The Honeymoon: An absolutely gripping psychological thriller

by Rona Halsall

  Chloe winced. ‘Nasty.’

  ‘You’re telling me. Bruises all up my arm. My God, it hurt. And the worst thing was I didn’t have my phone on me, so I couldn’t call for help. Luckily, I’ve got a landline extension in my bedroom and I managed to drag myself across the floor and ring an ambulance.’

  Chloe nodded as Alma was giving the details, mentally assessing her work. The shoulder would need stretches and strengthening, and the ankle would need to be mobilised. Yes, it was going to take a few weeks to sort this lady out. She wondered if Dan would always come with her, thinking that would be something to look forward to, then reminded herself about her pledge to stay away from relationships. Get on with your work!

  ‘Okay, Alma, can I have a little look at your ankle, then? How long ago was this?’ Chloe took Alma’s foot and gently felt around the joint, assessing the injury.

  Alma winced.

  ‘Sorry. Still tender?’

  ‘Six weeks since I did it. I’ve just had the plaster off today. They’ve given me one of those boot things to wear as well, but they want me to do exercises to get some strength back in the muscles.’

  ‘Yes, I can see we’ve got a bit of work to do.’ Chloe stood and walked towards the office door, pulling it open to let Alma through. ‘Right, let’s go to the gym, shall we, and see what you can manage? It’s just an initial assessment today, then once we’ve got a starting point, we can work out an exercise programme, okay?’

  ‘Dan will be able to help, won’t you, love?’ Alma looked up at her son. ‘He used to play a lot of rugby, didn’t you? Had all sorts of injuries.’

  Chloe could hear the pride in Alma’s voice, and when she glanced at Dan, their eyes met again. Her stomach gave a peculiar lurch, the office suddenly claustrophobic. She was glad to move into the exercise room where she led them to a bay containing a narrow treatment bed and a range of equipment used for stretching and building muscles.

  ‘This way, Alma. If you could just get up on the bed…’ She was about to go round and support Alma while she got out of her wheelchair, but Dan was there before her, lifting his mother like she weighed no more than a bag of sugar and placing her carefully on the treatment table.

  ‘There you go, Mum.’

  Alma patted him on the arm. ‘Thanks, son.’

  Something in that show of strength, that primitive display of masculinity, made Chloe’s legs feel a little weak. She started to massage Alma’s foot and ankle, warming all the muscles, feeling for damage in tendons and ligaments, which could be harder to heal than bones. ‘So, how are you managing at home, Alma?’

  ‘Oh, well, Dan’s looking after me. Honestly, I couldn’t have managed without him.’

  Chloe glanced up to find Dan was still gazing at her. She swallowed and turned back to her massage. ‘Oh, that’s good. Must have been hard with your ankle and arm out of action.’

  ‘I’m not going to lie, it has been a bit of a struggle, but Dan’s been marvellous. Can you believe he gave up his job to come home and take care of me?’

  Chloe hid a smile. What a lovely thing to do. Will I ever have a son who will do that for me? she wondered. Oh God, I hope so.

  Alma glowed with pride when she talked about Dan. How wonderful to feel an emotion like that.

  ‘Couldn’t leave you on your own, Mum, now could I?’ Dan said, his voice like molten chocolate, all smooth and deep. The sort of voice used for voiceovers, one that you’d never get tired of listening to. ‘Anyway, it was end of term, so the timing was perfect.’

  ‘Oh, you’re a teacher?’ Chloe put the ankle down and stood up, Dan’s presence seeming bigger in the confines of the curtained cubicle. She could feel herself blushing, sure that his eyes were following her every move.

  ‘I trained as an infant teacher, but I did languages at uni before I did my teacher training. I’ve been working in Spain for the last few years, teaching English as a foreign language.’

  ‘Oh, nice. So, this is just a short-term thing, then?’ She caught his eye and found she couldn’t look away, her insides melting. It was the strangest and most wonderful sensation.

  Then he smiled, and she melted a little more. ‘That depends.’

