Page 17 of Tears of Gold

My heart booms.

“Sorry.” I go to throw it back in my bag, but she rings again. My stomach twists. She’d never ring me twice in a row unless something was wrong. Everyone knows the rule; if I don’t answer the first time then I’m not going to answer at all.

I’m torn. Eli is broken, sobs heaving his chest. Jeremy, a stranger but family so it seems, is frozen like a lake in the depths of winter, and Abi is calling, possibly to discuss the weather and wondering if I found my man.

I found him.

“I’m sorry. I need to get this.” My gut tells me I need to get it. I slide my hand down Eli’s back, wishing I could take away every shred of hurt eating him whole.

Standing from the sofa, I step out into the hallway. I don’t accept the video call. Instead, I cut it off and redial her with a voice call.

“Hey,” I whisper.

“Hey, you. Where the hell are you?”

“Sorry, Abs.” I open my mouth to tell her what’s been going on, but she beats me to it.

“He’s been arrested.” Her voice is high, tight, but I breathe a sigh of relief. Aiden is going to pay for what he did to me. For every touch. Every breach of trust. He will pay for them all.

“That’s good, isn’t it?”

“No, Faith. Not Aiden. Dan. He went after Aiden’s crew. It was bad, like more than bad. One guy is in hospital; they pulled him out of the sea.”

Her words make no sense. Nothing. I stare at the wall off the hallway, focusing on a framed charcoal sketch.

“I don’t understand.”

“Faith, Dan has been arrested. For grievous bodily harm, but it could be worse if the other guy doesn’t make it.”

My knees fold and I sit on the floor. A deep dark sob works its way from within me. “I can’t take much more.”

“What’s going on? Did you find Eli?”

A slow tear rolls down my cheek. “Yes. But Peter died. His brother. We’ve just found out he’s got a husband. We're there now. Elijah is a mess.”

“Yeah well, Faith. There’s a mess here too.”

I slump against the wall.

This is the moment. I’ve reached my limit. I can’t take anymore.

Everything keeps coming for me and I can’t fight it any longer.

“I’ll call you back.” I hang up the call. I don’t have words. Nothing. I drop my phone on the floor and then push myself up. Leaving Eli and Jeremy in the lounge, I stagger into the kitchen where I find a glass on a drawing board and run myself a drink from the tap.

The water swirls in my stomach and then rushes back up my throat, spewing into the sink. I gasp and clutch at my hair, sweat prickling my skin.

Shit.

My stomach is rolling, turning, squeezing so tight it’s painful. Although I can’t remember the last time I ate. Can’t remember the last time we even had a drink. It’s been a nightmare, a never-ending nightmare since Elijah’s birthday.

“Faith?” His voice calls from the doorway of the kitchen.

“Don’t come any closer.” I wave my hand back at him while I put the tap back on and splash my face.

His hands are on my shoulders, smoothing down my arms, heating my skin.

“Faith, what’s wrong?”