by Nikki Ashton
“You heard her,” I added, nodding toward his car. “So, get in your car and go before I call the police.”
“Yeah and what for?” he asked, cocking his head on one side.
“Criminal damage to her car. We have a witness.”
His smile faltered as he glanced at his own car.
“Yeah, the damage to your own car doesn’t really help your case mate,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when the door was yanked open and a dark head poked around it.
“Tell him to go.” It was Frankie and his eyes were brimming with tears. “He threw a dish at my mummy and he was going to hit me. Tell him.”
Bile rose in my throat as I watched big, fat tears fall down Frankie’s ashen face. I swivelled back to the prick in front of me and when I saw him sneer, I immediately saw red. I grabbed a hold of his hoody dragging him to me and pulled back my other arm, my hand fisted and shaking with anger, ready to punch him.
“No,” Maisie gasped. “Please, not in front of Frankie.”
“Hit him,” Frankie cried at the same time.
If I hadn’t been so fucking furious, I’d have probably laughed, but instead I pulled my arm back again.
“No, Sam,” Maisie’s voice was pleading as she laid her small hand on my bicep.
The prick let out a hollow laugh and shook his head slowly. “So you’re him are you?” he sneered. “No wonder the kid needs to be disciplined.”
I tugged on his hoody bringing him so close, our noses were almost touching and snarled at him.
“You ever raise a hand to my fucking kid or Maisie ever again,” I whispered menacingly. “I will fucking end you. I don’t care if I have to do time, it’ll be worth it to see a bully like you in the ground. In fact,” I hissed. “I’ll bury you myself and no one will find your worthless, piece of shit body. You hear me.”
He tried to act the hard man for all of two seconds, but when I shook him, he nodded and relaxed his fists.
“Now fuck off.” I pushed him so hard he landed on his arse on the driveway. “And don’t come back.”
Pushing himself up, he backed away until he collided with his car and got inside and screeched away.
I turned to Maisie who had Frankie tucked against her side.
“You okay?” I asked.
She nodded, but her bottom lip was trembling and her grip on Frankie must have been tight because he whimpered beside her.
“Okay, I’m coming in,” I said, my tone uncompromising. “And you need to get these locks changed.”
“I don’t think that-.”
“Maisie,” I warned. “I mean it.”
Maisie simply nodded and moving away from the door let me inside. As soon as I was, I noticed the stain on the wall above a doorway and there was a broken dish over the floor, mixed with what looked like soggy Cornflakes.
“He do that?” I asked.
Maisie nodded.
“Yeah, he threw it at Mummy,” Frankie said, his bravado at wanting me to punch his mum’s boyfriend suddenly gone. “He’s not coming back is he?”
I shook my head. “Nope.” Not tonight at least, but I had a feeling he might try again another day.
“You get Frankie to bed and I’ll clean this up,” I said to Maisie, who was staring at me bewildered.
“Can we have hot chocolate first?” Frankie asked.
Maisie looked down at him, running a hand over his dark brown hair, the exact colour of mine. “Okay. You want one?” she asked me.
I actually wanted to fucking run, get back in my car and never come back. I didn’t want to be involved in their lives. I didn’t want to care that some fucker had raised a hand to my son. I fucking didn’t want to feel anything, but I did.
I nodded. “Yeah, that would be great.”
Maisie
the past
My mum and dad were watching me warily, why, I had no idea. I’d come to terms with being single and pregnant at twenty-two years of age, they’d come to terms with me being single and pregnant. After my scan today though, they’d barely taken their eyes off me.
“What?” I asked, the biscuit in my hand halfway to my mouth.
“We’re just wondering how you feel after today,” Dad said, glancing at Mum.
“Fine, why?” I took a bite of my biscuit, giving them a dismissive shrug.
“Well it’s a big thing seeing your child for the first time,” my mum said. “We wondered whether you felt upset that the father wasn’t there.”
I still hadn’t told them who ‘the father’ was. I knew my mother and she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from rushing around to Sam’s parents and insisting that they make their son marry me or something equally as ridiculous. They’d argued with me, of course, but they’d eventually agreed it was my decision. I thought I might tell them at some point in the future, but for now I was happy to keep it to myself. The baby and I weren’t what Sam wanted in his life, so I didn’t want anyone rocking the boat and forcing him to make choices that he hated. Maybe I was being too generous and I should be thinking of my baby – was it fair to deny them of a father? If I was right though, Sam would be a great financial help, but it was doubtful he would provide any other form of support, and in my mind it was better for the baby to have no dad around than one that flitted in and out of its life, creating a lot of heartache for them. I actually didn’t blame Sam. At least he hadn’t told me stuff I’d wanted to hear and then let me down, and while I didn’t want his money, I also realised that realistically I couldn’t do this without some help. I knew my parents would help as much as they could, but they’d raised Libby and me and it wasn’t down to them to raise my child too.
“No, I wasn’t,” I finally answered. “It isn’t what he wants and I’m not forcing him. I can do this on my own. He’s helping financially and that’s it.”
