Читать книгу Hollywood Hills Collection - Lynne Marshall, Amalie Berlin - Страница 16

CHAPTER EIGHT

ZACK WASN’T AT work the next morning.

Freya noticed.

All night she had been fighting with herself not to change her mind and go over to his hotel but really, Freya knew, she wanted more than she was getting from Zack.

‘How’s it all going?’ James asked as Freya dropped by.

‘Very well,’ Freya said. ‘James, I’m just going to Bright Hope to take some posters over for them to put up.’

‘Well, I don’t want any posters put up here,’ James said.

‘I wouldn’t tarnish your walls,’ Freya said.

‘Is everything okay?’ James checked.

‘Everything’s fine. Why?’

‘You just seem...’ James shrugged.

‘I’m just busy and I’m also...’ Freya knew that she had to tell him. Mila’s name was on the posters she was holding in her arms. If the operation was a success it was going to be all over the press and it was time that her brother found out what had been going on behind his back. ‘James, we need to talk.’

‘Sit down, then.’

James had always made time for her and she could see the concern in his eyes. She wished he’d stop being so protective, so ready to assume that at any moment she might slip back into ways of old.

Freya was tired of being treated like glass and didn’t get why they couldn’t speak openly about things.

That time in their lives hurt too much, Freya guessed.

And what she was going to say now would hurt James, she guessed too, which was why she had been avoiding it.

‘You know the Bright Hope Clinic...’

‘What now?’ James sighed. ‘Freya, my charitable cup does not runneth over. I do have patients of my own.’

‘I know that. It’s not about a patient, it’s about the founder.’ She swallowed. ‘Mila Brightman...’

She watched as her brother’s face paled but he said nothing at first, just sat there, but then he spoke. ‘Mila wouldn’t get involved in anything that has my name on it.’ James shook his head. ‘No way.’

‘Of course she would for the sake of her patients.’

‘How long have you known that she’s involved in Bright Hope?’

‘I’ve always known,’ Freya said. ‘We’ve stayed friends.’

‘You stayed friends with my ex?’

‘She was my friend too,’ Freya said.

‘And you didn’t think to tell me any of this?’

‘It was very easy not to, you avoid the charity stuff...’

‘And Mila’s the reason why I do!’

‘I know that.’

‘No, you don’t,’ James snapped. ‘I thought she was overseas and all this time you two have been colluding—’

‘We’ve been doing what we can for the patients. Come on, James, look at the amazing stuff that’s happened already. Paulo’s getting a chance, you’ve got a burns patient next—’

‘Get out,’ James interrupted.

‘James—’

‘I mean it, Freya.’

And she looked at her brother who had always been there for her, now telling her to get out.

‘James,’ Freya said in her most patient voice, ‘let’s talk about this.’

‘Are you still here?’ he asked. ‘I’m telling you, Freya, get the hell out.’

Freya walked out his office and straight to her car. She had known that he wouldn’t be pleased, but to be told to get out had been unexpected.

James couldn’t choose who she was friends with.

Mila and he had been engaged, had been about to be married. Just because he had chosen not to go through with it, it didn’t have to mean that she’d turn her back on Mila.

Freya was so upset that for once she didn’t notice Zack walking towards her.

‘Hey,’ Zack said. ‘Where are you off to?

‘I’m just taking some posters to the Bright Hope Clinic. I’m hoping—’

‘Enough.’ Zack put up his hand. ‘I shouldn’t have asked. I’m trying not to think about tomorrow just yet.’

‘Sorry,’ Freya said, and she thought of the pressure he must be under.

‘About last night—’

‘Not here, Freya.’

‘It’s a car park.’ Freya pointed out. ‘Look, how about tonight? I could cook something. Come over—’

‘Freya, not here,’ Zack said again. ‘We agreed.’

‘Sure.’ Freya said, and walked off. She loaded all the posters into her car but before she drove off she texted Zack her address and again asked if he wanted dinner. Yes, she knew she was pushing to move things along to more than they had agreed to.

She wanted things to move along, though, Freya thought.

She hit ‘send’ and then headed south for the Bright Hope Clinic.

‘Hi,’ Mila said when she arrived, and then saw Freya’s tense features. ‘You told James.’

Freya nodded. ‘I did.’ Though it wasn’t just James and their row that she was feeling so tense about. She was still waiting for Zack to respond. ‘It didn’t go down too well.’

‘How is he?’

‘Shell-shocked,’ Freya said. ‘I think he thought you were still overseas. He pretty much left all the research of charities to me.’

Mila was busy working and Freya put up all the posters and then left. As she stepped through the door of her apartment she had her answer to dinner and her invitation to come over in a less than effusive text.

No thanks. Zack

He hadn’t even put the little exclamation mark that they jokingly used in their exchanges. Oh, Freya knew it was a tiny detail but she could feel that they were slipping away from each other and she didn’t want them to.

I could come over to you.

Freya read what she’d just typed and she loathed herself for it. She looked at Cleo, who just stared back at her and told her to please not do it.

She hit ‘send’.

‘Sorry,’ she said to Cleo.

And, rather more rapidly this time than last, she got her response.

Not tonight.

I’ve got a big day tomorrow.

Zack

And it was there, in that second, Freya knew, that things had changed.

Maybe not for Zack.

But for her.

It wasn’t just sex for her.

Maybe it never had been.

For Freya, it felt a whole lot more than anything she had ever known.