by S M Mala
‘The way he held you in his arms. I’ve never seen him do that before even when you were together. And you cried; cried on his shoulder and got comfort. That should have been me, not him!’ Knowing he was starting to sound angry, he didn’t want to upset her. Sophie had been through enough. ‘Why did he turn up? What right did he have?’
She stroked his face and placed her head against his chest.
‘He has no right,’ she whispered. ‘But he was here for you too.’
‘He’s always going to be involved, isn’t he? Floating around in the background, waiting for something to happen. Then he’ll make his big entrance.’ Shaking his head, he said what he feared the most. ‘He saw her today and maybe he wants to be part of Milly’s life.’ Then he let slip. ‘I’m her dad, you know. I was there when she was born and fell in love with her at first sight. Today, I felt like for the first time she wasn’t mine, and that hurt.’
‘She called out for you first, not me.’
‘She needs to be legally mine. How do you think I feel knowing I kept my eye off her for a moment?’
‘We both did. This has been the worst day of my life.’ Sophie stepped back and looked up at him. ‘For a second, my mind was elsewhere and then my baby was taken from me. I can’t let that ever happen again. And I know you were hurting.’
She dragged him to bed and pushed him back to lie down.
‘I don’t want anyone else,’ she continued. ‘Harry’s not going to do anything to upset us. We went through a bad thing and came out in one piece. We’re a strong family.’
‘The way he looked at her, like he was lost and-.’
‘No more talk of him in the bedroom.’
As they tried to sleep, Jonah’s mind wandered off to what Harry was up to.
The real purpose of him was turning up and trying to be a knight in shining armour.
That bit didn’t make sense and he knew he was playing a game of some sort.
And he was also aware that Harry liked to cheat at all things so he could win.
‘How would anyone know that?’
Sophie was surprised on hearing the information. ‘Those are her favourite crackers and she loves musical books, especially with pigs. No-one would know other than the people closest to her, and someone at nursery.’ She looked at Jonah’s shocked face. ‘Are you saying someone we knew abducted her?’
Jonah and Sophie were sat in their living room with a woman police officer, trying to get their heads around a piece of new information.
‘We don’t know. The car was followed and the next thing, the person ran away and left Milly in the car. She was sitting in an infant’s car seat. Whoever did this was prepared to take a child that day,’ said the police officer.
‘My child,’ mumbled Jonah, looking increasingly upset. ‘How do we know she’s safe now? Why would they do that?’
‘To upset you and your wife?’ came the obvious reply. The police officer then turned to Sophie. ‘We know your involvement in the case regarding the killing of Mr Shad by his wife. Do you think it might have got something to do with that?’
‘I don’t think so.’ Her blood froze thinking all sorts of bad things.
‘But it’s a probability.’
‘Maybe?’ she replied, feeling lost on what to do. ‘Are you saying my daughter isn’t safe?’
‘You might not be safe, Mrs Bauer.’
‘Don’t say that,’ Jonah whispered, holding his wife’s hand tightly. ‘No-one is going to touch my family.’
‘This is horrible,’ she said, feeling sick again. ‘Someone took Milly to teach me a lesson about losing a child.’ Turning to look at Jonah, she whispered, ‘I told you this is my fault.’
‘No, it’s not. Bad people do bad things.’
‘We’re putting together some CCTV footage of who might have taken her. From what was inside the car, Milly was treated well. It seems they didn’t want to hold onto her for long, but long enough to cause distress.’ The police officer stood. ‘As soon as we get more information, I’ll get in touch.’
Sophie wanted to pass out. Her head was spinning and she felt sick.
‘I’m not taking her to the nursery,’ Sophie whispered. ‘She’s staying with me. I’m not going back to work until this is sorted.’
‘Soph,’ he gently said. ‘Don’t upset yourself.’
‘What have I done for this to happen?’
And a genuine horror of her work intermingling with her personal life had just hit home.
‘That’s a wrap.’
