When the waitress is out of earshot, I turn to Simon. ‘Alexa? The missing woman they mentioned at the meeting?’
Simon struggles to contain the lies on the tip of his tongue, but instead of saying any of them, he settles on a one-word response.
‘Yes.’
As soon as Simon says it, Gabby slaps her palm on the table. ‘I fucking knew it,’ she snaps, her face twisting in rageful disgust.
I want to react as boldly as Gabby, but the news hasn’t filled me with anger. It’s made me numb. Suddenly, being here seems like the most ridiculous thing I could be doing when I have a deadlinelooming and a marriage I don’t want to ruin. I shake my head, furious with myself for once again wading in deeper than I wanted to. I mean, why am I involving myself in Alexa’s life like this? Why do I care so much about a woman I don’t know? This attachment has caused me nothing but grief. It’s resulted in me sitting opposite the man she has been having an affair with, all the while knowing that his wife is out there, planning for the family she is desperate to start.
Why put myself through this?
Why fight for someone who is willingly compounding someone else’s pain?
‘What’s going on?’ Simon asks, looking from Gabby to me and back again.
‘How can you seriously ask that?’ Gabby snarls, grabbing her laptop and stuffing it in her bag. ‘I knew Alexa was up to no good! I mean, who the fuck takes off like this if they’re not having an affair?’
‘Alexa?’ Simon echoes, his forehead creased. ‘Do you know where she is?’
‘I should be asking you that, seeing as you’re shagging her!’
Simon’s head jerks back as if he’s been slapped.
‘You disgust me,’ Gabby hisses, shuffling out of her seat. When she’s stood, she faces me. ‘I need to go. I can’t be here. I can’t look at him.’
‘Gabby,’ I say, trying to stop her from walking away, but it’s too late. She’s already storming out of the café. Torn, I make a move to follow her, but Simon grabs my wrist.
‘Please, you don’t understand,’ he begins, but I pull my hand from his.
‘Simon, I met you at Families United. Of course I understand! I wake up every day knowing how losing a child tears your life apart,just like you. Unlike you, I don’t use it as a justification for breaking my vows.’
Without listening to another of Simon’s feeble excuses, I leave the table and head for the door.
‘Gabby!’ I call as I step out into the chilly air, but she rushes down the cobbled street, heading towards her car.
‘Beth, stop!’
Simon’s pathetic pleas follow me down the road. I increase my pace to avoid them, but inches away from my car, a hand grabs my arm.
‘Please listen to me,’ Simon begs, spinning me to face him. ‘You’ve got it all wrong! I’m not having an affair with Alexa Clarke. We talk and we get on, but Alexa – well, she’s giving me and Annalise the money to fund another round of IVF.’
CHAPTER 37
I would be mortified about having to walk back into a café I’d just stormed out of if I weren’t so numb from the shock of Simon’s revelation. Ignoring the curious glances of everyone in Café Marco, Simon leads me and Gabby back to our table and tells Gabby to take a drink of water when she collapses into her seat.
‘Do you want me to get you something to eat? You’re really pale,’ he says, peering into her face.
Gabby shakes her head and gulps her water. The glass clatters against her teeth, her hands unsteady. Simon watches her closely.
‘Who are you?’ he asks.
‘This is Gabby,’ I reply when she doesn’t. ‘Otis’s best friend.’
A look of recognition sweeps over Simon’s face. ‘I see,’ he says. ‘And you are?’
‘Janine,’ I say, grimacing when Simon reacts to my real name. ‘I’m… a friend of Alexa’s,’ I add.
‘And you’re here because…?’