The doorbell rang later that night and Aerin’s heart leapt in hope. Had Drake changed his mind? Had he regretted his abrupt end to their conversation? Had he come to apologise? To beg her to come back and stay with him tonight? But when she opened the door, it was her brother, Tom, standing there. ‘Tom? What are you doing here?’
‘Can we talk?’
Aerin stepped back to let him in. ‘Of course.’ She closed the door behind him. ‘Are you okay?’
He drew in a breath and released it in a staggered stream. ‘I saw Drake yesterday.’
‘You did? He never mentioned anything about it.’
Tom frowned. ‘When did you last see him?’
Aerin only then realised her gaffe. ‘Oh, erm, I run into him from time to time, you know, referring clients to him and so on.’ She could feel her cheeks heating and could barely look her brother in the eye. ‘How are you? How is Saskia?’
Tom rubbed a hand down his face. ‘We’re getting a divorce.’
Aerin stared at him as if he had just told her he was an alien from outer space. ‘What?’
He compressed his lips. ‘That’s why I met with Drake yesterday.’
‘So, you’re the one instigating a divorce? But why?’
‘It’s not working any more. Saskia is clearly unhappy.’
‘But she’s had, what, two or three miscarriages? How could you expect her to be happy? It doesn’t mean she doesn’t love you.’
Tom’s shoulders drooped and two spots of red appeared high on his cheekbones. ‘I made a stupid mistake.’
Aerin’s stomach dropped like a novice diver pushed off the ten-metre diving board. ‘Oh, no...’
‘It was dumb and crazy and I still can’t explain why I did it. I had a one-night stand with a woman I know from work. It meant nothing.’
‘I never thought you would cheat on Saskia.’ Anger and disappointment laced her tone in equal measure. For all of her life she had looked up to and idolised her older brother. And now she was finding he had clay feet after all. She had thought he had the perfect marriage A solid and for-ever marriage like her parents. The marriage she aspired to have one day. But now she was beginning to realise love wasn’t always perfect. Was any relationship perfect?
‘I’m sorry,’ Tom said. ‘I know how hard this is to hear but I wanted to tell you face to face.’
‘Do Mum and Dad know?’
‘Not yet. I’m going to see them this weekend. I’m not looking forward to it. I can only imagine what Dad will say. And Mum will be shattered. You know how much she loves Saskia.’
‘How is Saskia?’
‘Angry, hurt, disappointed.’ He rubbed at his temple as if a tension headache was building.
‘Has she agreed to the divorce?’
‘Yes.’
‘But she might change her mind. She needs time to heal, to forgive you. To learn to trust you again.’
Tom gave a rueful twist of his mouth that was nowhere near a smile. ‘I’m not sure that’s going to happen any time soon.’
‘Do you still love her?’
He held her gaze for a moment or two then sighed and looked away. ‘Of course I do. I just lost my way for a bit. The stress of losing all those babies and not being able to make it right for her did my head in. I’ve been a prize jerk. I didn’t think I was the sort of man who would cheat on his wife. She deserves better.’
‘Oh, Tom, I wish I could wave a magic wand and make everything right for you and Saskia, but I have my own issues to work through.’ She licked her dry lips and continued, ‘I’ve been seeing Drake.’
Tom’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Seeing him as in...?’ He left the sentence hanging.