by Jade Winters
‘Cool, so you’ll be in touch,’ Cathy said. It wasn’t a question, more like a statement. ‘You know where to find me, but please don’t leave it too long. I don’t know how much longer I can handle that place.’
Dylan reached out and squeezed her forearm. ‘Don’t worry it’ll be soon.’
‘Cool. See ya then,’ Cathy said brightly and turned to go, then glanced over her shoulder. ‘Will I have to call you Ms Blue?’
Dylan rolled her eyes. ‘Most certainly not!’
The drive home was done in a daze. As Dylan caught the lift from the parking garage her mind was full of wonder. Could she do it, run her own company? Of course she could. The one thing Dylan couldn’t do was represent the kind of people she had done whilst working at her father’s firm. Harper wouldn’t like that. The thought came out of the blue. What did it matter what Harper thought? It wasn’t as if she was going to see her again any time soon.
The lift came to a stop and Dylan stepped out. The bottle of wine bouncing off her leg as she strode down the hall. As she rounded the corner she stopped abruptly, her heart leapt in her chest. Harper was sitting on the floor outside her apartment. Her head was down, looking at her phone. Knowing Harper hadn’t seen her, Dylan thought about doubling back. Then realised how stupid it was. Where was she going to go exactly? She was home.
Dylan straightened her shoulders and continued walking. As she neared, Harper looked up. ‘Hi,’ she said using the wall to help her to her feet.
‘Hi, yourself,’ Dylan said, unlocking the front door and pushing it open. She stepped inside and glanced over her shoulder with an expectant look. ‘Are you going to stand out there all night?’
Harper cocked her head. ‘It’s considered rude to enter someone’s home without being invited in.’
Dylan laughed humourlessly. ‘Are you joking? When has being rude bothered you before?’
Harper stuffed her hands into the pockets of her sheepskin jacket. ‘Listen, I’m gonna lay my cards on the table alright. Once I’ve finished you can tell me to piss off, but at least we’ll both know where we stand.’
‘Go on then. I’m all ears,’ Dylan said gesturing for Harper to follow her to the kitchen. Dylan placed the bottle in the fridge then turned to Harper. ‘Have you come to blame me for—’
‘—Will you just shut up for one minute. This isn’t easy you know.’
Dylan folded her arms across her chest. Just say it and put me out of my misery. You want nothing to do with me and you don’t want me to darken your doorstep again, blah blah blah. She couldn’t understand why Harper didn’t just call her instead of having to do it face to face. It was humiliating to say the least.
When Dylan remained silent, Harper rolled her eyes. ‘You’re not making this easy for me.’ Harper’s gaze dropped to the ground as she shifted her weight from foot to foot. Eventually she looked up. Her eyes narrowed as if she was about to deal a deadly blow. Dylan dropped her arms to her side and tightened her fists. Here it comes.
‘Look I came to say sorry—’
‘—Oh whatever, look….’ she started before Harper’s words finally sunk in. Her face creased in confusion. ‘Did I just hear you apologise?’ she asked in astonishment. Well, I didn’t see that one coming.
Harper gave a deep sigh. ‘Yes, Dylan, I apologised.’
‘For?’
Harper held Dylan’s gaze with eyes that a woman could easily drown in.
‘For blaming you for Abi’s predicament. For saying all those horrible things to you. I was a bitch. You didn’t deserve it.’
‘So why say it?’
‘Because…because I was angry with you.’
Dylan brushed the comment away with a careless hand. ‘Tell me something new.’
‘No really. I’m not saying my attitude towards you wasn’t appropriate sometimes.’ She smiled sheepishly. ‘But not last time. It was cruel of me, but I wanted to punish you.’
‘Well you did. In more ways than one.’
‘Dylan, I’m sorry I hurt you.’ Harper walked around the table and stopped in front of her. She combed her fingers through her hair and gave a small shake of her head. ‘My emotions just get the better of me sometimes. It’s just been so frustrating seeing you, wanting you and knowing that you didn’t feel the same way.’
‘Are you crazy?’
Harper’s voice was low and soft. ‘Yes. Crazy in love with you. There I’ve said it. I’m sorry if it’s not what you want to hear, that you don’t think of me as girlfriend material….’
