The Forgetting(69)

‘I didn’t mean for it to happen. I’m sorry. It’ll never happen again, I promise.’

There was such remorse in his voice that Livvy experienced a moment’s dislocation, unable to inhabit two worlds at the same time: the world of conflict, anger and unexpected violence; and the world of contrition, solicitude, affection. It was as though she were straddling two different versions of her life, trying to figure out which was real. ‘It shouldn’t have happened once, Dominic.’

‘I know. And I feel wretched about it. I wish you could know how sorry I am.’

Neither of them spoke for a moment, Livvy’s need for the truth demanding that she ask the question. ‘So, this Daisy woman – she’s real? You were together?’

Seconds passed, Dominic’s breaths slow and steady. ‘It’s true that I dated Daisy, though not for very long. It was only a couple of months. But she’s totally twisted everything that happened. She was the one who dived in head first, who started talking about moving in together after a few weeks. She was the one who became obsessive when I broke up with her. She’s twisted the entire narrative to cast herself as the victim. It’s so galling that your sister believed it.’

Livvy thought about what Bea had told her, tried to rearrange the story in her head, swap the key protagonists. ‘Then why have you never told me about her?’

Dominic exhaled a long stream of air. ‘Honestly? I was embarrassed. I should never have dated someone so young. It’s such a middle-aged cliché and I should have known better. The whole thing . . . I just felt foolish. I wanted to put it all behind me, pretend it had never happened.’

‘And all this was just before we got together?’

‘Not right before. But a few weeks, yes.’

Livvy paused, thought back to the beginning of their relationship. ‘So you lied to me. When we met, you told me you’d been single for over a year. That was a lie.’ She sensed her words stiffen, as though they had been dipped in resin and left to dry.

‘You’re right, I did. And I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say. I felt ashamed that I’d got myself in that situation in the first place. It was a complete lapse of judgement on my part. And it was so short-lived – it really was just a couple of months. But I should have told you. I’m sorry.’

Livvy looked down to where Leo was trying to pull soft rings from a stacking toy, his fingers too uncoordinated for the task. ‘So all that stuff about her going to the police – this woman just fabricated the whole thing? Why would she do that?’

Dominic sighed, shrugged his shoulders. ‘I honestly don’t know. Maybe she’s embarrassed about the way she behaved. Maybe she’s still angry that I broke up with her and this is her way of getting back at me.’

Neither of them spoke for a moment.

‘So you never asked her to marry you?’

‘What?’ Dominic stared at her, mouth agape. ‘Of course not. Is that what she said?’ He shook his head. ‘I told you, we were only together for a couple of months and it was all pretty casual as far as I was concerned.’

Livvy tried to slot Dominic’s explanation into place with the other things Bea had told her. ‘Daisy told Bea you said you were adopted.’

For a moment, Dominic seemed speechless. ‘Jesus. I knew she was unhinged but that’s insane. She’s a complete fantasist. And your sister really believed her? I honestly thought Bea was smarter than that.’

Leo let out a frustrated cry as the fabric rings refused to be pulled off, and Livvy bent forward, removed them for him.

When she sat back up, Dominic took hold of her hand, looked down at her wrist. ‘How’s it feeling now?’

Livvy followed the direction of his gaze to the line of livid red welts. ‘Pretty sore.’

Dominic breathed slowly, his shoulder blades rising and falling. ‘I think I know why I got so angry. I know there’s no excuse for the way I behaved, but I was just really hurt that after all I’ve confided in you, you still believed a pack of lies. I’ve told you things I’ve never told anyone before and I was disappointed that there are still ways you doubt me, even after all that.’ He looked away, eyes narrowing as they grazed the room with its depleted bookshelves, boxes stacked against the wall, ready for the move.

Livvy allowed herself a moment’s pause. ‘I didn’t mean to make you feel like that. But you must be able to see it from my point of view? My sister tells me about a woman she’s met, who clearly did date you at some point and who you’ve never mentioned. What was I supposed to think?’

Dominic shifted position, turned to face her. ‘I know. I understand. If I could turn back the clock, I’d do it all differently. Especially today. It’s just been such a stressful time, with my dad and the job and the move.’ He pulled his mouth into a tight, sad smile. ‘Can you forgive me?’

The events of the afternoon spooled through Livvy’s mind in accelerated time. A part of her feared she might never be able to forgive him, not fully. But then she thought about all that had happened in recent weeks – Imogen’s appearance, John’s death, the unattended funeral – and found herself nodding.

‘Thank you. Really. I promise it will never happen again.’ Dominic’s fingers followed the contour of her wrist along the tender ridges of her skin. ‘What are we going to do about your sister?’