Author's Note: This is back to the present storyline now.

Chapter Fifty-Eight

With his feet on her living room table, Cain was telling a still dozy Henrietta about his encounter with Charity earlier that day. Which only half-interested her as it did involve her client Kim Tate's acquaintance Graham Foster. Though she in the middle of falling asleep for she has hardly slept these last two days. She's been up a lot lately until the early hours watching old videos and reading Maya's old diaries.

"You're not even listening are ya? Perks of being with an older woman" Cain sarcastically mumbled. Making her softly hit him in the chest.

"I hardly slept...Kim keeps giving me big files" Henrietta complained.

"You went to a wine bar with her and Al the other night, so don't get me telling me she's giving you nothing but work"

"Okay, I been staying up until the early hours watching home videos if you must know"

This surprised him slightly and if he was honest, he didn't really want to know. This relationship was just a fling (which he was already getting rather bored of). He wishes he didn't pry now for it was just a reminder to him that she was still grieving. So Cain just gave a small sigh.

"Okay? Well maybe don't do that" Cain suggested.

"Sometimes I just think to myself" Henrietta went to say something however she cut herself off, she didn't want to put that on Cain, he's suppose to be her escape from that; so she just quickly backtracked and said..."It doesn't matter"

"I know times are tough for ya which is why you shouldn't talk about it...It will only make you feel worse"

"Yes you're right and I won't, I'm sorry"

"It's okay...I'm going to nip out and get some beer. See ya later" Cain replied. Getting up from the couch.

He just wanted an excuse to go before things got too personal. He was just going to stay one more night and then dump her again. That was his plan, this fling has stopped being fun. Though he felt stupid himself for thinking this was going to be fun, this woman's daughter died a few months ago; of cause she wasn't all there. So with a last look, the man made his way out her front door and towards his car.

...

Back in Emmerdale, David found himself walking with his head down in shame. Only looking up when he overheard Tracy. He wanted to apologise to her for how he behaved, sleeping with another woman just because of one argument was not right. Though it seemed she was preoccupied as she had one arm around her sister Vanessa (who was in a wedding dress). Sarah and Noah looking annoyed over something. So David just left Tracy to deal with whatever her sister was going through. He decided instead to go round to Leyla's as he knocked on their door, daring to show his face over there. Alicia was the one who answered as she shook her head at him...

"Tracy's not in if you are here to say sorry" Alicia told him rather bluntly.

"I know, I just seen her...Can I come in anyway?"

"Fine but don't expect me or Leyla to be in your fan club right now"

He just nodded (he never expected them to be anyway). He walked in to find Leyla sitting on the couch and watching television, barely giving her ex-boyfriend a glance. Leyla was honestly sick of the sight of him. He really did it this time, didn't he? Sleeping with a woman a few hours after one argument with Tracy, it wasn't on. He really upset her. Leyla knew it would end in tears the moment she heard about it. Alicia was equally as unimpressed, he couldn't put the entire blame on the Maya business either (he has always done things like this).

"Look, I know I messed up but it doesn't mean we have to fall out" David began.

"Oh shut up David...Me and you fell out months ago. Tracy was so upset yesterday, it's why I tried to warn her because I knew you would mess up" Leyla spat.

"You were right about everything then. I'm not making excuses but Maya was the last woman I slept with and I needed to get that out my system"

"Sex is like a drug to you isn't it? Just go away, David. We don't want you here right now, I don't even know why Alicia invited you in"

"Neither do I after that so-called excuse" Alicia spoke up; opening up the door again.

They understood he would want to get any traces of Maya out of his life. Though the way he went about it was wrong. Maya was right about one thing, he reacted badly to adverse news. So feeling rather disgusted at himself, David finally made his way out. Hearing the slamming of the door behind him. The man returned back to his empty cottage, the silence never felt so loud. He just slumped down on his couch, trying to think things over. Why oh why did he behave so stupidly?

...

A few hours have passed and things in the Stepney household were quiet. Cain was lying awake next to Henrietta, wondering whether he should ditch now or in the morning. He got everything he wanted from this. The bitter coldness of the outside was the only thing that made him stay the night (which would prove to be useful). The man got out of bed, he was just going to go to the toilet. So he got up and did just that, the sound of the toilet flushing filled the once quiet household. Out of curiosity and thinking this would be his last chance for he had no plans to return here after morning. Cain creaked open the door leading to Maya's childhood bedroom. Turning on the light, he was curious to know what somebody like her would have had in their room as a child.

"Bloody hell" Cain muttered under his breath; thinking he was in some 1994 time portal.

The wallpaper was just a pink floral design, the boyband 'Bros' poster being stuck to the wall with a two decade old sellotape. The wardrobe being stuck across from the bed with some old school uniform hanging from it. The only other thing Cain took notice of was the bookcase in the corner. Which included many books, including 'Lolita'. Which maybe was a small red flag as that was sat next to romance books like 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'Wuthering Heights', as if they were one in the same.

"What are you doing?" Henrietta spoke up behind him; making him let out a small gasp. He didn't even hear her coming.

"Bloody Hell Ettie...You scared me" Cain replied with a nervous laugh.

Turning back towards her as he quickly turned the light off. Walking past her, acting as if he wasn't just snooping around in her dead daughter's old bedroom. Henrietta giving a small sigh as she shut the bedroom door and locked it up. Cain giving a slight scoff of disbelief, she didn't have to do that.

"What were you doing?" Henrietta asked him him again; feeling intruded upon.

"I just wanted to know what was in there" Cain insisted. Not knowing what the big fuss was about.

"Well...You wouldn't like it if I went into one of your children's rooms, would you? So don't do it to mine"

Cain felt like saying something about how she's dead so it doesn't matter, he also thought it was a tad bit creepy that she kept it preserved like a shrine. The room hasn't been updated in over twenty-six years! Though he did just want an easy last night so instead, he just took the easy way out and said..."Alright, I'm sorry"

"It's okay...Just stay clear from there" Henrietta ordered.

Making him just give a tired groan as he retreated back into Henrietta's admittedly stuffy bedroom. Her room was a "pink floral mess", that's how he would describe it. It looked like the room of somebody much older, a ninety-eight year old woman could claim it as her own and nobody would bat an eyelid. Cain made his way back into the bed, feeling like he's been told of by some strict matron. A few moments later, he heard the woman come back in as she shut the door and got into bed next to him.

"I'm going to sleep now" Cain quietly announced; not liking the silence.

"Okay and I'm sorry if I made you feel awkward, I just don't like people going in that room unless I say so"

"Alright, I got the message" Cain replied in an annoyed tone.

Henrietta understood and thus didn't bother to reply. As she closed her eyes and went back to sleep. Though she was heartbroken on the inside really, her talks with Pearl helped a bit but she didn't understand fully. For Pearl's son Frank was still alive and she didn't make any avoidable mistakes with his upbringing.

...

TBC