Page 48 of Doc Rock
It wasn’t the mansion that she and Ford once dreamed about. The one that he insisted needed at least six bedrooms, as he claimed they were going to have four kids—Mai had laughed at him and told him two, maximum.
Looking back,it washard to remember ever being that carefree young girl. She’d had no doubts that she and Ford would be growing old together, and yet she still left.
Why had she done that?
The decision at the time seemed so clear-cut, but now… now she wished she'd chosen differently.
Mai lifted her hand to her face to wipe at the tears rolling down her cheek.
What the hell had she done?
Why did she leave him?
Her heart hurt to think about it. All the feelings she’d suppressed began to claw their way back to the surface.
Seeing him in person stole the breath from her body. All she wanted to do was tell him about all the time they’d missed together. Tell him about her struggles and her triumphs.
Her phone beeped, pulling her from her self-pity. Grabbing it, shesawa message from Clara.
‘Ford and Donnie have both asked for your phone number. Can I give it to them?’
Mai stared at the phone. Her heart leapt, and her breath hitched. He wanted to talk to her.
With trembling hands, she typed back,‘That’s fine.’
‘Okay, if you need anything, let meknow. I can come over.’
Mai smiled down at her pregnant friend’s message, and her fingers flew over her phone.‘Can you still fit behind the steering wheel?’
Giggling to herself, shewatchedas the typing bubbles appeared and disappeared until Clara finally answered.
‘No.’With a selfie of Clara in the car, her stomach pushed up against the steering wheel.
‘You’re an idiot!’
Mai’s giggling turned into a belly laugh at her friend’s antics. Wiping at her eyes, she pulled herself off the sofa and wandered upstairs. She needed to shower.
Her phone bleeped with another message as she was about to step under the spray. Assumingit wouldbe Clara saying something else ridiculous, she snatched her phone off the sink to check.
Her body turned to ice.
It wasn’t Clara.
It was Ford.
She hadn’t thought that her friend would immediately give him her number or that he would text straight away.
Standing naked in her bathroom, she read his short message.
‘Sie. I need to see you.’
She analysed his words.
What did he mean?
He needed to see her.
To shout at her more?
