I’m starving. Our three-hour bath and love-making put us into such a relaxed state that we fell asleep before eating dinner. I sit nervously on the ottoman in front of the fire and watch the red glow. I should just go downstairs and get something to eat. Yeah, why not? I can do that. I walk to the door and peer down the huge darkened hall. Fuck this house, castle, whatever it is; it’s like the frigging Amityville Horror on acid. People would pay good money to come on a haunted tour of this place. I go back into the room and retrieve my phone and put the torch thingy on. Just find the light switches and turn the lights on… not hard Natasha. I start to shake my hands nervously. I look at Joshua sleeping like a baby… should I wake him up? No, he needs to sleep. I walk back over and peer down the hall. If Joshua thinks I am getting up to breastfeed six kids in the middle of the night in this museum he can think again. I start to slowly walk down the wide darkened space. Yep, this is totally messed up and for some stupid reason I get a feeling someone is behind me. I can see a light on down the end of the hall, and I start to run towards it. I get to the end of the hallway and flick on the light switch and hold my chest as I pant. I smile to myself. Stop it you idiot, you’re just scaring yourself. I turn on all of the light switches and the house lights up like Christmas. That’s better. I walk downstairs proudly with my heart beating loudly in my chest and find some more light switches, flick them on, then head into the kitchen. I look around the huge silent kitchen. To the left is a huge double oven and on the bench next to that are two knife blocks with long carving knives in them. A loud bang sounds in the distance and my eyes widen. What the fuck was that? Goosebumps scatter over my body, my eyes flick to the knife blocks and I grab a knife. Shit, shit, shit. I walk over to the kitchen window, stand on my tiptoes and peer out. I can’t see anything… darkness. Where are the guards? I don’t even know if they arrived. It’s not safe, Natasha. Ben’s words run repeatedly through my mind. What’s that noise… what’s that noise? I look down at myself… what the hell? I am in the Amityville Horror house holding a carving knife in the middle of the night alone. Halloween movie times ten.
I want confirmation that the guards are here. I need to know my man is safe. I’ll ring Bridget. She will know what time they left. I dial her number and it rings. Ring… ring… ring… ring.
“What’s wrong?” Ben’s voice snaps as he answers the phone.
I frown and look at the time on my phone. 2 am.
“Um… Ben?” I murmur.
“What’s wrong, Tash?”
What’s he doing answering Bridget’s phone in the middle of the night? Oh my god… I smile broadly.
“Um.” I’m so shocked I raise my eyebrows and am speechless”Is something wrong?” he snaps again.
“No.” I smile. “I was just a bit scared and I thought I would ring to see if the guards are outside, that’s all.”
“Where is Joshua?” he snaps.
“He’s upstairs asleep, Ben. It’s ok. I’m scared of ghosts, not people. I just heard a noise.”
“Oh god.” He sighs under his breath.
I bite my bottom lip to stifle my smile. “Are the guards here?” I ask.
“Hang on and I will ring them and check.”
“Ok,” I answer.
I hear him put the phone down and I listen as he dials from another phone… obviously his. “Where are you?” he snaps. “Circle the outside of the house and do a check please.”
He listens. “Yes, Natasha is up.”
He listens again.
“Call me back when you’ve done it.” He hangs up.
He picks up the phone to me. “Tash.” His voice becomes gentle. “Are you ok?”
I smile. “Yes, thank you.”
“They are out the front in the guard’s office at the garage. They have been walking around the house all night.”
I put my hand on my chest in relief. “Thanks Ben,” I whisper.
“Is Joshua ok?” he asks.
“Yes, he’s just exhausted.”
He stays silent and I know he wants to know what’s going on with him and Cameron, but it’s not my place to tell him.
“Is Bridget there?” I ask.
He stays silent.
“Ben?” I ask.
“She’s asleep,” he says quietly.
A broad smile beams from my face… oh my god… they hooked up.
“She left her phone in the kitchen, that’s all,” he mutters.
I smile again and I know he’s lying. Bridget would not go to bed without her phone- that phone and she are attached at the hip.
For some reason I get a visual of him sitting in her bed, naked, on her phone to me now.
“Do you want me to come down there?” Ben asks.
I smile. “No, you stay there and look after my sister,” I whisper.
He stays silent as he thinks. “Not a word, Natasha,” he murmurs. “Please.”
I smile. “You have my word, Ben, and please don’t tell Joshua I rang you frightened.”
“Yes, of course,” he replies.