Jonah was working on a one off shoot the day of the court hearing. He knew Sophie was severely shaken, and she had been sick several times due to nerves. All his wife wanted to do was stay with Amelia, and he couldn’t blame her.
Looking at the models walking off, he felt listless.
It all seemed so stupid considering what was going on at home.
‘Hey there!’ he heard someone shout and turned to see Harry.
Something stirred deep in his gut for the first time.
A sudden intense dislike and distrust.
‘How are things?’ Harry asked, walking in with a bright smile. He was wearing a smart suit and looked fresh faced. ‘Has everything settled down?’
‘Sophie is still upset. Milly’s acting as if nothing happened.’ He shook Harry’s hand. ‘And I’m reeling from the shock of someone taking my daughter from underneath my nose.’
Harry glared at him at the same time as he smiled. Jonah couldn’t figure out what it meant but knew it wasn’t something pleasant.
‘Maybe because you don’t have a direct DNA link, you tend to take your eye off the ball,’ Harry said, letting out a little laugh. ‘The connection isn’t there.’
Knowing not to rise to the bait, Jonah started to pack away his things, while watching his two assistants clear up. The comment hurt and he knew that was the intention.
‘Why did you turn up?’ Jonah asked, glaring at him. ‘You’ve never been to the house before; effectively you’re not allowed to go there. It was unexpected.’
‘I needed to be there for you. You were upset,’ he said, the smile quickly fading. ‘It wasn’t a pleasant thing to go through.’
‘And Sophie?’
‘She’s the mother of my child.’
Biting his lip, that was the second time he had referred to Amelia being directly related to him.
‘And it’s the first time I’ve seen her since she was a baby. I never realised how beautiful she’d turn out. Like her mother,’ continued Harry. ‘It’s pretty amazing, to be honest.’
‘I appreciate your care but you have to keep away, Harry. You’re still not allowed near Sophie and Milly. I don’t know how many times you’ve told me you’re not interested and don’t care.’
‘That was then.’
Steadying himself, and making sure his expensive cameras were safe, he locked his case and stood up straight, looking at Harry.
‘What do you mean by that?’ he asked, seeing Harry glance down. ‘You’re changing your mind about the adoption? You know you-.’
‘I can legally change my mind at anytime if I have a good reason. It’s not all signed and sealed, so to speak,’ he replied quietly. ‘You both lost her. That makes me wonder if you are suitable to be a father to Amelia James because that’s what her name is.’
Jonah knew what Harry was up to.
He wasn’t playing fair or nice.
‘Have you told your solicitor this?’ asked Jonah, knowing this would upset Sophie. ‘Because you better tell her what you think.’
‘It was an observation.’ Harry stepped closer. ‘Jonah, you can’t have it all your way, you know. First my wife, now my child, and finally you want to break ties. That’s a little unfair.’
‘What do you want?’ asked Jonah, putting on his jacket then checking his watch. ‘You took my girlfriend when I was with her, so I don’t think it has been all one sided. And let’s not forget quite a lot of my earnings. You’ve dictated wher
e I work and with whom. Not once have I questioned your added expenses on the back of my work or trips, where you had decided to come along when you weren’t invited.’ The comment made Harry wince. ‘How unfair is that?’
‘I care for Sophie. You can’t stop me from doing that.’
He knew he was going to explode. Jonah could feel it in his chest, and was aware what Harry was up to, so it was harder to control.
‘Are you okay?’ asked Harry, walking up to him. ‘Is something upsetting you?’
‘I am a very good father to Amelia,’ he replied through clenched teeth. ‘I’ve been in her life for a year and I’m not letting go. Agree or don’t agree, just realise she loves me.’
‘I could see that,’ Harry said, sounding a little bemused. ‘I’m not criticising you.’
‘I have to go,’ Jonah replied and grabbed his bag.
‘I thought we could go for a drink.’
‘I can’t. I’ve got the bike,’ he said, marching out of the studio, too furious to speak to his crew. ‘Sophie is expecting me to pick her up from some friends.’
