Ra and He-Man and, when he tried his full outfit on before we came out, I was delighted with the choice. His costume consists of red pants, a chest plate – and that’s about it.

I wink at him as he puts his arm around my waist and we walk up the drive to the house.

‘Stop leering at me!’ He laughs. ‘I’m not a piece of meat. You however look sensational.’

I do a little twirl for him. ‘Come on then, Master of the Universe, let’s get this over with.’

‘Is it wrong that I quite like you calling me that?’

‘Don’t get used to it.’

The party is as hideous as expected. As we walk in, I feel Charlie’s fingers brush mine and our hands slip into each other’s.

James – or rather his team – has gone to extreme lengths, even by his standards. Charlie is stopped in his tracks by the actual DeLorean, which is in pride of place in the main hall. There are waxworks of famous people from the Eighties situated around the edge of the room. There’s even a huge projected moon on the ceiling, with a real bike suspended to recreate the famous image from E.T.

‘Why the Eighties?’ Charlie whispers as we squeeze past Freddie Mercury deep in conversation with Princess Diana to get a drink from Tom Cruise, who’s throwing cocktail shakers around behind a pop-up bar.

‘It was when James set up his record label. All of his parties are basically him wanking over his own success. But shhh. We don’t talk about it in public.’