Follow Your Star by Jennifer Bohnet (best value ebook reader .TXT) 📗

to regain her composure. But images from later on that fateful evening were beginning to crowd into her brain.

Things she’d forgotten until now. The champagne they’d drunk, the friends they’d met up with, the rain that had begun to fall as they left the restaurant. Zac’s insistence—

Nanette jumped as a car horn blared out behind her.

‘Hey, lady, that’s not the best place to stand – unless you want to be run down.’ The man in the expensive sports car leant out of his window and rebuked her.

Nanette smiled weakly and mouthed the word ‘sorry’ in his direction, before moving back on to the narrow pavement, and allowing the man and his car to disappear down the ramp into the depths of the underground garage.

Shaking, she leant against the wall. It was several minutes before she felt strong enough to walk the few remaining yards to the rehearsal hall entrance.

It seemed only a matter of minutes before the twins ran out to join her.

‘Hi, Netty,’ Olivia said, taking hold of her hand as they began to walk, while Pierre ambled along in front.

‘I didn’t forget a single line tonight,’ Olivia said proudly.

‘Well done you,’ Nanette said, struggling to talk normally. ‘And you, Pierre? How did you get on?’

‘OK,’ Pierre said, turning round to look at her. ‘I’ve only got three lines to say anyway. Are you all right? You don’t look very well.’

‘I’ve got a bit of a headache,’ was the only thing she could think of saying. ‘Come on, let’s go home. Shall we have some hot chocolate when we get back?’

Once Nanette had seen the twins into bed she went through to the balcony and looked down at the boats bobbing around on their moorings.

Lights were shining out from the main cabin on Pole Position and as Nanette watched, a crew member came out on deck to check the position of the gangplank. Zac would be arriving on the late flight tonight and the crew knew better than not to have everything just right.

She stared down at the yacht, wondering why her memory had suddenly started to throw pictures of the past at her. Zac’s proposition? Or maybe driving on Sunday had been the trigger? Whatever the catalyst, there appeared to be no stopping the flood of painful reminiscences that were crowding into her mind.

Large droplets of rain blew in unexpectedly under the shelter of the balcony and Nanette grimaced to herself. She gripped the balcony rail tightly as yet another vignette of that evening three years ago flooded into her consciousness.

The rain had started as they left the restaurant. By the time they were on the autoroute and heading for the first tunnel, it was torrential and Nanette expected Zac to decree leaving at the next exit. Instead he simply pressed the play button on the radio and the nostalgic words of ‘Yesterday’ struggled to be heard against the noise of the storm and the rhythmic sweep of windscreen wipers rendered useless by the force of the rain.

As they exited the tunnel, Nanette saw the huge sheet of water that lay in front of them a split second before the car rose up and aquaplaned out of control across this unexpected lake towards the central reservation. The impact jarred every bone in her body and turned the car over, sending it spinning on its roof back across to the hard shoulder where it finally came to rest.

Drifting in and out of consciousness Nanette was dimly aware of the nauseous smell of petrol and of Zac dragging her out and away from the wreckage.

‘I’ve phoned for help. Shouldn’t be too long,’ Zac assured her as she lay on the verge.

The paramedics were kind and gently placed her on a stretcher. As they lifted her into the ambulance, Zac leant over her and whispered something.

Now, three years later, Nanette finally remembered what those words were.

‘Nanette, I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.’

CHAPTER SEVEN

Nanette jumped as Jean-Claude appeared unexpectedly on the balcony. Lost in her memories she hadn’t heard the apartment door opening.

‘Is everything all right? You look very pale,’ Jean-Claude said, holding her tight as he gave her a greeting kiss on the cheeks.

‘Zac is due back soon. I was trying to work out what I’m going to say to him.’

‘How about a straightforward, No thank you. I don’t want the job with Vacances au Soleil.’

‘It’s no longer as simple as that, JC,’ Nanette said quietly. ‘I also need to talk to him about’ – she took a deep breath before continuing – ‘about the things I’ve started to remember.’

‘Your memory of the accident is returning?’

Nanette nodded. ‘Yes. Something triggered it off tonight as I walked past Zac’s old apartment,’ she said, beginning to shiver. ‘And then when I came out here.…’ Her voice trailed away as she gestured towards Pole Position.

Jean-Claude pulled her back into his arms protectively.

‘These memories have clearly upset you. Do you wish to tell me?’

Standing in the safe circle of his arms, looking up at Jean-Claude’s concerned face, Nanette wished she could confide in him. Ask his advice about how to approach things with Zac, but slowly she shook her head.

‘I think I must talk to Zac first – see if my memory is true or whether it’s playing tricks on me.’

Jean-Claude kissed her gently. ‘D’accord. You tell me when you’re ready to talk about the past. Tonight we’ll talk about us and perhaps the future.’

Nanette smiled at him gratefully as he took her hand and together they left the balcony. Nanette moved away from him to close the balcony doors and draw the heavy curtains across, but was startled by a loud knock on the apartment door.

‘Ah supper,’ Jean-Claude said. ‘I’ll get it. I missed dinner this evening because of my business appointment,’ he explained, returning with several steaming containers which he placed on the dining table.

‘I hope you like Chinese?’

Nanette organized the table, while Jean-Claude deftly turned out lights, lit candles, switched on the CD player and opened a bottle of wine. A