Knowing Harry was following him, Jonah stopped and put his bag in the holdall, before putting on his helmet.
‘She hasn’t objected to you riding that thing?’ asked Harry, looking at the motorbike. ‘I’m surprised, but give it time.’
‘My wife trusts me and she would never tell me to get rid of it,’ he said, forcing a smile. ‘We do need to discuss how we are going to work on the remaining projects lined up. I would like to honour the commitments before we go our separate ways.’
‘Separate ways?’
‘Don’t play stupid. You know what I mean.’
‘Before you make a hasty decision, why don’t you mull over my proposition?’
‘Pardon me?’
‘Here’s what I think should happen if you want Amelia to be yours.’
And that was when Jonah realised that Harry knew what he really wanted, and how he intended to get it.
‘At least she’s not banged up.’
Sophie was at the house in Uxbridge. ‘Self-defence is right and trying to save your life, well, that’s priceless. Fadwa has a right to walk free.’
Madison didn’t look too pleased. She was wearing her old favourite tracksuit as they sat at the table. A few of the women shook their heads.
‘Someone died,’ Lorraine said, letting out a big sigh. She had arrived with a few bottles of wine. Sophie thought it was also due to guilt about the situation. ‘And we were there.’
‘How was she in court for the second hearing?’
‘She looked terrible,’ said Lorraine, starting to get upset. ‘Petrified and so tiny. Anyone can see she’s no danger to anyone, and though I say it myself, the police have been excellent. They knew about her husband’s violent nature.’
‘I did this,’ Madison said, shaking her head from side to side.
‘I was there. He was like a mad man and would have killed all of us, including the kids,’ butted in Lorraine.
It was Sophie’s sharp intake of breath, and turning quickly to see Amelia playing with some of the other little ones.
‘Why would someone try and take her?’ asked Madison, touching Sophie’s hand. ‘If it is that man’s family trying to get one back on us, I’ll batter them to pieces!’
‘I don’t want you to go behind bars.’
‘It’ll be worth it.’
‘They’re still looking at CCTV footage and say it might be a while before we find out who took her.’
‘Bloody slow, if you ask me,’ sighed Lorraine, sipping her tea. ‘Aren’t you scared?’
‘Petrified. I was a mess and Jonah was amazing.’
‘And Harry turning up helped, did it?’ asked Madison, starting to smile. ‘We’re surrounded by bloody mad men!’
She saw Jonah’s car pull up.
‘Got to go. I intend to be nice to my husband tonight,’ she said, then took a deep breath. ‘It’ll be okay. Fadwa Shah is going to be free from now on.’
‘Well, if all it takes is to murder your husband, then that’s a good thing,’ smirked Madison. ‘Maybe you could try it with your ex?’
Getting her things then picking up Amelia, she rushed to the door and opened it.
His face wasn’t the same as usual. Jonah looked pale and upset.
‘Are you okay?’ Sophie asked, walking out and staring at him.
‘Dada, dada!’ Amelia said, immediately reaching forward to go into his arms.
Jonah took her and stood on the pavement, holding her very tightly and burying his head in her hair.
‘Soph,’ he said, pulling away and kissed her cheek.
It looked like he had been crying.
‘Let me drive,’ she said, stroking his face. ‘You can sit in the back with Milly. She’d love that.’
All the way home, she kept glancing in the mirror, seeing him stare at the child then look at her.
Something had happened and she wanted to know what it was.
After bathing and putting Amelia to bed, she could see he was troubled. Jonah had been exceptionally quiet. Sitting next to him on the sofa, while he looked at photos on his laptop, she watched him examine each shot.
‘Did everything go okay today?’ she asked, squeezing his arm. ‘Are you off early tomorrow?’
‘Yes,’ he quietly replied and turned to look at her. There was a pained expression. ‘I need to get some shut-eye.’
‘If you won’t tell me what’s wrong, then I won’t be able to sleep.’ She touched his hair and watched how he closed his eyes. ‘Tell me.’
