“Do you want me tostay?”
“Please. But I want to have a bath first.” She moves to get up, but I rest my hand on herarm.
“I’ll doit.”
“Thanks,” shemumbles.
I head into her en suite, turn the taps on and pour in some bubble bath, leaving the water to run. When I step back into the room I am shocked by the bruises covering Nisha’sback.
“Nisha!” I cry, covering my mouth with my hands. Tears well in my eyes. She looks over her shoulder at me, covering her front with Calum’sjumper.
“Thatfucking bastard.I’m so sorry.” An anger overwhelms me, drying up my tears in aninstant.
“I fought him, Louisa. I fought so hard. That prick ruined my date with Cal…” she says in a half-hearted attempt to make what happened to her sound trivial. It wasn’t as though Smithy had poured drink over her, he’d fucking kidnappedher.
“That man will never hurt you again,” I say vehemently as I pull her in for a hug. Neither of us is able to articulate in that moment just how we feel. Instead we cling onto one another, just like we’d done all those years ago on the park bench when we firstmet.