Heart Stopper Read Free Page B

hurt me.” She spoke through the hiss of the machine and Michael didn’t react. He finished making the coffee her way, walked back over, and handed her the steaming mug. She stared at him and he said, “Sorry, did you say something?”
    “Daniel tried it on.”
    “With you ? But he knows you’re gay! When? Why didn’t you tell me? What happened?”
    “You remember the night of my birthday last year? You were in Mayo so I went out with the crowd from work. Stuff happened and well, he gave me a lift home.” She stopped. Her hands gripped the mug tighter, its roughness soothing.
    “And...?”
    “I was drunk, he wasn’t. He got the wrong idea. It isn’t that straightforward.”
    “Did he, you know...?”
    “No. But I got hurt.”
    “And you didn’t report him?”
    Priya looked away from Michael, the street was starting to come to life, cutlery being sorted and laid out on pavement tables, chairs unstacked to await the early morning people-watchers.
    “Priya…? Why didn’t you report him?” Michael sat down on the pouf and leaned in to pry one of her hands off the mug and hold it between his own. She still didn’t meet his eyes.
    “Because it was my fault,” she said.
    His hands stopped their gentle rubbing motion.
    “The Guards got involved. That was fun. Having to tell them that I let him take me home, that I’m gay and had no ulterior motive. That I was so drunk that I didn’t see the danger. Actually, I couldn’t even tell them the truth.”
    “Why? What do you mean? What was the truth?”
    Priya looked away from the window and straight at him. “I can’t tell you, I don’t like to even think about it. It was stupid, unbelievably stupid. Valerie was there, it was my birthday, I had gotten the call from my dad a few days before, I drank a lot that night and I wasn’t used to doing that at the time...”
    “Valerie Helion? I should have known she’d be involved somehow.” His hands were gripping hers.
    “She was just her usual self. And I...well, I should have known better.”
    “You’ve never known better when it comes to that woman. I can’t believe you hooked up with her again.”
    “I didn’t. She was flirting with Daniel in front of me and I...” She slipped her hand out of his and slid down further on the couch.
    “I don’t want to talk about that night.” Her voice was low, but firm.
    “So you went to the cops, what did they do?” There was a tremble in his voice.
    “I didn’t go to them. They came to me. What do you think they did about it? He’s an important man. Fair play to them, they questioned him,” her mouth twisted, “very discreetly. Do you know how much money Daniel had invested in Galway, in Ireland?”
    “I’m totally confused, Priya. They came to you? But they didn’t take it any further?” Michael’s fists were clenched; his eyes had watered. “Why didn’t you tell me? I could have done something.” He got up and then sat down again.
    “There was nothing to take further. And I hadn’t even been in the job a year; besides, that was just after dad had called from India to say mum was sick. He still managed to slip in how proud he was of me for getting the job, of making a go of it. That’s why I got so drunk that night, I was too busy burying my head in the sand to see anything. It just didn’t seem to matter after that when things got worse with mum. I hated Daniel for a while because the whole thing delayed me going to India. And then when she died, I just…” Priya looked at him and the emptiness had crept back into her eyes and settled into its comfortable nest, its home for the last three years.
    Michael rested his hand on her feet through the quilt. “You know Priya, at some point you are going to have to accept help. You were always your own knight in shining armor, but this is crazy. If you won’t accept it from me at least talk to someone, you know, in a professional capacity.”
    “Armor was a bit tarnished after that I have to