New Kid On The Blog

Taken from Sushi for Beginners - Marian Keyes

To cut the story short, Clodagh broke up with Marcus and wanted Dylan back ...

Sitting down, Clodagh crossed her legs and agitatedly bounced up and down on the ball of her foot. Dylan had taken the kids out for the afternoon and was due back any minute, and though he didn't know yet, they were going to talk.

Every time they met, things were civil but unpleasant. He was bitter and she was defensive, but all that was about to change.

How could she ever have thought that Marcus would do? Dylan was wonderful: patient, kind, generous, devoted, hard-working, much more attractive. She wanted her old life back. But she expected a certain amount of rancour and resistance from Dylan and she wasn't looking forward to having to eat humble pie to win him over.

A racket of childish voices at the front-door indicated that they were back. She hurried to let them in, and gave Dylan a friendly smile which fell on stony ground.

'Could I have a quick chat with you?' She forced her voice to remain bright.

When he shrugged a flinty 'All right,' she put Craig and Molly in front of a video, closed the door and came into the kitchen where Dylan was waiting.

She swallowed hard. 'Dylan, these past months ... I was wrong, I'm very sorry. I still love you and I'd like you to - ' she choked, 'I'd like you to come home.'

She watched his face and waited for the golden light of happiness to wash over it and cleanse away the glittery hardness that had taken up residence there since all this started. He gazed at her incredulously.

'I know it'll take a while to get back to normal and for you to trust me again, but we can go for counselling and all,' she promised. 'I was out of my mind to do what I did to you, but we can make everything all right again ... Can't we?' she asked, when still he didn't reply.

Eventually he spoke and he said only one word. 'No.'

'No ... what?'

'No, I'm not coming back.'

She had not anticipated this. Not in any of her scenarios. 'But why?' She didn't really believe him.

'I just don't want to.'

'But you've been devastated by what I ... um ... did.'

'Yeah, I thought it was going to kill me,' he agreed thoughtfully. 'But I supposed I must have gotten over it, because now that I think about it, I don't want to be married to you any more.'

She began to shake. This wasn't happening. 'What about the children?'

That got him. 'I love my children.'

Good.

'But I'm not going to get back with you because of them. I can't.'

She was losing. All the power she'd thought she possessed was being revealed as a mere facade. And then something so unlikely as to be almost laughable occurred to her. 'Have you ... you haven't ... met someone else?'

He laughed unpleasantly. I did that, she thought, suddenly ashamed. I've made him like this.

'I've met lots of someone elses,' he said.

'Do you mean ... are you saying ... you've slept with women?'

'Well, not much sleeping gets done.'

She belly-flopped, feeling betrayed, jealous, cheated on. And his knowing, taunty tone roused a horrible suspicion. 'Do I know any of them?'

His smile was cruel. 'Yes.'

Her stomach flopped again. 'Who?'

'What a question to ask a gentleman,' he scorned.

'You said you'd wait for me,' she said quietly.

'Did I? So, I lied.'

# posted by Skye @ 2:04 am