Chapter 26

Thanks for all of the beautiful reviews. This story has been an absolute delight to write. Laura has needed a backstory for far too long. I hope you enjoy my version of what that might be. To the lovely crimefictionfan & givemebritcopsnow thanks for being the most insightful reviewers ever. You two always seem to see my vision for a story (even when you don't particularly care for it). You challenge me to write better stories that go beyond the fluff. Thanks!

To the guest reviewers, thanks for reading, reviewing, hanging around. I can't respond to you personally but know I treasure all of your reviews. Now let's see how Robbie feels about Laura's actions.

Robbie stared at her, he blinked once trying to process the words she'd just said, "You just left?" She nodded, turning her body away from him. "How could you do that Laura?"

"It wasn't my finest moment."

Robbie struggled to understand. To him Laura had always been forthright, direct, fearless. He couldn't understand this level of deceitfulness, of cowardice. For a moment, he understood Malcolm's anger, "How could you do it Laura? You claim to have loved him so much, how could you just walk away? He was hurting too?" He stood and began pacing. He needed to put some physical distance between them.

His thoughts raced as he paced. If she could have done that to Malcolm, her first love, what was to stop her from doing it to him? What would stop her from leaving for work in the morning and never coming back? They had been through so much to be together, it killed him to think she might blithely throw it all away. Would he survive if she did? Would he turn out as bitter and angry as Malcolm?

He turned to scream at her, to demand answers. Then it struck him, the Laura Hobson he knew now wasn't the same woman he'd met 20 years ago. He was judging her based upon who she was now, not who she'd been then.

She had been captivating then but she was so much more now. Looking back, if he was honest, he could see that level of almost coldness she had possessed then. There had been a sharpness to her, bordering on brittle. He saw it all through Val's eyes now. Laura had been broken, coming here had healed her.

Laura caved in on herself. She had known he would react this way. It was why she had hoped she would never need to tell him. She watched him pace, could feel the tension rolling off his body. There was a certainty in her, this would be the end of their relationship.

Caught up in her own increasingly dark thoughts, she didn't notice him sit on the table in front of her. His gentle touch made her jump. She looked up at him unsure of what to make of his gesture, "I can't explain it Robbie. I couldn't then and I can't now."

"Val was right, you were broken. There are some heart breaks that only time can heal. I should know."

Tears filled her eyes, "I didn't think I was worthy of anyone. It wouldn't be right to get involved with someone that might make me happy when I could never give them everything they would want. It's why I dated men like Johnson."

"And all those years I just thought you liked bad boys."

Brittle laughter escaped her, "That might have been some of it. There are a fair few who would say Malcolm is a bad boy." Robbie raised his eyebrows at her, "I knew all about his reputation and I've certainly witnessed his famed temper. Lord knows we had our fair share of rows that probably made the neighbors wonder. But with me he was always tender and kind and lovely."

"And yet you still left?"

She nodded, "Yes, I left him in the most horrible way imaginable. I knew if I told him he would talk me out of it. And staying would kill me."

"You don't think he might have let you go. That he might have loved you enough to see it was what you needed?"

"Later, after I got some help, I realized it's what he would have done. It would have killed him but he would have let me go."

Robbie shifted to sit next to her, "Laura, that's a lot of guilt to carry around. Don't you think it's time to let it go?"

"How do you propose I do that Robbie?"

"I think you need to tell him what you've told me. Don't you think he deserves to know?"

Laura's head dropped. Her hands tightened on one another, "He does know Robbie."