I thought about the solicitor’s letter I’d received the day before, and I had to be honest, what Sam was giving me was pretty generous. I’d expected an offer of a hundred a month maybe, but it was way more than that. It would mean I could afford a decent place to rent eventually.
“Why can’t you just tell us who it is?” Dad asked for the millionth time since I’d given them the news.
“I don’t want to. I never want it slipping out and so it’s just easier if I don’t tell anyone.”
“Will you tell the baby?” Mum asked. “When it’s old enough to understand.”
I shrugged. “I’ll think about that at the time.”
I hadn’t really thought about it if I was being honest. I knew I’d got a few years before it would come up, so call me an ostrich, but I’d worry about it then. Luckily, we lived on the other side of town to Sam, and it was a big enough place that we’d probably never see each other. My best friend from primary school only lived a ten minute walk away and I hadn’t seen her for eleven years, so bumping into Sam wouldn’t be an issue.
Dad shook his head in frustration and picked up his newspaper, evidently deciding he’d had enough of the conversation. Mum looked at him and then back to me before sighing and picking up the remote control to turn the TV over to one of the soaps.
As the theme music kicked in, my mobile buzzed on the arm of the chair. I picked it up and almost gasped out loud when I saw it was Sam. Even though we’d swapped numbers, I never thought for one minute that he’d ever contact me directly. I expected it’d be through solicitors, not that I thought he’d ever want to be in touch ever again anyway.
I glanced up, grateful to see that Mum and Dad were still occupied. Stupidly, I thought they may be able to read the text message from the other side of the living room. I then looked back to my phone, my heart racing as I did.
Sam: I just wanted to check the scan went okay today.
I was absolutely floored that he’d checked up on me, especially as it had been three weeks since I’d messaged him with the scan date. I’d told him I’d keep him informed, so had se
nt the scan date not expecting anything back, but I’d received a message that simply said – Okay, thanks for letting me know – even though I was pretty sure he wasn’t thankful at all.
I quickly sent a text back, glancing up at Mum and Dad every couple of seconds.
Maisie: All good. Baby is healthy and growing well
His response was almost immediate
Sam: That’s good. Take care
And that was it. Even though I kept one eye on my mobile for the next hour or so, no other text arrived and eventually I went to bed wondering whether Sam sending a text meant something, and hating myself for caring.
Sam
the present
I looked over at Elijah and decided that there was possibly no one less smug than my brother, and he was getting right on my nut sack.
“What?” I snapped.
He shrugged. “Don’t know what you mean.”
“You’re looking at me with that damn stupid grin on your face – why?” I threw a pair of sliders into my duffel bag and zipped it up.
“What stupid grin?” He asked, looking at me with…a stupid grin.
“You’re a knob head,” I grumbled, picking up my car keys. “Now if you don’t mind, I need to get to the Leisure Centre.”
“Oh yeah, you’re giving Frankie another swimming lesson aren’t you?”
I rolled my eyes and pushed him toward the front door. “I’m giving a lesson tonight, but not to Frankie.”
Eli stopped in the hallway and turned back to me. “Why not?”
“Maisie thinks it best they don’t leave the house or go where her ex will be expecting to find them. Plus Stuart is going round there to look at her car.”
I gave the last piece of information as a mutter, with my head down. Stuart was one of my best mates, so Eli would have guessed that I was the one who’d arranged for him to go and see Maisie.
“Didn’t she know anyone who could fix it?” he asked, knowingly.
“Nope, plus why risk being ripped off when Stu will do her a good job at a reasonable price.”
What my brother didn’t need to know was that I’d asked Stu to do me a favour – a bloody big seventy percent discount favour, and even then I’d asked him to give me the invoice. I had no idea why I felt as though I wanted to pay, but something told me that Maisie didn’t have spare cash to shell out on repairing the bodywork of her car.
“So, Frankie not swimming tonight, was it Maisie’s idea, or a decision you came to together – you know as his parents?”
I threw him a frustrated look and pushed the door open to the stairwell, not wanting to be in the confined space of the lift with him, giving him a view of my face. The fucker always knew how to read me and after the previous night, what I did know about Maisie and Frankie was that they scared the living daylights out of me and I didn’t need Elijah picking up on that and then going home and grassing to bloody Amy about it, because she’d give me shit for weeks.
I’d stayed at Maisie’s for hot chocolate and then Frankie had got me talking about music and of course we had a lot to talk about. He knew his stuff and I couldn’t help but grin like a loon when he popped an earbud in my ear and played me his favourite Northern Soul song – The Elgins’, Heaven Must Have Sent You. I was pretty impressed, the kid had great taste in music, as far as I was concerned. After that Maisie had told him it was bed time and I left. As I’d been leaving, Maisie had told me that she thought it a good idea that Frankie missed his swimming lesson and I told her that I’d send Stu around to look at her car. She tried to argue, but when I put my foot on the door step, stopping her from closing the door, she finally nodded and said ‘okay’ and agreed to swap mobile numbers.
I was there a total of fifty-five minutes, nothing out of the ordinary had happened, we hadn’t said anything about talking soon and neither had I told her I’d be back, yet somehow I think we both knew that I would be and that we would most definitely talk again soon. The fact that I didn’t hate the idea of that, of them, made my fucking stomach ache with anxiety.