‘I can’t,’ he said, rubbing his head into her hand. ‘I have to think this through.’
‘What?’
‘Things,’ he replied, suddenly turning to look at her. ‘Sophie, you know I love you more than anything in the world. I will do anything to make you happy. You know that, don’t you?’
‘Yes,’ she replied, feeling slightly worried.
‘I want Milly to be mine. And after what happened, it made me realise how much.’
‘It was horrible.’
‘But Harry’s not signing so I don’t know what we can do.’
Sophie noticed something flicker in his eyes as he looked away when he said it. Knowing not to push too hard, she could see Harry had said something to Jonah and dreaded what it could be.
Whatever it was, it certainly had upset her husband.
‘I’ll go and speak to him. Try and sort it out,’ she said and watched him frown. ‘You don’t want me to?’
‘I don’t want him to think he has a hold over you after he came here. I don’t want him to come here again,’ Jonah said sharply. ‘Ever again.’
‘What did he say to you?’
‘Doesn’t matter,’ he shrugged and stood up. ‘Let’s go to bed.’
Following him up the stairs, she knew Harry had been up to no good. Even Jonah’s expression when he picked them up conveyed so much by saying so little.
Then she thought about the last year she was married to Harry.
He could say so little and it could hurt far too much.
Jonah was his next victim. She could tell.
Brushing her teeth and checking on Amelia for the hundredth time that day, she got into bed and noticed Jonah was on his side, pretending to sleep. Rubbing his back, she waited for him to turn around but he didn’t. Sophie kissed his skin and nestled her lips into his neck, but all the time he didn’t move.
‘I need to sleep,’ he said, making her realise he wasn’t in the mood.
Laying back on her pillow, she looked up at the ceiling and tossed and turned on what Harry would say and do next. It was evident that he told Jonah if he left his agency, he wouldn’t sign the adoption papers.
That was the only angle Harry could use.
She’d have to sort it out, even be nice to her ex.
He was like a slow drip poison and she knew it.
Even when he left their home after Amelia was found, somethin
g didn’t sit right with Harry. He looked out of place and wanted to run from the child he made.
His own flesh and blood.
Sophie had a sudden thought that maybe Harry now wanted to be part of Amelia’s life.
That made her feel sick so she thought of happy things and dreamed of sleep where the only things she could think about were Amelia and Jonah.
The lips were travelling all over her neck, as she awoke from her half slumber.
‘Jonah,’ she whispered.
‘I want you,’ he said, kissing her mouth. ‘I want to make love to you.’
‘I thought you were sleeping.’
‘I want us to be together.’
He was frantically pulling down the covers and taking off her clothes; it was like a whirlwind.
His hands and mouth were all over her, and Sophie couldn’t catch her breath. She was so sensitive to his touch. When he placed his hand between her legs, she felt like she was having a mini orgasm.
There seemed to be a lot of pent-up passion in him that she hadn’t seen before.
Jonah was touching and caressing, wanting to please her and she didn’t need much coaxing. But she noticed he was on a mission to prove something.
She wasn’t quite sure what, but after changing position for the fourth time to show how he could do it many ways, Sophie looked at his face; full of concentration and lust.
‘I love you,’ she whispered. ‘You can do anything you want to make you happy.’
Suddenly he changed position once more, and turned her on her back, wrapping her legs around his waist, grinding deeply into her.
Gasping, it felt like he was pushing every millimetre of his skin inside, as he smothered her lips.
‘I want a baby,’ Jonah said, looking at her, trying to catch his breath. ‘I want to make a baby with you. I would do anything to make you happy, anything.’
‘You do make me happy.’
‘Just me and you, no-one else.’
It was an odd thing for him to say, so she kissed him passionately, feeling him go deeper.
And the first thing that popped into her head was that Harry had said something to Jonah, to make him think he couldn’t make her happy.
Nothing would surprise her, other than the man between her legs who was humping for dear life as if to prove a point.