Fourteen Days(11)

He was wide-awake. Nicky had fallen asleep over an hour ago, already talking in her sleep. Most of the time she just mumbled incoherent words, but sometimes she spoke complete sentences, giving the impression that she was fully conscious. He found it amusing, especially when he would tease her about it the next day. But she always denied it.

He wondered what to do with his day tomorrow, and whether the rain would subside. He didn’t mind the rain—especially when it hit the window at night—but it was going on May, and the thought of sitting indoors again turned his stomach.

As one o’ clock approached, the rain settled, leaving the house in silence.

He hated being the last to fall asleep. Every movement he made seemed like bombs exploding as he tried to get comfortable. The last thing he wanted was to wake his wife this late at night. He rolled over onto his left side, facing the wardrobe, hoping to find the perfect position. After less than five seconds he felt the need to move again. Turning onto his back again, he lay in discomfort, eyes wide open, glaring up at the ceiling, annoyed that he was about to face yet another sleepless night. He sat up, groaned, and quietly fluffed his pillow. Lying back down, still uncomfortable and restless, he groaned again, and moved onto his side. Bloody hell.

As he turned to face the bedroom door, the sound of footsteps from outside the room made him freeze.

Listening intently, he waited for the sound to happen again. When it failed to return, he started to lie on his back. Just as his shoulder blades touched the soft mattress, the footsteps sounded again. His heart filled with terror as he clenched his fists. His initial thoughts—being a movie fan—were that the footsteps belonged to something supernatural. But then his rational mind took over, and the idea of a burglar seemed like the more logical explanation.

Creeping out of the bed, fists still clenched, he edged to the door. His heart raced as the handle came within inches of his grasp. He reached for the handle and carefully turned it. Just as the door was about to open, the bedroom suddenly came alive with light.

“What are you doing?”

He jumped in fright. “Dammit!” he shouted, staring at Nicky sitting up in bed. “I almost wet my pants!”

Chuckling, she asked, “Why are you sneaking ’round?”

Exhaling, trying to shake off his shock, he ran a hand over his face. “I thought I heard footsteps outside the door.” He opened the door to check and found the landing empty.

“It was probably just the rain outside. You’re a nervous wreck. Come back to bed. It’s late.”

Nodding, he closed the door, only to open it again to double check. “Thought it was a burglar.”

He climbed back into bed, huddling up close to her.

Sniggering, she turned to face him. “No, I bet you thought it was a ghost, didn’t you?”

He closed his eyes as he draped his arm over her side. “Don’t be ridiculous.”





Chapter 4


    Day 4: Friday


Richard leaned against the kitchen worktop, waiting for the kettle to boil, contemplating whether or not to call Leah again. It had been three days since his last conversation. A quick chat to see how things were going wouldn’t do any harm. Yeah, a quick chat. No more. Even just to say hi. She’s still a friend after all. He reached for the phone and dialed the number for work. After a few seconds Leah answered. “Hi, Leah. It’s Richard. How’s—” But before he could finish she hung up the phone, leaving him with a piercing beeping sound in his ear.

“Bitch,” he said, shaking his head in astonishment. Doesn’t she realize I’d be able to relax more knowing that everything is running smoothly? What’s wrong with her? “Stubborn cow.”

Still frustrated, he took his coffee outside and sat on the patio. The sun was out again with no sign of rain. The heat felt good against his face as he leaned back on his plastic chair.

Sipping his coffee, he tried to block out thoughts of work. Instead, he focused on other things, like maybe taking Nicky away for the summer. Someplace warm—away from this house. He imagined lying on a nice deserted beach, drinking ice-cold beer, watching the blue sea crash against the rocks. He thought of Nicky beside him, her smiling face, her slender body, her deep blue eyes. And then a sudden feeling of sadness and guilt washed over him. They hadn’t been away on holiday since their honeymoon, almost three years ago.

How could I do that to her? After all she sacrificed to follow me to Bristol, leaving her family, friends, and job behind just so I could start a new job. How selfish is that! What’s wrong with me? No, it’s not selfish, it’s for our future. She knows that. Best to get some money behind us before we start a family. No point struggling. It’ll be worth it in the long run. And besides, I don’t plan to work there forever.