  Chloe swallowed and told herself to get a grip. This was so unprofessional, flirting with a guy instead of looking after her patient. She ran her tongue round dry lips, her legs all shaky for reasons that she didn’t want to consider.

  ‘Right, I’ll um… just go and get a walking frame and we can see how you manage, okay?’

  She left the cubicle, fanning her hot face with her hand, glad to have a few minutes to compose herself. You’re being ridiculous! Then she smiled as she chose a suitable piece of equipment. Wow, though. Bloody wow. She straightened her face and returned to the cubicle, keeping her eyes on her patient.

  ‘Okay, Alma, now that all your muscles are warmed up, let’s see if you can manage a few steps.’

  Alma shuffled off the bed and gamely tried to walk.

  Dan beamed at his mother. ‘You’re doing great, Mum. Really great. Isn’t she, Chloe?’

  He said my name.

  And he’d said it so slowly, with such care, like it was something precious. He caught her eye again and she wondered if there really was something in the concept of love at first sight. Her heart seemed to think so, the way it was pounding in her chest, her body hot, her hands itching to touch him.

  For the rest of the session, she functioned on autopilot, putting Alma through her paces and working out an exercise plan, which she jotted down as they went along; meanwhile, her mind planned her wedding, chose her honeymoon destination and named their three children.

  ‘Right, Alma, I think we’ll call it a day for now. Better to not do too much too soon. You can take the walker and practise using that. And don’t forget the shoulder exercises using the rubber bands.’ She showed her the list. ‘I’ve made a note of everything here, but if you have any problems, this is my number – please don’t hesitate to give me a ring, okay? Just remember, it’s going to feel a little sore for a while, but don’t let that stop you doing things.’

  Alma gave her a grateful smile. ‘Thank you, Chloe. I feel better now I know I can put weight on it. No pain, no gain – that’s right, isn’t it?’

  Chloe laughed. ‘Unfortunately, yes. It’s bound to hurt a bit, and not all pain is bad. Just don’t push it too much. Let’s make an appointment for next week, shall we? I’ll just go and get my diary.’

  She walked into her office and was aware of Dan following her. She turned, and he stood in the doorway, almost filling the space. Her heart flipped.

  ‘I was just wondering if…’ He stopped and jammed his hands in his pockets. She noticed he was blushing and hid a smile, silently egging him on. Do it, go on, do it, please! He took a step towards her and she picked up her diary, held it to her chest. ‘I was wondering if you fancied dinner later? If you’re free, that is.’ His words rushed out, like a train coming out of a tunnel. ‘Or another day. It doesn’t matter. You know, just some time.’ He chewed his bottom lip, gazing at her.

  Oh my days, he’s bloody gorgeous.

  Her face relaxed into the biggest smile, her heart leaping for joy. ‘That would be lovely. Yes, dinner tonight. Lovely.’

  ‘Can I pick you up? What time?’

  He wants to pick me up! How wonderful. Nobody else had ever bothered with that. It was all ‘meet you at such and such a place’ and leaving her to make her own way home. A gentleman! Excitement flooded her veins, whooshed in her ears, and she had to lean against the desk for support.

  ‘How about seven?’ she said, trying to sound casual, wondering if she’d managed to hide her eagerness. ‘If you give me your number, I’ll send you the address?’ She looked away, unable to handle the intensity of his gaze. ‘Now, I better get your mum booked in.’

  She walked out of the office, Dan trailing in her wake, and once they’d sorted out a new appointment, she watched them disappear through the double doors, out of
the department.

  That’s when she noticed the man behind her. He was standing in the corridor and she was very aware that she’d taken way too much time with Alma. It was almost five o’clock and her heart sank when she realised she still had one more person to see. She sighed. It was going to be an almighty rush now to get finished and ready for her date with Dan.

  She pasted a smile on her face. ‘I’m sorry to have kept you. I’m Chloe Black, one of the physios. Do you have an appointment?’ She hoped that he’d say it was with one of her colleagues, although there didn’t seem to be anyone else around. It was possible they had finished for the day, given the time, which meant she’d have to deal with this man herself.

