Count On Me

Part Thirty Eight

A/N Sorry for yet another delay, had a serious illness in the family - thankfully all ok now, will try and post a few quick chapters! Sorry again, xx

Chapter Thirty Eight

Lizzie smiled as pleasantly as she could, played the game, tried her best not to give in to the pain threatening to overwhelm her. She needed some space, Oscar was everywhere, and she needed to think. She wanted to see that this was just an oversight, but then she thought about their recent conversations, his insistence that she didn't go back to work. That just seemed to add to the hypothesis that he'd deliberately not told her that this time on Manchester was limited. That he had a plan for when that finished.

She felt heartbroken, then she'd think about the fun they'd had the previous evening, how attentive he was, how he complimented her, spoiled her. Was that all a lie too?

She hid her sadness, her tears by being busy. His parents stayed whilst she organised brunch for everyone, but Oscar and Nate didn't emerge for a while, when they did they were both grinning, up to no good. Normally that would please her, the two of them in cahoots, playing games together. But today it just grated on her. They all ate and she tried her best to smile, to be involved in the conversations, but her mind was still whirling.

Everyone had retired to the lounge, and Lizzie was hiding, clearing the plates when Oscar sidled up behind her, taking an opportune moment to kiss her ear. She fought the desire to shrug him off, push him away dramatically. Instead she turned, plastering on a fake smile. Kissing him softly on the cheek, she turned and moved back into the safety of the lounge and their visitors. But she should've known that he'd follow her, standing far too close.

"I'm going to the pool before lunch," she addressed Nate, glad that she hadn't eaten much of the brunch. A few laps of the pool would settle her head, she could calmly think this through before she said or did the wrong thing.

Oscar tried to protest, but she was able to brush that off. Ten minutes later she had her kit and bade farewell to their guests, hugged Nate, then again, chastely kissed Oscar's cheek.

Freedom. There was something so suffocating about living with him...when things were unsettled.

Oscar had watched Lizzie distance herself all morning, first he thought it was a hangover, but they hadn't drunk very much the previous night. But as the morning progressed, he knew that she was avoiding him. Glancing back at the message she'd just sent him, he wanted to throw the phone at the wall.

"Vicky has called; she needs me to help her with some work stuff. I'm going to take the train to Liverpool. I'll be gone most of the day. Will you be ok with Nate?"

Whilst it was a question, he knew that it didn't require an answer. Of course he could look after his son. But it was why and where she was running that was his concern.

"Of course. Will you be home tonight? Or are you running away for longer than that?"

Then he relented and deleted all but the 'Of course', then sent it.

"You want to go to the park, Champ?" He asked, calling out to Nate. His parents had left and since then, Nate had been building with Lego in the corner of the lounge.

He looked up and grinned, "Can I take my scooter?"

Oscar nodded, "of course, and a football."