“Don’t think this is anything more than it is,” I snapped at my brother as we reached the apartment lobby. “You were the one who got me into all her shit.”
“Because she needed someone,” Elijah protested.
“Yeah and she could have called her dad. Just stay out of things Eli,” I sighed, getting into my car.
“What, like you stayed out of my business when Amy and I needed a kick up the arse?”
“Totally different. You were meant to be together.” Holding the door open, I pointed a finger at him. “I mean it Elijah, keep out of it.”
I then slammed the door and drove out of the car park, hoping the next hour or so went quickly.
“What are you doing here, Sam,” Maisie sighed, peering at me from around the front door that was only slightly ajar.
“Checking up on you both.” I half-turned and nodded towards the drive that was empty. “Did Stu take your car?”
She nodded and reached up to tighten the messy bun on top of her head and as she did her t-shirt rode up, revealing creamy white skin in the gap between her top and the tracksuit pants that sat low on her hips. Her stomach was slightly rounded, but her hips were narrow, with the tiny hint of bone sticking out and I couldn’t help but remember our night together all those years before. She’d been sweet and crazy all at the same time and definitely knew how to please a man, yet somehow I knew she wasn’t very experienced. She’d been pretty much perfect if I was being honest.
“He was here about half an hour ago. Said I’d get it back in a couple of days. At least it’s the weekend and I don’t have to get to work or school.”
“That’s good.”
“Yes, thanks for sorting it out. I didn’t have a clue who to call and I didn’t want to have to ask my dad.”
“What’ve they said about it all?” I asked, pushing my hands deep into the pockets of my hoody.
She chewed on her lip for a few seconds and then sighed. “I haven’t told them yet. I don’t want to have to listen to the ‘we told you so’ lectures.”
“Your dad didn’t like him then?”
For some reason that gave me a sense of happiness because I’d been proved right; Josh was a wanker who drove an Audi prick wagon.
“Not really, none of my family did.” She let out an empty laugh. “Not even Frankie did.”
“Talking of, how’s he been?” I asked around a cough, feeling self-conscious at talking about him.
“He’s fine. In fact he’s been happier today than I’ve seen him for a long time.” Maisie sounded wistful and heaved out a heavy breath. “I should have realised before.”
Her eyes were shining and I knew she was close to tears. Frankie may well have bounced back quickly from the previous night’s nightmare, but Maisie was obviously struggling.
“Listen, can I come in for a bit?” The words were out of my mouth before I had chance to talk myself out of it. “I can see you’re upset and I don’t really want to leave you feeling like that.”
Maisie leaned the top half of her body back and gaped at me. “Since when do you care, Sam?” she hissed.
“I’m not a total knob, and you were the one who said you understood that I couldn’t offer you more.”
“And I did, so why the hell are you suddenly worried about me?” She put her hands to her hips and I couldn’t help but notice the way her tits pushed against her t-shirt.
“Because of what your dick head of an ex-boyfriend did last night. It must have been fucking scary as shit for you, and I can see you’re still worried now, so just let me come in.”
“And if I do,” she said, glancing behind her, “what the hell do I tell Frankie, hey?”
I rubbed a hand down my face and groaned. “I don’t know – I came to check up on him after missing swimming lessons. Does it matter?”
“Yes it matters. Oh my god,” she cried. “You have no idea do you. He’s a little boy who saw the man who was supposed to
protect him like a father throw something at his mum and then raise a hand to him, so he’s emotional and delicate. If you keep coming in for hot chocolate and bloody Northern Soul sessions, he’ll grow attached Sam, and that’s not fair on him.”
I took a mental step back and thought about what Maisie had said and she was right. It wouldn’t be fair to Frankie if I went in again. He was a little boy without a dad, as far as he was concerned, and if I stepped over that threshold again it was likely he’d think there was more to it. I’d scared the bad man away and it wouldn’t take much for him to become attached to me.
“Okay,” I said, now taking a physical step back. “You’re right, but if Josh comes back make sure you call me.” I watched Maisie’s face morph into that of a stroppy teenager. “Or at least call the coppers,” I added. “Don’t try and deal with him on your own. Okay?”
“Fine,” she said, moving further behind the door. “But he won’t be back.”
“If you say so, but if he does, I mean it Maisie, I want you to call me.”
She nodded. “Is that all?”
“Yeah,” I sighed out. “You’ve got my number.”
“I do, but I won’t be needing you. Thanks for calling, Sam,” she said, her voice softening, “and for what you did last night and with my car, but I swear we’ll be fine.”
I nodded and turned down the drive to leave, thinking she was probably right – famous last words.
Maisie
the present
Frankie had been asleep for about an hour when the banging on the door started.
Boom, boom, boom.
“Maisie, open this fucking door now.”
I heard the flap of the letterbox as Josh’s voice bellowed, loud and harsh, making my heart thump in time with his fist on the door. I flicked off the lamp next to my armchair and lifted up my feet, praying that he’d get bored and go away.