The Soulmate(74)

Gabe’s face colours. I stare at him as realisation dawns. I am an idiot. Amanda didn’t jump. Of course she didn’t! Kat was right. Gabe didn’t tell the police about his connection to the Camerons because he had something to hide. He wasn’t protecting me – he was protecting himself!

‘Tell him, Gabe,’ I say to my husband. ‘Tell him what happened to Amanda. The truth.’

Gabe looks uncomfortable. I see on his face he’s concerned, perhaps worried that Max is tricking him into something. Perhaps he is. But in that moment I can’t bring myself to care.

‘Tell him,’ I repeat, louder this time. And, finally, Gabe does.





83


AMANDA

BEFORE



I‘d only been standing at The Drop for a couple of minutes when Gabe came out. It was a miserable afternoon, windy, rainy, cold. The sun was preparing to set. The surge of adrenaline that had brought me this far was starting to ebb and I felt light-headed and exhausted. But I was determined. I wasn’t prepared to lie down, helpless, as my world collapsed around me, like my mother had. I was going to find out the truth. I wouldn’t let Max’s shame become mine.

‘Can I help you with anything?’ Gabe said.

I turned at the sound of his voice. I’d forgotten how handsome he was. Breathtakingly so. His voice was warm and friendly. It was little wonder people decided life was worth living after a few minutes with him. He approached me slowly, holding up his hands, as if to say I come in peace, stopping several metres back from the edge.

‘I’m not going to jump, if that’s what you’re worried about,’ I said, realising this was the reason for his caution.

Gabe looked puzzled at this declaration. There was a short silence as he scrambled to understand. ‘I’m glad to hear it.’

‘You don’t recognise me, do you?’ I said. I wasn’t offended; why would he? We’d only met a couple of times. Besides, I wasn’t particularly memorable. Not in the way he was. Or Max.

He came a couple of steps closer, peering at my face.

‘Amanda Cameron,’ I said. ‘Max’s wife.’

Now he knew. Immediately he became wary, even took a small step back. ‘Of course! Amanda . . . What are you doing here?’

‘I read the article about you. That’s how I knew where to find you. But actually, I’m looking for your wife.’

‘Oh.’ Gabe took a moment to process this. ‘May I ask why?’

‘Because I just discovered video footage of her and Max in his office. Pippa was half-undressed.’

‘Footage?’ Gabe’s face expressed his shock and disbelief, which I expected. It was part of the reason I’d brought the USB. But then he said, ‘Max filmed it?’

I stared at him. ‘Wait – you knew about this?’

‘Pippa told me. It happened over a year ago, before we moved away. But I had no idea it had been filmed.’

And there it was, the confirmation. I hadn’t realised how much I’d been hoping that it was all a misunderstanding. That when the footage stopped, Max stopped too. My head began to spin.

‘I’m sorry,’ Gabe said, softer now. ‘You must be upset.’

I laughed. ‘Upset? Max is the great love of my life. The only thing I ever asked of him was fidelity.’ I threw up my arms. ‘It’s bad enough that he would betray me at all, but to do it with . . .’

It was because I was so upset that I nearly said it. But I stopped myself. How ridiculous that was . . . even while freshly wounded by Max’s betrayal, I couldn’t repress my instinct to protect him.

‘I’ve spent my life keeping his secrets. Protecting him. And for what?’ I held up the USB. ‘This contains the contents of his secret computer. I could send it to the media. Or the police! I could ruin him! Maybe I will . . .’

Gabe, I noticed, was watching me warily now. ‘I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Amanda.’

‘Why not? Why shouldn’t I?’

‘Amanda.’ Gabe took a step towards me. ‘Take a breath. Take a minute to think about this.’

‘Max didn’t think twice before he betrayed me!’

I was talking a big game. It felt amazing. Suddenly I felt powerful – like I had control in a situation where I’d previously had none. But I knew, even then, that I would never turn over the USB to anyone. No matter what Max had done, I couldn’t do that to him. Loving and protecting him had become part of my DNA.

Gabe’s stance had changed now. Rather than the calm neutral man who’d appeared on the cliff, he appeared almost . . . predatory. It prompted a realisation. The type that comes out of nowhere and hits you forcefully. Of course. Max wasn’t the only one who could be hurt by what was on this USB. There was information on here that would incriminate Gabe. By the look on Gabe’s face, he’d realised this too.

He lunged for the USB.

For a moment, we both had it. I pulled it towards me, and Gabe pulled it back. I gripped it tightly and leaned back, all my weight in my heels. I really thought I had it. Then Gabe ripped it free, and suddenly I was falling.

Gabe tried to help. He lunged forward, his arms outstretched. He almost caught me. Then he stopped. He held his palms up flat; he stood upright. Perhaps he thought it was too late? Or perhaps he’d realised that if I went over the cliff, everything became simpler? I guessed I’d never know.