Either Side of Midnight (The Midnight Saga Book 1)

by Tori de Clare

  ‘You were in the bath last time I came to do this job,’ the guy commented with a small chuckle. Naomi closed her eyes and bit her lip. She pictured him looking straight at Lorie. ‘Nice to meet you this time.’

  The man proceeded to the bathroom and closed the door. Naomi wasn’t aware of anything but the noises he was making. After a few minutes, he came out, descended the stairs, said a few things in the hall, and left.

  Dan returned to the kitchen with Lorie and offered, loudly, to make her some food.

  ‘Don’t change the subject, Danny,’ Lorie said in a voice that was half playful, half determined to draw the truth. ‘Who’s been sharing your peace and quiet?’

  ‘No one.’

  ‘Yeah right,’ she said, forcefully. ‘She coming back?’

  ‘I mean, no one I’m prepared to discuss.’

  ‘Who is she?’

  Naomi could hear cupboards clattering.

  ‘Just a girl I met in a pub round here. A local, OK, Mum?’

  ‘And she came here because she needed a bath?’

  ‘No, Lorie. She stayed the night with me and had a bath the following morning, OK? Any more questions that are none of your business?’

  ‘Are you seeing her again?’

  ‘Tonight. I thought you were coming tomorrow, so I invited her for dinner. She’ll be here at six-thirty, by which time you’ll have gone.’

  ‘I was planning to stay over in the spare room.’

  ‘Well, tough. If you’re going to show up unannounced you’ll have to accommodate my plans. In any case, I don’t think Nathan would approve.’

  ‘Nathan sent me here to keep an eye on you, to check you’re OK after everything that’s happened. He’s concerned about you. He knows you can be a bit . . . sensitive. He told me to stay as long as necessary.’

  ‘Job done.’ A cupboard door slammed shut. ‘I don’t need you to babysit me OK? I’m enjoying being on my own and having a bit of company if I choose, when I choose. And I’ll do that with whoever the hell I want. I don’t need my brother’s permission, and I certainly don’t need yours.’

  Another chair scraped the floor. ‘Fine,’ she said, nonchalantly, ‘In that case, my job here is done.’

  ‘Like I said.’

  ‘I’ll leave you to prepare for your guest in peace. I can explore the area on my own while it’s still light, then make my way home. I have an important job tomorrow. Solomon needs paying. I’ll show up nice and early to keep him sweet. That’s the reason I couldn’t come tomorrow.’

  ‘Why didn’t you just say?’

  ‘I preferred to surprise you and to see what you’re up to.’

  ‘What are you, my mother? Time to leave, Lorie.’

  They were in the hall where it was more difficult to listen. As far as Naomi could tell, there were no goodbyes at the door. The door opened, then closed. An engine started up. A car, which Naomi pictured to be Lorie’s royal blue Mini with the union jack roof, pulled away until there was nothing but silence. Dan ran up the stairs. Naomi waited for him to give her the all clear. She heard him close the curtains before he opened the wardrobe doors and pulled her out, telling her he’d sensed her in there. Naomi found herself wrapped in Dan’s arms, feeling his heartbeat and his hands moving up and down her back.

  ‘Did we do the right thing letting her go?’ Naomi said.

  ‘We had no choice. She has to pay Solomon or it will hit the fan big time. Once Solomon has his money, I’ll rest a bit easier.’ They broke apart and looked at each other. ‘Do you think she suspected anything?’

  Naomi looked at him carefully, arrested by the colour of his eyes. ‘I thought you were amazing.’

  <><><>

  Lorie stopped the car half on the narrow road, half in long grass behind a low stone wall that didn’t seem to have any cement between the stones. She wasn’t far from the solitary cottage where Dan would be entertaining his guest in a couple of hours. She was out of view of the windows. She killed the engine and looked at the house bathed in the low light of late afternoon. Two birds were squabbling on the roof.

  Lorie drew her phone from her coat pocket and struggled to get a signal. She called Nathan, keeping an eye on the house.

  ‘Hey babe, how goes it?’ he said after three rings.

  ‘Not sure,’ was Lorie’s careful reply.

  ‘Have you seen Dan?’

  ‘Yep.’

  ‘Did he accept the money?’

