The Shadow Project

She nodded. ‘Something I said.’

‘I didn’t hear you say a thing.’

‘Not then. Yesterday, in the car, on the way down.’

‘What did you say?’

She sucked air through her teeth. ‘It was about Ben.’

‘So?’

‘I think I just mentioned his name once too often, that’s all.’

‘You’re saying that Shannon’s jealous. He can tell how you feel about Ben.’

She turned to look at him. There was a flush of red in her cheeks. ‘It’s that obvious?’

‘To me, and everyone else,’ Jeff said. ‘Except Ben, that is.’

‘Everyone except Ben,’ she echoed sadly.

‘And when he got you to act out the role of the principal, that was too much for matey boy. He saw it as some kind of competition.’

She nodded. ‘Fighting over the female. Locking antlers like a couple of rutting stags.’

‘Except one of the stags didn’t even know what was going on.’

‘And it’s all because of me. Damn. I shouldn’t have agreed to it. I’m supposed to be a psychologist, for God’s sake! I’m supposed to know people’s minds.’

‘Why don’t you just tell Ben the way you feel about him?’

She shook her head.

‘We’re all grown ups. What’s the worst that can happen?’

‘That I’d lose his friendship, scare him away,’ she said. ‘I’d rather have him as a friend than not have him at all. You can’t force someone to love you.’

Jeff raised his eyebrows. ‘Whoa. Did you just use the L-word?’

Brooke closed her eyes and sank her head into her hands.

‘You’re actually in love with him?’

‘For a long time,’ she muttered, not looking up.

‘Shit.’

‘Don’t I know it.’

‘I didn’t think it was that serious. I thought it was just – you know.’

‘It wasn’t always. But after a while I realised I wasn’t just flirting with him.’

Jeff looked confused. ‘So wait a minute. You’re in love with Ben … but you’re going out with Shannon?’

‘Don’t go there, Jeff, all right?’

He shrugged. ‘I think it’s great, though. You and Ben. I can see it. Really.’

‘Apart from the fact that he doesn’t seem to know I even exist.’

‘You’ve got that all wrong. He loves spending time with you. I can always see he’s looking forward to your visits. He really likes you.’

‘But not in that way.’

Jeff didn’t reply.

She ran her fingers through her hair. ‘What a situation. Here we are in the hospital because my boyfriend’s been injured and I’m more concerned about the guy who put him there. I shouldn’t even have come with Rupert. I just wanted to see Ben.’ She sighed.

Jeff paused a moment. ‘I think Ben cares for you a lot more than you think. He just doesn’t know it yet, because that’s the kind of guy he is. But one day he’s going to wake up and see it.’

‘You’re not going to say anything, are you?’

‘Would I?’

‘You’d better swear to that, Jeff Dekker. One word and—’

Brooke was interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the vinyl floor of the corridor. She and Jeff turned to see the doctor walking towards them. Brooke stood up, looking at him with a mixture of expectation and worry.

The doctor smiled. ‘No need for alarm,’ he said. ‘There’s no serious damage.’

‘But he must be in a lot of pain, yeah?’ Jeff asked hopefully, smiling back.

The doctor rubbed his chin pensively, glanced down at his clipboard and spent the next minute or so gravely reeling off a long list of medical terminology.

‘Ben did all that to him?’ Jeff said, eyes wide.

‘Monsieur Shannon is also complaining about severe back pain, and although there’s nothing showing up in the X-ray, it would be prudent to keep him under observation for a few days.’

‘Are you saying he can start work again soon?’ Brooke asked.

The doctor shook his head. ‘Certainly not. Complete rest will be essential for at least three weeks.’

‘Shit,’ Jeff said to Brooke as the doctor walked away. ‘There goes Switzerland,’ she muttered. ‘I was afraid of that.’

‘Guess we’d better go and break the news to Ben.’

‘You go. I ought to stay here with Rupert. It’s probably for the best.’