Pitch Imperfect(70)
And he’d never said anything, not a peep. Still waters might run deep, but seemingly shallow ones could be equally unfathomable. “Thanks for not saying anything.”
Damien’s voice was bitter. “I keep my nose out of other people’s business, but that doesn’t mean I like what I see. People like Craig always leave innocent victims behind. They don’t care who they hurt, or how much.”
“All I can think of is how Mac must be feeling.”
Damien hugged her and for once, there was no flirtatiousness in his demeanour. “Me too.”
“I’m so angry with Ash for sleeping with Craig and getting pregnant I could throttle her sometimes. But the person I’m worried most about is Mac. She adores Craig and she always has, ever since we were teenagers. They have two great kids and she’s happy, you know? If she thinks that he and I—ugh,” Anjuli shuddered in revulsion. “And when she finds out about Ash and the baby she’ll be devastated. I won’t be able to help her through it.”
Damien sighed heavily. “It’s a shitty mess.”
“Rob is going to hate me also,” Anjuli said dejectedly. “What the hell am I going to do?”
He tilted her chin up. “You’re going to get back out there and put on that smile you’re so good at. I’ll stay until the end of your shift in case you need me. Don’t shake your head. All I have to do is walk thirty paces and I’m home. You never know when the morality police will strike.”
Chapter Fifteen
Anjuli crouched, restocking the small fridge with mixers and answering Damien’s questions about Ash’s induction the following morning. “The only good thing to come out of this awful situation would be a healthy baby,” she said. “Ash is happy the moment has finally come.”
A harsh, ugly laugh brought her to her feet. Mac was at the bar, standing next to Damien.
“Like she was happy sleeping with my husband? Or did it upset her when you took over fucking him?”
Mac was purple with rage. Her long, black hair was loose, hanging in tangles around a ravaged, tearful face. People retreated as if from around a boxing ring. Gone was the sparkly, gentle woman Anjuli knew and in her place stood a pillar of fury. She looked half-wild.
This was another side of Mac, one Anjuli had never seen before. Damien put a tentative hand on Mac’s arm and she shook him off, eyes flashing with hatred. “I thought you were my friend!”
Anjuli reached out her hand. “We can talk privately in back...I can explain.”
Mac looked at the staring villagers. “Why should I want privacy? The whole village is already laughing behind my back. Sweet, stupid Mac. So trusting. So foolish. Well, they might as well know everything. Ash is a home-wrecking slut who slept with my husband and is having his bastard. And you, Anjuli Carver, are a callous bitch.”
“It wasn’t like that, Mac. I didn’t know until—”
Mac banged her meaty fist on the bar and Damien stood up, face taut.
“And to think I urged Rob to tell you why he never followed you to America. I thought you two belonged together and wanted you to be happy. But you don’t care about fucking people over as long as long as you get to fuck.”
Jaws dropped, and nobody made a sound as insults rolled from Mac’s mouth like slime from a gutter. Helplessly, Anjuli watched Mac fall apart, powerless to stop her.
“I hope you rot in hell and I hope Ash dies and the baby along with her!”
“That’s enough!” Damien said. He grabbed Mac’s shoulders and gave her a small shake. She stopped shouting to look up at him, her face crumpling.
“It’s time to go,” he said more gently.
Damien glanced at Anjuli and she nodded, hating Craig, Sarah and most of all, herself. Whatever he murmured to Mac seemed to wash the rage from her body and make her slump against him. The sound of her sobs filled the pub until they were cut off by the heavy wooden door shutting behind them.
Anjuli took off her apron and addressed the new barmaid. “I’m taking a break,” she said, glaring at the gawping villagers around her. Fuck putting on a public face.
She didn’t care what people thought or about pretending that all was well when it bloody well wasn’t. Ash needed her and Mac despised her, just as she’d feared. She didn’t have the money she needed, and she had to find a way to stall the building work on Castle Manor until she could pay for it.
What excuse could she possibly give to Rob for her lie and her omission? And what had Mac meant when she’d said he should tell her why he hadn’t followed her all those years ago?
Anjuli let herself out of the pub’s back door and whistled for Reiver. He’d recovered well from his surgery and accompanied her to the village. “C’mon, boy.”