Spending time with them made me happy. They were always the two people I could come to and rely on. They sat there, listened attentively and without interruption. Billy was hearing this a second time around, but he never looked bored or let on that he may be.
In the time I was there, I stuffed myself and drank some more wine. I was starting to feel a little woozy, so I thought it best to quit whilst I was ahead. “I think I’m going to have to go now. I’m feeling a bit tired.” Chris and Billy exchanged worried looks. “I’m fine, really. I think I just need an early night. That’s all.”
Both of them relaxed. “Okay, but make sure you pop around more often. We have a wedding to plan.”
As I got up, I smiled, thinking there was nothing more I would like to do. “Of course. That goes without saying.”
After hugging them tightly, I grabbed my coat and bag, and reached for the door. “Thank you for the lovely meal, Chris. You always were a great cook.”
Chris looked smug, like he always did when I complimented his cooking. I actually liked that look on him. “You’re welcome, Cassie. Have a good rest and we’ll see you soon.”
With a wave, I was gone and the cold breeze hit me with brute force. It was dark now and all the lights were twinkling bright. Christmas was looming and I hadn’t even thought about presents yet.
Moaning, I retraced the steps back to my house. Along the way, I felt like someone was watching me. I looked everywhere, but I couldn’t seem to find anything out of the ordinary.
Shrugging, I neared the door to my flat when I heard my name being called. “Cassie!”
Searching for the voice, I was surprised to find Hamish running towards me. “Hamish?” I called, not knowing what else to say. Would he be angry with me? Will he demand to know why I never saw the evilness in Kali?
As he ran towards me, I braced myself, ready to tackle whatever it was he wanted to throw at me. I felt bad for Hamish. He was obviously smitten with her, so the news that she was a cold-blooded killer must have shocked him to the core.
As he neared the steps, a lovely smile spread across his face. I realized just how tense I was and my posture immediately relaxed.
“Cassie, how are you?”
The poor sod looked tired. Hamish was always rather handsome in a pretty way. He normally had wavy blonde locks and bright green eyes. Today, his hair seemed a little less vibrant, and his eyes were heavy with dark purple bags underneath them. It made him look a little ill.
“I’m fine, Hamish. More importantly, how are you?”
Smiling, Hamish shook his head. “You’re the one who got shot.”
“I know. It’s just that… You look tired. When was the last time you slept?”
Placing his hands in his pockets, he squeezed his arms to his body. He was obviously cold. “Look, come in for a bit. It’s too cold outside. Besides,” I said, looking around, “by the looks of those clouds, I think I can see rain coming.”
Hamish smiled and I turned for the door. I let us both in and, in no time, we were settled on the sofa with a good British cup of tea.
Hamish sipped his and closed his eyes, smiling. “Thanks. I really needed that. I’ve just come off from a double shift.”
Patting his knee, I scolded him. “Why don’t you get yourself home then? You must need the rest.” Poor guy looks like he wasn’t getting any sleep even when he was able to.
Placing his cup on the table, Hamish faced me. “You know, I’ve been meaning to come around for days. I meant to visit you in the hospital. I just didn’t know how. I felt guilty because I should have done something to prevent what happened.”
Here I was, worrying about what he thought when he had exactly the same idea. “You know what? You and I are a right old pair.”
“Why?” he asked, shocked.
“When you approached me, I didn’t know whether you were going to shout at me, throw things at me, or what.” It made me laugh. I had misjudged Hamish a great deal—not that I had anything to go by. I didn’t know him that well.
“Why on earth would I shout at you? Or throw things at you?” His face was a little questioning, which was rather adorable. I didn’t want him to think I felt anything bad about him.
“I was thinking maybe you would have wanted to know why I didn’t see it. Why I couldn’t have possibly known she was the way she was.”
His face instantly relaxed, which made my heart calm a little. “She hid it well.”
Laughing, I shook my head. “She certainly did.”
Hamish sighed, and I knew that part of the conversation was over. “Have you been well?”