  Lorie switched the phone to her other ear. ‘Not a penny. He took the ring though. I’m sitting outside a cottage in the middle of nowhere, where Dan’s apparently found himself a girlfriend. He thinks I’ve left.’

  ‘Girlfriend?’ Nathan sounded confused.

  ‘A local, apparently. Been for a sleepover.’

  ‘No way. Dan’s slow with girls. He’s never brought anyone back to the flat. It takes him for ever to ask a girl out, let alone make a move on her.’

  ‘That’s what I thought.’

  ‘Did you challenge him?’

  ‘Kind of. He told me to butt out. He’s seeing her again tonight. He was keen for me to leave.’

  Nathan was quiet a moment. ‘Dan’s just committed a major crime. His previous crime before that was having a biscuit after he brushed his teeth. I can’t imagine his mind is on girls right now.’

  ‘That’s what I thought,’ Lorie said a second time.

  ‘You don’t think he’s desperate to confess to someone? How did he seem?’

  ‘A bit jittery. Mostly OK. He’s bound to have regrets. That’s Dan.’

  ‘Something’s up,’ Nathan said, pausing to clear his throat. ‘Stick around and find out what it is and who this chick is. Follow her when she leaves. Find out where she lives and what the deal is. If anything seems suspicious, call me. And don’t let Dan know you’re still around.’

  24

  LIBERTY

  It was a lukewarm day at the end of June, the day of Naomi’s end-of-year piano recital, the final ordeal before she could complete her first year. She had to perform for twenty minutes without music. She’d already accompanied two other first-year students that week, Siobhan one of them. Naomi was exhausted from worry and work. She’d slept three hours the night before and woken up at four in the morning to a Mozart symphony blasting inside her head that she couldn’t turn off or turn down. She’d tried to erase it by mentally rehearsing her recital pieces. It hadn’t worked.

  She sat in the recital room now beside Nathan. Siobhan had come to listen and lend support. She was sitting alone a few rows behind. Naomi could feel Siobhan’s eyes on her. Unable to resist the pull, she glanced behind and found Siobhan looking directly at her. Siobhan nodded once, stone-faced. Naomi smiled in response, conscious of Nathan, who was likely the cause of Siobhan’s frostiness. It was the first time they’d seen each other since the party.

  Camilla had wanted to come to the recital, but only students were allowed in. Naomi had shown up with Nathan, hoping he’d be taken for a student. No one questioned him. Naomi was the first after lunch. They sat waiting for the two adjudicators now, Naomi warming her hands in Nathan’s, trying not to overthink her pieces. Cold hands were useless for playing. She could barely even mentally play the first few bars of her Bach prelude, the opening piece. She took her engagement ring off and asked Nathan to look after it. In an effort not to panic about a crucial part of her memory that seemed to have gone missing, she thought of the last few months instead, and wondered where the time had gone.

  Engagement had started painfully. Everyone except Lorie had been in a conspiracy against them. Things had gradually got better and relationships had gone through a healing process thanks to time. Well, mostly. Naomi couldn’t think of a specific day or event where Camilla was suddenly fine that she was marrying Nathan, but there had been a gradual shift which meant that they could now talk about plans and dresses and menus without Camilla’s hair bristling. Naomi had Lorie to thank for the defrost.

  It turned out that the linger
ing problems were with Annabel. Time had changed nothing there. Annabel had been home once, at Christmas. She’d stayed for two weeks, giving Naomi time to persuade her to be a bridesmaid. It hadn’t worked. Annie had said, “He’s not good enough for you. I’m not playing happy families when he’s divided us. I’ve told you what I think of him. How many more times?”

  Naomi had tried to convince Annabel she was wrong; tried to offer all the reasons why she’d misread intentions. Annabel hadn’t budged. Camilla couldn’t forgive her for it. It was nine weeks to the wedding now and Annie had stuck to her resolve: she would not be a bridesmaid or condone the wedding by attending it. She’d even decided that life and work in Tokyo suited her so well she’d be staying out there a second year.

