Page 196 of Checkmate
Alex looked up in surprise, his hand stalling as he pushed Odette on a swing. That voice was so familiar. But it couldn’t be.
Leading a group of eager tourists, Marcus and Erica walked past the playground. Oh, fate was a cruel thing.
It has been over two years since he last laid eyes on either of them, not since they had him arrested. He watched them captivate their audience and strained to hear a bit of their talk.
Erica hadn’t changed.
She was more beautiful than ever. Glowing, even. As the crowd parted, the reason became obvious.
She was pregnant; he realised with a pang.
He didn’t know why that tore him up inside, but it did. It had been so long since he and Erica were together; he thought he was over it.
Clearly not.
Suddenly, buried feelings threatened to cripple him. Jealousy and longing rose to the surface.
“Da-da! Da-da!”
Brought back to reality by his daughter, Alex shook his head and focused on the cherub who was scowling at him. It was then that he realised he’d stopped pushing the swing.
“I’m sorry, angel,” he muttered, giving her a gentle push and smiling at her gleeful giggle. He liked moments when it was just the two of them.
His son’s arrival made the flat feel tiny and very claustrophobic. He loved his children an impossible amount, and he wouldn’t change them for anything in the world.
But it didn’t change that he didn’t want to be a father.
Not in these circumstances, anyway.
He and Sophie had kept to the promise they made each other the day she bailed him out of prison. They were in this together - a team. She had his back, and he had hers.
Despite everything, he still didn’t love her. Yes, he cared for her. He admired her as the mother of his children, and he enjoyed her company more than he used to. But she didn’t rock his world. Their future didn’t excite him.
Both of them wanted out of the relationship, he was sure of it. But neither of them wanted to go alone. Sophie wouldn’t give up the security of the flat and having someone there to help her with the kids.
Alex couldn’t afford to run two homes, which was the fate he was resigning himself to if he were to leave. He didn’t like the prospect of dating again either. And so he stayed and played house with a woman he would never love.
“Across the road from the Baltimore is the famous Corner Stop playground. Alex’s heart leapt. He forced himself to keep looking down at Odette while Erica’s voice directed her audience towards the park.
“Now we won’t get any closer,” she said clearly. “These days, the park is for children, and we’ll respect that. But only fifty years ago, the park was a hotspot for torrid affairs. At night, the angry spirit of Garth Cash rattled the swing set chains. Forever angry that he can’t get vengeance on those who wronged him.”
Alex grimaced as a shiver went down his spine. Pulling Odette from the swing, he moved to the slide instead.
“Looks like we’ve spooked someone,” he heard Marcus say in an amused tone. “Sorry, sir! You’re quite safe during the day, however.”
Alex looked over his shoulder, his eyes meeting Erica’s. Shockingly, she looked right through him as though she didn’t even recognise him. The pain of that was crippling, and it was all he could do not to drop Odette and fall to his knees.
She should not have this power over him. Not after all this time.
“For those of you with tickets for tonight’s tour, we’ll return to the park. Hopefully, we’ll have an encounter with Garth,” Erica said. She turned back to her group with a smile, dismissing him easily.
He swallowed past the lump in his throat and turned to Odette. She squealed in excitement as he approached the slide. Propping her at the top, he moved to the bottom and held his arms out to encourage her.
Her happy giggle only marginally improved his mood. It was time to get out of here.
“One more turn, sweetheart,” he said, lifting her to the top once more. She rushed into his waiting arms and giggled as he lifted her onto his shoulders.
Leaving the play park, he walked past Erica’s tour group and focused ahead. He’d almost made it until, at the last second, Odette reached for Erica’s hat.