  His mouth twitched and he looked a bit distracted, glancing down the corridor, a frown creasing his forehead into waves. Oh dear, she thought, he’s angry I’ve kept him waiting. But before she could apologise again, he started to speak.

  ‘No, I haven’t got an appointment. A & E sent me down.’ He looked at his watch and grimaced, clearly annoyed. ‘Thing is, I have to go. Got a bus to catch.’

  Before she could respond and suggest an appointment date, he hurried off down the corridor, his gait marked by a pronounced limp, leaving her feeling bad for running out of time to treat him. All because she was flirting with a client’s son. She cringed, annoyed with herself. Then a horrible thought struck her: Oh God. Maybe he’s going to complain! He must have seen her talking to Dan, maybe even overheard them arranging a date. Oh no, that’s going to be a telling off, for sure. She knew time-keeping was a weak area of her work, and she’d experienced several rebukes in recent weeks about not keeping to her schedule.

  She worried about it all the way home, berating herself for being so unprofessional. Stop with the guilt trips, she told herself as she turned up her road and speed-walked towards her flat. Physios are always running late, it’s the nature of the job, although she would have to acknowledge that it happened to her way more than it did to her colleagues.

  Her thoughts continued to snip at her, making her twitchy and anxious, feelings she was so familiar with, they’d become part of who she was. There was always something she could find to feed her guilt, always something in her day to make her feel bad, make her chastise herself with a whole bundle of should-haves and why-didn’t-Is. It was a habit so ingrained now, after nine years of practice, that she knew it was unlikely to change. She deserved to feel guilty, didn’t she? Deserved that constant unease, the tightness in her chest, the nagging thoughts, reminding her of the past. Of what she’d done.

  A heaviness settled on her shoulders as she hurried down the steps and let herself into her flat. Once she’d had a quick coffee, she went round to sort out her gran’s tea before dashing back home with very little time to get herself ready. She’d almost convinced herself not to bother and had only managed to pull on a clean pair of jeans and a jumper – not got round to make-up or sorting out her hair – when the doorbell startled her. Christ, he’s early! That was it, she was in no shape for a date, she’d have to send him away. She opened the door, all hot and flustered, but he spoke before she could get her words organised.

  ‘Oh, you look beautiful,’ he said, and she knew from the expression on his face, the look in his eyes, that he meant every word.

  That was the moment she fell in love, something she had no control over, something that absorbed her into a chain of events that would change her life forever.

  Three

  Now

  ‘How could you do this without telling me?’ The anger finally burst out of Chloe in a harsh whisper once they had taken off and were at cruising altitude. ‘The Maldives, that’s what we booked. You showed me the hotel and everything. How can we be on a plane to Menorca?’

  Dan took her hand and carefully interlaced his fingers with hers. She looked down and saw their wedding rings side by side, glowing with the golden promise of a new future. It made her take a breath before she said something she might regret. It couldn’t be going wrong. Not yet. Not even a day into married life. But what on earth was going on?

  He sighed, and when he spoke, his voice was gentle, patient. ‘Look, I know you had your heart set on the Maldives, and I know we paid a deposit and it looked great. But just last week I heard that there’d been a spate of crimes against tourists in that area and it sort of spooked me. So, I did a bit more research and apparently the place isn’t as idyllic as it looks.’

  Chloe regarded him, eyes narrowed. Is he telling the truth? He wasn’t looking at her but was stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. A strangely erotic action that was definitely distracting.

  ‘Show me,’ she said, getting her iPad out of her bag before remembering that they were on a plane and internet access was not readily available.

  He frowned at her. ‘What, you think I’m making it up?’

  She gazed at him for a moment while she thought. Do I? She’d never had him down as a liar, always considered him to be completely honest. Could she have misread him so badly? Does he look like he’s lying? Her eyes flickered over his face, studying his expression, searching for little tells that would give him away, but she couldn’t see any. All she saw was the beseeching look in his eyes. Her resolve wavered.