  Camilla’s response to Annabel’s response had broken their relationship. Seeing each other over Christmas had only given them the perfect chance to tear into each other face-to-face and dredge up past problems and pain. Camilla had insisted that Annabel, like herself, had no choice but to accept the wedding and make room for it in her plans. Annabel disagreed. She claimed the right to have a choice and told Camilla, more brutally each time, that she wouldn’t be anyone’s puppet, and where she, Camilla, could stick her threats. Annabel dug a trench. Camilla dug one too. Naomi was stuck in no-man’s-land trying to call the two of them together. There was no truce, not even on Christmas Day.

  Naomi had to accept Annabel’s choice without taking sides. She begged Camilla to restore some harmony. Camilla couldn’t. It was Annabel who’d created the discord after all. When Annabel returned to Japan, Camilla gave up on her. She stopped e-mailing, stopped trying to mend things over the phone, wouldn’t entertain the idea of Skype, whatever that was. If Annabel was determined to be so pig-headed and selfish, she was on her own. Naomi knew that Henry rang her regularly and privately. He left messages for her on her Facebook account and followed her latest pictures. Camilla had stopped talking to Naomi about her twin. It was as if Lorie had taken her place as a second daughter.

  Naomi didn’t know she’d sighed until Nathan squeezed her hand.

  ‘Don’t worry, babe. You’re going to be great.’

  Naomi snapped into the present and tried to smile. ‘It’s not that.’ She leant into Nathan’s ear. ‘Hey, can we go to your place after this. I need to talk to you.’

  Nathan looked at her. They’d been to Nathan’s flat a few times in the nine months they’d been together, and never returned to his bedroom.

  ‘Everything OK?’

  She lowered her voice almost to nothing and nodded. ‘We’re never fully alone and I need it right now.’

  Nathan rubbed the hand he was holding, with his other hand. ‘The place is a mess.’

  Naomi rested her head on his shoulder and suddenly and desperately wanted to be there with him, whatever it looked like. ‘I don’t care. When this is over, I want to get away from here.’

  He kissed her cheek and his hand brushed the side of her leg at the top, generating feelings which lingered longer than the contact. She ached for the ordeal to be over and at the same time, dreaded it coming.

  ‘OK, babe.’

  The two adjudicators entered the room and Naomi stiffened with an intense sense of dread.

  <><><>

  Nathan slotted the key in the door and apologised again for the mess. Floating in a liberated state of relief, Naomi assured him she could not have cared less. She walked into the narrow hallway of the flat ahead of Nathan and the quietness of the place stood between them for a moment and felt more than pleasant.

  ‘You played really well,’ Nathan said for the third time, interrupting the silence. ‘You were awesome.’

  Naomi turned and smiled over her shoulder. ‘I was distracted. It helped me for some reason.’

  ‘Drink? Food?’

  ‘Neither,’ Naomi said, walking into the small lounge. There were a few papers, shoes and magazines scattered around, plus the occasional cup, but it wasn’t half as bad as Nathan had prepared her for.

  ‘Guy not in? I haven’t met him yet.’

  ‘He’s a workaholic,’ Nathan said, gathering up envelopes and anything else preventing her from sitting.

  Naomi sat down. Nathan settled next to her, then twisted his body to face her. ‘What’s wrong, babe?’

  She let go of all her breath. ‘Nathan, you know I love you very much . . .’

  A hesitation. ‘Why can I feel a but coming?’

  ‘Not a but, just a nagging feeling I need to talk about. I was sitting there before the performance thinking of my first year, of Annie out in Japan, how she won’t come home. Thinking of something Siobhan said that I’ve never mentioned.’

  ‘What’s that?’

  Naomi took his hand. ‘You remember my birthday last year?’

  ‘How could I forget?’

  ‘Well, Siobhan was in my piano room when you went in there with Annie. She told me what happened.’

  Nathan paused to think. ‘She was there?’

  ‘Behind the curtain.’

  ‘Why?’ Nathan sat up straighter. ‘And why have you never mentioned it?’

  Naomi shrugged. ‘I suppose being in the same room as you two today brought it back.’

  ‘Look,’ Nathan said, locking fingers with her, ‘I’ve told you what happened with Annie, in detail.’

  ‘I know,’ Naomi said, pausing to wonder if she regretted the conversation already. ‘It’s just that Annie’s story matches Siobhan’s and Annie is so determined that I shouldn’t marry you . . . I really thought she’d come around.’

