Share
THE FIFTH
Related chapters
Thirty Days THE FIFTH pt2
I break away from the hug when I hear some voices coming from the stairs, noticing two heads popping up. “We couldn’t wait to see it all finished,” Bea says with a twinkle in her eye. “Yeah, the suspense has been killing us,” Andreas chuckles. “Come up,” I call over. “This place is incredible…” I trail off not sure what other words I can use. Truth be told I am completely overwhelmed and I feel like I am probably missing loads of important details. But this is now my home and I can’t wait to pack up my stuff from the apartment and move in here properly. “It’s all here already,” Taylor says reading my mind. “The team moved our stuff last night while we were at the cottage.” Bea and Andreas disappear down the corridor to the bedrooms with my mum so I slide my arms around Taylor. “Have I told you today just how much I love you?” I ask earnestly, staring up into Taylor’s chocolate-brown eyes. “Hmm, not today,” Taylor responds with a light laugh. “Well, I love you very much, Mr Huds
Thirty Days THE SIXTH – THE NINTH
Taylor once asked me what you do when all your dreams come true and my response had been that you make new ones. Throughout the long Easter weekend, I wandered around the flat in a state of semi-permanent shock. It felt almost surreal that, after all these months, the place was finally ours. Part of me, the niggly, annoying girl who was so determined to succeed on her own, was still whispering in my ear that I shouldn’t have let Taylor pay for it. But the saner part of me realises that for better or for worse we are in this together and why shouldn’t he contribute to the place we will be calling ‘home’? I love the fact that I can just pop my head downstairs to see how things are going in the café and bakery and then be able to retreat back up here for a nap if needs be. I loved sitting in my mini garden on the first morning as the sun rose in the sky, sipping on my coffee while curled up under a blanket on the wicker chair that I have claimed as my own. And I loved falling asleep in
Thirty Days THE TENTH
Taylor seems nervous as he dresses. Pulling the light blue shirt over his broad frame I notice his hands shaking slightly as he does the buttons up. He pulls on his trousers and I realise that he is wearing his ‘good luck’ suit, the one he pulls out when he has to make a significant pitch. I am curious because he hasn’t mentioned any new projects for a while. “Have you got a big meeting today?” I ask, sitting up in bed and trying to adjust my body into a position that feels vaguely comfortable. “Something like that,” Taylor mumbles while studiously avoiding my eyes. “Taylor…” I say with a warning in my voice. “Okay, look, I am going to go hear the opening statements for Hannah’s trial.” Taylor looks past me as if, by not making eye contact, he can get away with whatever he has planned. “But Taylor we both agreed…” My voice is low but firm as I remind him of the resolution we made only a couple of days ago. Taylor quickly interrupts me, “I know what we both agreed, but I can’t ju
Thirty Days THE TENTH pt2
The day flies by as I tick off each job on my to-do list one by one. Bea tells me to slow down, that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and that there are things that can wait until tomorrow but she just smiles and nods when I tell her that things need to get done. She knows me well enough to see through my excuses. I am sitting in my office when I hear the front door open and close. A glance at the clock tells me that it is just gone six. I haven’t heard from Taylor since lunchtime when he texted me that things were going slowly but judging from his weary tread on the stairs it has been a long day for him. I am about to walk through to the living room when inspiration strikes. I quickly pull my dress over my head and drop my panties on the floor, with my bra following just after. I peek around the wall and can’t see Taylor so I guess he must have gone through to the bedroom. I quickly cross to the couch and get myself comfortable trying to arrange my body into a semblance of a sexy pose,
Thirty Days THE ELEVENTH
My first thought, when I wake up to the light streaming through the windows, is that I have hideously overslept and that I am going to be late. But then my subconscious reminds me that my appointment with Dr Grohl is actually this afternoon and instead, and I am teaching a baking class at the clinic this morning instead. I feel a smile stretching across my face and a small ball of nervous excitement begins to form in my belly. Bean spent the night dancing on my bladder so I didn’t get the best night’s sleep ever, but I do seem to be in the process of learning how to sleepwalk to the bathroom. Funny, these were the little things my mother warned me about and I had dismissed them thinking in my naiveté that nah, they wouldn’t happen to me. Oh, how wrong I was. A glance at the clock tells me that I need to get a move on so I hop out of bed and concentrate on finding something suitable to wear. I finally settle on a comfy pair of charcoal leggings, one of Taylor’s white shirts and a pai
Thirty Days THE TWELVETH
“Darling, this place looks superb,” Genevieve says as I pour out some tea from the white china pot in front of me. The day is awash with the showers that April is so famous for, casting dull shadows around my little garden. Thankfully the discreet up-lighters in each corner of the room brighten up what would otherwise feel like very dreary surroundings, despite the aromatic flora scenting the air. “Thank you,” I respond. “Though, of course, I didn’t know anything about this little surprise. Taylor and my mum cooked up this one all on their own.” I watch as Genevieve nods slightly, the knowing look on her face giving me the impression that she might have been in on the surprise as well. “Though maybe they had a little help?” I ask arching my eyebrow questioningly as suddenly I am flooded with the memory of standing in Genevieve’s orangery surrounded by an altogether too familiar smell. “The frangipani tree,” I gasp. “That’s why it seemed so familiar. It's from your house.” Genevieve
Thirty Days THE THIRTEENTH
The sun has barely made it above the horizon when I finally drag myself out of bed. I spent hours tossing and turning, Genevieve’s words playing over and over in my mind until I wanted to weep. Maybe it is my hormones, or maybe the pain in her words just permeated my subconscious, but I can’t help but empathise with the woman who tried to do the right thing on multiple occasions yet still carries the guilt of others on her shoulders. I pad through to the kitchen, my movements sluggish with the lack of sleep. Pulling the carton of milk from the fridge I pour some into a mug before heating it up in the microwave. A couple of spoonfuls of cocoa and a sprinkle of sugar and I have my ultimate go-to comfort drink. A dash of cinnamon gives it a final twist and I take a sip, letting out a sigh before I curl up on the sofa trying to shrug off my unease. It also doesn’t help that today Taylor is giving evidence at Hannah’s trial, something that was weighing on my mind throughout the night. He
Thirty Days THE THIRTEENTH pt2
The view across the rooftop towards St. Paul’s Cathedral is stunning as the sun begins to set. I am sat in a restaurant called Madison which is at eye level with the building’s iconic dome and, if I turn my head, I also catch glimpses of the London Eye and The Shard, one of London’s newest landmarks. I find myself appreciating the blend of old and new as I glance at the horizon; it shouldn’t work, but actually, it does and for the umpteenth time I find myself grateful to be able to experience such a unique city. Less than five minutes walk away you can find the remains of the old Roman wall that once surrounded the original city right next to the Barbican, one of London’s many cultural icons. Wherever you turn ancient nestles with modern making this city, in my opinion, one of the greatest in the world. My original plan had been to surprise Taylor by picking him up outside of the Old Bailey, but things were running late at the Central Criminal Court so Henry promised to get him deliv
Latest chapter
