Diving Deep (UK Crush #2)

Chapter 50

I was doing a load of laundry one rainy afternoon, and I buried my face in one of his shirts, just for some kind of connection. I leaned on the warm dryer, holding it to my cheek, when I smelled it.

Perfume.

And it definitely wasn't mine. I tended more toward florals, things that smelled clean and light. This was something obviously expensive, heavy and cloying. I threw it in the washing machine like it was hot, like it would burn me.

And the next day, upon opening my laptop, I saw the photos. Of Teddy, laughing, with Jennifer Jordan on his arm. She was wearing something slinky, showing her leg up to the hip, thigh gap on full display, curves of her perfect miniature breasts clearly visible. She looked confident and glamorous as she leaned into him.

"Theo Shelley and Jennifer Jordan tonight entering Club Larchmont for the launch of her make-up line, 'JenniJ Cosmetics'," read the caption. "One old friend showing support to another? Or is something being rekindled?" I couldn't bring myself to read any further, though I saw a picture of Teddy and me a little further down, and I knew my name came up.

What the actual fuck? Was I supposed to confront him, ask about it? He obviously didn't want to, seeing how he hadn't said anything to me. Should I move out, preempting any confrontation or painful revelations? I had no idea. My worst nightmare, of being stuck in England with no options, had actually come to pass.

Teddy walked in and I quickly closed my laptop, hoping my face looked normal. He smiled at me, a small and formal one, as he sat far away from me and picked up his own laptop. He had to know I'd see the photographs, didn't he? But he didn't say a word, and was gone like a puff of smoke minutes later, up to the music room once again.

I was losing my mind. I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep. And Teddy came up with excuses that got thinner and thinner for why he was staying away from the house and from me.

I stopped asking about dinner, and we stopped spending our evenings together watching movies. He stopped coming to bed with me, and eventually he stopped coming to bed altogether. He said that he didn't want to disturb me because he was coming and going at such odd hours, so he just started sleeping up in the music room.

"I saw some photographs of your friend the other day," Richard said conversationally. We were taking a break from the odious third movement, which had made me so frustrated I'd nearly begun to cry.

"Oh?" I kept my face neutral. I knew who he was talking about, though I didn't know which photos.

"Yes. He was with Jennifer Jordan, I think her name is? Model or something?" He looked at me in query. "He has some very famous friends indeed." He grinned. "I looked through all the photos, actually. Thought I might see you, you know? They were at a club or something, forget the name of the place."

"Yes, he has to do a lot of publicity stuff," I responded, sounding pretty normal, considering my internal turmoil.

"This just looked like a party or some such," he responded. "Lots of drinking and merriment." He shook his head. "Night clubs not your thing, then?

"Diamonds! That was the name of the place," he said. "God, I'm so old! Thank god, I don't think I could keep up with that lot."

Diamonds? So this was a different occasion than the pictures I'd seen. Great. I could feel myself getting a little woozy on the bench.

"Are you feeling okay?" Richard leaned forward, concern etched in his kind features. "Need some water?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm fine, but I am a bit tired," I lied. "I think maybe we should call it a day, if you don't mind?" I rose and gathered my things.