  ‘Naims, listen,’ Nathan said, drawing much closer, placing one hand at the top of her leg and leaving it there. ‘Annie wasn’t in possession of her mind that night. Whatever she got in her head is only her warped version of the truth, not the actual truth. I’m sorry she’s got the wrong end of the stick and won’t let go, but I swear nothing was ever going to happen. I wasn’t even tempted.’

  ‘I believe you.’

  ‘OK.’ His face relaxed. ‘So what’s the problem?’

  Naomi dropped her gaze. ‘What’s bothering me is that Siobhan was convinced you upset Annie deliberately and led her on. Annie said you treated it like a game, as if she was a plaything. That’s why she can’t move on.’

  ‘Utter garbage,’ Nathan fumed. ‘Why would I do that?’

  ‘I had to ask.’

  ‘It comes down to my word against hers and she was drunk and I don’t drink. ‘Listen, Naims, look at me.’ With effort, Naomi did. ‘Do you trust me? Because if you don’t there’s nowhere to go in this relationship.’

  Naomi felt the onset of panic. ‘Of course I trust you.’

  ‘What more is there to say then? And as for your so-called friend, it’s obvious she’s as jealous as hell even though she thinks she’s Mother Theresa or something. Fact is, you’re slim, she’s not. You’re engaged and happy, she’s not and never will be. You’re hot, she’s definitely not. You have money, a nice house. Need I go on?’

  ‘Please don’t. She is my friend.’

  Nathan’s voice rose. ‘Oh you reckon? I’m telling you now, I’m not having that . . . girl at the wedding.’

  ‘Nathan please –’

  ‘No,’ he shouted. ‘She’s tried to come between us and stir trouble. What right has she, that miserable ugly bitch?’

  Naomi was stunned. Nathan’s eyes looked darker. ‘I’ve never seen you like this before.’

  Nathan dropped his head and lowered his voice. ‘I’m sorry. I just hate to see you unhappy. I know I’m over-reacting.’ He found her eyes again. They looked more natural. ‘The problem is I love you too much.’

  ‘I didn’t know you had a temper.’

  ‘Neither did I,’ Nathan said. ‘I suppose when you care about someone so much, it can arouse feelings you didn’t know you had. Can you forgive me? Please?’

  ‘Course.’ Naomi melted and put her arms around him. ‘Hey, it’s OK.’

  She pulled back to look at him. H
is eyes were still troubled. He touched her face and pushed her hair back. ‘We can’t have secrets. I might be furious, but I’m glad you’ve told me what’s on your mind.’

  ‘Actually, I haven’t yet.’

  Nathan waited, inches from her lips, expression serious.

  ‘Nathan, my family is divided and yours don’t even know we’re getting married. I’d feel so much better if I could at least meet your family. I’m not expecting much, honestly.’

  ‘I’m going to talk to Dan soon, I promise. You’re right, we can’t get married without telling him. But I still don’t want you to meet him. When we’re married, things will have to change. I can’t leave you every other weekend to spend time with Dan. He’ll have to understand that we’ll be visiting him together, just for a few hours.’

  ‘It will be a big change for him.’

  ‘I know,’ Nathan sighed. ‘That’s why I keep putting off talking to him.’

  ‘What about your parents?

  Nathan paused. ‘Babe, they already know.’

  ‘They do?’

  Nathan nodded. ‘I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want to hurt you. I’m sorry, but they don’t want to be involved. They’ve said they won’t come.’

  ‘They don’t even want to meet me?’

  ‘Apparently not. Your mum has been trying to contact them. She’s written to my mum twice and only had a short response, which was negative.’

  ‘I don’t believe it.’

  ‘They’re being stubborn, like Annie. I’ve always taken Dan’s side not theirs, and now they’re punishing me. It’s a pride thing. There’s nothing I can do. Sorry.’

  Unexpectedly, a pool formed in Naomi’s eyes at the bottom. Her voice shook. ‘Can I tell you what’s really bothering me Nathan?’ She went on without waiting for an answer. ‘With all this going on, do you think we should go ahead? Do you think we’re doing the right thing?’

  He drew closer, slowly. His eyes dropped. Naomi couldn’t focus on him and closed her eyes too. A tear escaped her right eye as her head fell to one side. His hands were holding her neck. His voice was tender. ‘I know we are.’