  ‘And the weather in September can be really iffy,’ he continued. ‘Seemed a lot of expense to sit in the rain, and I want our honeymoon to be perfect.’ He squeezed her hand to emphasise his point.

  She glared at him, still unsure. ‘And Menorca is going to be better?’

  He nodded. ‘I found the most perfect place. I wanted it to be a surprise, but we’re staying in a villa outside a little village with a big sheltered bay and shallow water perfect for swimming and snorkelling. We can go kayaking, there’s a nature reserve, we can go on a ferry to a little island with lots of private coves.’

  His eyes gleamed with hope. She looked away. It was like arguing with a puppy and she was struggling to keep her thoughts on track. But apart from the fact that she’d never yearned to go to Menorca, there was an important point to be made. If she didn’t make it now, then she was setting herself up to be a doormat, and that was something she was determined not to be. Not if her future was to be different from her past.

  She took a deep breath. ‘The point is it wasn’t your decision to make. We’re a team now, a partnership. And ever since I was little, I’ve wanted to go to the Maldives for my honeymoon.’ She sounded like her ten-year-old self, watching a holiday show and deciding that’s what was going to happen. That would be her fairy-tale marriage. Is that what I’m unhappy about? A stupid childhood dream? Or is it something else?

  He leant across and stroked her face with the back of his fingers. ‘Don’t be cross with me, babe. Please don’t be cross. I thought I was doing the right thing. I didn’t want you to be frightened of being robbed or mugged or something. Not on our honeymoon.’ His voice was hypnotic, his words smoothing away her anger. ‘I don’t want anything to bother us and I thought this place I found would be better.’

  She started to relent, telling herself she was being petulant. Who cares where we’re going? What matters is that this man is my husband. She looked into his eyes and believed he was telling the truth; in a way, she could understand his reasoning. He’s just being protective. Which is nice, isn’t it? This was about him wanting to look after her, and more to the point, if she couldn’t trust her husband less than a day into their marriage, then she was in trouble.

  She tried a smile, but it faded as disappointment pulled it from her lips. She looked down at her hands, at their wedding rings, the symbol of their union. Who am I trying to kid? At the very least, he should have told her his concerns, should have let her play a part in any decision.

  ‘I’m sorry I got it wrong.’ He picked up her hand and kissed it. ‘Forgive me?’ He gave her that puppy-dog look again, and her iciness melted. She didn’t want to argue, didn’t want to sulk. What she wanted was to enjoy the fact that she’d just got married to a lovely blok
e who had her best interests at heart. She smiled at him. I need to cut him a bit of slack, she decided. Give him the benefit of the doubt.

  ‘It’s okay,’ she said, trying to sound like she meant it. ‘Just a bit of a shock. You know how much I loved that place we booked. The idea of those white beaches and the little huts on stilts. And the colour of the ocean. I’ve always wanted to swim in water like that.’

  ‘I’ll make it up to you. And I promise, we’ll go another year, when it’s the dry season.’ He leant over and kissed her. The most gentle, loving kiss, and she decided that maybe where they went didn’t matter. It was who she was with that was important.

  Chloe had always been good at forgiving and forgetting. She had a habit of blowing up, saying her piece and then it was over. But this time, it was a struggle to let go of such a cherished dream. Dismissed by Dan for practical reasons, she was sure, but she had an emotional attachment to that dream. That mattered, didn’t it? It meant something to her, and now it would never happen, because she was only going to have one honeymoon. And it was going to be spent in bloody Menorca, which was a bit more humdrum than she’d hoped for. Images of a modern resort lined with rabbit hutch apartments, funny-shaped pools and beaches littered with row upon row of sunloungers filled her mind. She bit her lip. No matter what she told herself, it all felt a bit ordinary, when she’d hoped for something special.

  Dan leant over and kissed her again, his embrace so tender, the warmth of his fingers on her flesh radiating desire through her body. She had no control over the effect he had on her and she felt herself respond. A primitive urge stirred in her belly and she kissed him harder.