Chapter 25
Colette forced a smile, trying to mask the unease gnawing at her. “Look, it’s not about a baby or anything serious,” she said, hoping her voice sounded more confident than she felt. “We just had a little tiff in the car on the way here. That’s all. It’ll resolve itself. No need to worry.” She crossed her fingers behind her back, silently praying that her words would somehow become true. This trip, despite the tension, had rekindled a flicker of hope in her heart—hope that her marriage could be saved. For the first time in two years, she had glimpsed the man she fell in love with. The man who used to make her laugh with sweet jokes, who would tease her playfully, and who cherished her in ways that went beyond the physical. She clung to the memory of that connection, desperate to believe it could be restored.
As evening descended, Danny awoke from his nap, bursting with energy. He dashed outside, his excitement bubbling over as he begged Matt to teach him how to ride his new bike. With the training wheels providing balance, little Danny was soon pedaling confidently around the garden, his bright yellow bike gleaming under the fading light. Matt and his father stood close by, guiding and cheering him on, their shared joy palpable. Colette watched from a distance, her heart swelling at the sight of Matt interacting so lovingly with his younger half-brother.
A short while later, as Colette stood alone in a quiet corner, Matt approached her. “Do you think we should stay the night?” he asked, his voice soft.
Colette blinked, caught off guard. “Huh?”
“Roxy asked us to stay over, and I’m still tired from the long drive. If you have no objections, we could spend the night here,” Matt suggested, his tone casual, though his eyes held a hint of something more.
Colette nodded, surprised by his willingness to extend their visit. Matt usually barely tolerated being in Roxy’s presence, let alone staying overnight in her home. “Of course, we could stay,” she agreed, trying to hide her surprise.
“Good. I’ll let her know.” Matt smiled then, a smile so genuine and bright that it took Colette’s breath away. He reached out, playfully tweaking her nose before turning to leave. The simple gesture, coupled with that dazzling smile, made Colette’s heart skip a beat.
It wasn’t until after dinner that the reason for Matt’s earlier smile became clear. The family had finished their meal, and everyone was relaxing with coffee when Colette realized they had been given the only single guest room in the house to share. She caught Matt’s eye across the room, and he grinned at her like a cat that had just caught the canary.
“Go ahead,” he nudged her gently after they’d finished their coffee, his voice low and suggestive. His eyes sparkled with mischief as he added, “And wait for me.” The seductive tone of his words sent a shiver down Colette’s spine, and she blushed furiously, her face burning as she hurried up the stairs toward their room.
Colette knew what Matt wanted—he had never been subtle about his desire for her, and tonight was no exception. But as she stood in front of the mirror, brushing her hair, doubts began to creep in. She had felt the rekindling of their connection over the past few days, but was she truly ready to take that next step? Deep down, she feared that once they rekindled their physical relationship, everything would revert to the way it had been before—the emotional distance, the coldness, the feeling of being unwanted outside of the bedroom. And the looming shadow of Iris Layson was still very much present, a reminder of the unresolved issues that lingered between them.
As she wrestled with her thoughts, a sharp ringing interrupted the quiet. Colette glanced around and saw Matt’s phone buzzing on the bedside table, left behind with their luggage. She hesitated for a moment, her heart pounding in her chest, before picking it up. The name on the screen made her stomach lurch—**Iris Layson**.
Without thinking, without giving herself time to consider the consequences, Colette did something impulsive, something she might later regret. She answered the call.
Colette’s heart pounded in her chest as she heard Iris’s voice on the other end of the line. “Matt, thank God you picked up! I’ve been calling for ages! There’s been an emergency at the factory—I—”
Colette instantly recognized the game Iris was playing. She knew this tactic all too well. The blonde witch was trying to pull Matt back to her, using work as the perfect excuse to drag him away. Fury surged through Colette’s veins, hot and fierce like molten lava. If Iris had been standing in front of her at that moment, Colette was certain she would have scratched her eyes out for trying to tear her life apart.
But instead of giving in to the anger that boiled within her, Colette took a deep breath and forced herself to remain calm. “Matt isn’t here, Iris. I’m sorry, but you can tell me whatever it is, and I’ll pass it on to him.” The brief satisfaction of imagining Iris’s frustration flickered through her mind, but it was short-lived.
Iris’s voice turned sharp, laced with irritation. “Give the phone to Matt, Colette. I need to talk to him.”
For the first time, Iris sounded unsettled—something Colette had never heard from her before. It was a small victory, but it was one Colette relished. “Matt isn’t here,” she repeated, her tone firm. “Maybe you’d like to leave a message?” She couldn’t help but feel a thrill of satisfaction at the thought of giving Iris a taste of her own medicine. After all the times Iris had tried to undermine her, it felt good to turn the tables.
But Iris wasn’t one to back down easily. Her voice grew more insistent, more desperate. “Stop being childish, Colette. I need to speak to Matt! This is important! More important than Matt’s stupid plan to seduce you back into his bed by taking you on that trip to Queen—”
Colette’s patience snapped. The audacity of this woman, to insinuate such things, to try to undermine her marriage like this! Rage bubbled up inside her, threatening to spill over. Without another word, she cut the call, her hands trembling with anger.
How dare Iris! Colette’s fury was so intense that she wanted to destroy everything in the room, to release the pent-up frustration and hurt that had been building inside her for so long. But before she could act on those impulses, the phone in her hand began to vibrate again. Iris wasn’t going to stop—she would keep calling, over and over, until she got what she wanted.
Suddenly, the door to the bedroom creaked open, and there stood Matt, his smile warm and affectionate, completely unaware of the storm brewing inside Colette. Her heart twisted painfully at the sight of him. She knew that if he got hold of that phone, if he heard Iris’s voice, this smile would disappear. He would leave her, just like he had so many times before, always putting distance between them whenever that woman came inbetween.
But tonight, Colette wasn’t going to let that happen. She wasn’t going to let Iris or anyone else come between them. Her thumb pressed down hard on the power button of Matt’s phone, hidden behind her back, and with a final vibration, it went silent. She quickly switched it off, feeling a strange sense of liberation as she did so. Then, in one swift motion, she dropped the phone on the floor and kicked it beneath the bed, out of sight and out of mind.
This night was meant for her. For them. And tonight, nothing and no one was going to come between her and Matt. Tonight, she would make sure that Matt was hers, completely and without interruption.