But she could leave his apartment. He was away until Thursday. Plenty time for her to pack her bags and go. Not to her own apartment, which was tinged with his handprint. Which only left one place. Frankie‟s.

At six-thirty, washed, changed and with the tiny black phone cupped in her hand, Mattie felt almost guilty as she made the call to Frankie. And as soon as she heard his voice down the end of the line, it hit her that the one thing she couldn‟t do was return to his house. That house, Frankie, all they had shared, now belonged to another world. She had taken giant strides since then, for better or for worse, and there was no going back.

But it was wonderful hearing his voice, especially in her fragile state of mind. On an impulse, she invited him over, deciding right there and then that she would tell him about her pregnancy when she saw him. Face to face. He wouldn‟t be able to tell her what she should do, but he wouldn‟t try and gloss over the uncomfortable reality either. One thing about Frankie was his simplicity when it came to dealing with situations. He had been unhappy and so he had taken to the booze, they had not been getting along and so he had avoided her. In the end, his solutions were far from commendable, but his bluntness now would cheer her up.

And she hadn‟t seen him for ages, could barely superimpose his face over Dominic‟s harsh, beautiful features.

When, forty minutes later, he arrived Mattie pulled open the door to someone whose image had faded from her mind so completely that it was almost like looking at a stranger.

Frankie was shorter than she remembered and the good-looking face that had made her sixteen-year-old heart beat with girlish infatuation was almost bland compared to Dominic‟s aggressive good looks.

But then she blinked, smiled and a wave of affection rushed over her as she took in the indecisive way he was hovering and the small bunch of flowers languishing in one hand which he must have bought on the way over.

„You look bloody good, Mats.‟ He grinned and looked around Dominic‟s lavish

apartment. „All this high living suits you. Here, brought you these.‟ He thrust the flowers into her hands and gave the apartment another once-over with admiring eyes while she went to fetch him a lager.

„Off the booze, love.‟

„You‟ve given up drinking?‟

Frankie looked sheepish as he followed her into the kitchen, dropping his bomber jacket on one of the chairs along the way. „Had to. Couldn‟t get a job any other way, could I? After you did a runner and left me with all the bills to pay.‟

Mattie swung around to find that he was grinning at her and she raised her eyebrows in a question.

„Yep. Got a job, would you credit it? Me! Old Bill down at the pub fixed me up with one of his suppliers and now I don‟t drink the stuff, Mats, I sell it.‟ He sat on one of the chrome and leather high stools at the counter. „Somehow being surrounded by all that booze has kind of taken the glamour away. Now I just try and drink on weekends.‟

„Off the booze. Got a job…mind me asking how come it never occurred to you to do that when I was around?‟ But she could see that his change in lifestyle suited him. He looked better.

Had put on a little weight and there was a contentment about him that hadn‟t been there before.

And she was very happy that she had contacted him, felt guilty that she had not done so sooner. In fact, it hadn‟t occurred to her at all. Dominic had taken over her thoughts, her life and she had had nothing left over for anyone else.

The fact that Frankie‟s life seemed so sorted out made her feel even more hopelessly drained of all direction. She made them both some coffee, sat across the counter from him on another stool and found herself pouring her heart out.

Everything. No holds barred. She needed to tell someone and strangely enough, after all that time when their communication had drizzled away into arguments or stony silence, Frankie was actually listening to her, nodding, making all the right noises.

„So what am I going to do?‟ she asked, realising that she had managed to finish her cup of coffee and that she needed to stretch her legs. She stood up, scoured the fridge for some mineral water and then turned to look at Frankie questioningly.

„Marry the geezer. Don‟t see the problem myself, but then you always were as stubborn as a mule, Mats. You get something in your head and you can‟t find your way around it.‟

„I should leave. I know I should, Frankie.‟ She poured some water into a glass and then swirled the glass around, peering in as though hopeful that the answers to her questions might be found somewhere there. Like a fortune-teller gazing at tea leaves and expecting to see the future in them.

„Why? And go where?‟

Mattie shrugged and sighed.

„You can‟t go back to your rented place and anyway, be realistic, Mats, a man like that ain‟t going to let you live in squalor when you‟re having his baby. I mean, cock an eye at this lot!‟

„That‟s just it, Frankie. He can‟t buy me and he doesn‟t love me so I need to get away.‟

„No, you don‟t.‟ He sighed. „Remember how we used to live, Mats? Running around like little vagrants? No treats, second-hand school clothes? Why choose that for a nipper when you can have the best?‟

„Stop exaggerating. Besides, I‟d have a job…‟

„For how long?‟ He looked at her long and thoughtfully, then dropped his eyes in a rare display of embarrassment. „You can‟t afford anywhere really decent, not yet from what you‟ve told me, and Mats, I‟d love to help out, but there‟s a little problem there…‟

„I wasn‟t asking you to.‟ But her curiosity had been piqued. „Little problem…?‟

„Your bloke‟s not the only one who‟s going to be a daddy.‟ Frankie‟s face was radiant and apologetic at the same time. „Truth is, Mats, I was seeing someone before we broke up. Girl called Shannon. I hated myself for two-timing you and I know I took it out on you but I couldn‟t ask you to leave. I‟m really sorry, Mats.‟ He sighed heavily and threaded his hair with his fingers. „But she‟s moved in and somehow I don‟t think she‟d like it if I was to offer a room to my ex.‟

Surprise, belated hurt and pleasure for him because he was so obviously pleased with himself rushed through her. Pleasure won and she instinctively went to him and wrapped her arms around him, warmly aware of the affection they had once shared before time had eroded it.

And his arms folded gratefully around her at roughly the same time as a key was inserted into the front door and Dominic strode into the apartment.

CHAPTER TEN

„WHAT the hell is going on?‟

Mattie and Frankie sprang apart like guilty lovers and underneath the dismay she felt a tide of joy that he was back. Even though his face was thunderously angry as he stormed towards them.