‘Shut up and come here.’ Dylan pulled Harper against her and wrapped her arms around her waist. Looking deep into her eyes she said, ‘Harper Anderson, do you have any idea how much I love you?’ she pressed her lips against Harper’s. ‘I knew you were trouble from the minute I laid eyes on you.’
Harper drew back slightly. ‘Me?’ she said with mock seriousness.
‘Yes you. You’ve changed my world for the better, Harper.’
‘That’s exactly what love’s supposed to do.’ She wrapped her arms around Dylan’s neck and leant in to kiss her. ‘I’m looking forward to making it even better.’
Dylan parted her lips and welcomed Harper’s inquisitive tongue. Her dad had always discouraged her from believing in fairy tale endings but Dylan was living proof they did exist. She was living one right now.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Things could not have got any worse even if lightning was to come down and strike her in the head. Robyn slammed her front door behind her. The anger inside her was all consuming. Who the fuck did that solicitor bitch think she was walking away from her case? Did she know who she was fucking with?
Robyn poked her head round the living room door and was surprised not to see Tiffany sat on her lazy arse. That woman had to go. Good looks and sex on tap was not enough anymore. She’d had her fill of women. If she never saw one again it wouldn’t be too soon. Fucking hell, even my own solicitor fucked me over, how bad can it get?
Robyn thundered towards the kitchen, her impatience growing when she saw it was empty. She walked over to the fridge and slammed it shut with force when she saw it was bare. That bitch was meant to do my shopping today.
‘Tiffany,’ she yelled at the top of her voice. ‘Tiffany, get down here right now. I said right now.’
Robyn listened for her footsteps. Hearing none she moved quickly to mount the stairs. ‘I swear if you’re fucking sleeping…’ She reached the bedroom door and pushed it open. ‘Did you…’ her words trailed off. The bed was still made and Tiffany was nowhere to be seen. Frantically she checked the bathroom, her office and the two spare rooms. No sign of her.
Where the hell can she be?
Robyn dialled Tiffany’s number on her phone. The line went dead. She redialled and was met with the same dead line. Had Tiffany forgotten to pay her bill? That was the only explanation. She would have serious words with her about financial responsibilities when she got home. Still annoyed, Robyn went back to her bedroom to change out of her suit into something more comfortable. At first she didn’t notice there was more space in the wardrobe than usual. It was only when she hung up her jacket and didn’t have to push the other clothes aside that she realised the amount of empty space there was. Frantically she checked the chest of drawers. It was the same. Only her clothes remained. ‘No, no, no, no, no,’ she screamed as she ran into the bathroom and opened the cabinet door. Every single trace of Tiffany was gone. It was as if she was never there. ‘That bitch has done a runner,’ Robyn said, her hands shook as she sat on the edge of the bath. She needed to calm down and get her thoughts together. Come on think. She pressed her palms against her eyes. Where would she go? Robyn sprang to her feet. ‘Fuck, the bitch has got my money!’
She pulled out her phone in sheer panic. Her solicitor would advise her what to do. Barely able to get her thoughts straight, Robyn’s clammy hand held onto her phone like it was her last lifeline. She felt some comfort hearing Debbie Brown’s voice.
&
nbsp; ‘Debbie, it’s Robyn Massey.’ She didn’t bother exchanging pleasantries. ‘That…Tiffany has done a runner. All of my stuff’s still in her name. Help me out here. What do I do?’
The reply that came back caused Robyn to lose her balance and she sunk to her knees. Debbie’s words rang loud and clear in her mind.
‘There’s nothing you can do. Your assets are legally hers. My best advice? Find her. Sooner rather than later.’
Adrenaline soon propelled Robyn to her feet. She had better get round to Tiffany’s mum’s place before she went on a spending spree.
An hour later, Robyn returned home without Tiffany and without her assets. Whether Tiffany’s mum had been lying about not seeing her, Robyn didn’t know, but whatever the case, Tiffany was gone. So it seemed was her money and stocks. I am royally fucked! She couldn’t help but wonder if it was Tiffany’s plan all along to fleece her. How could she have been so stupid thinking she could trust her? But Robyn had and that action had come back to bite her on the arse, hard. What was she going to tell her dad? He was already pissed off with her for stopping mediation and putting access to Jake at jeopardy. When she had told him about her plans to get custody of Jake he had threatened to cut her out of his will. Followed by saying ‘A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush’. She supposed he was right. If she failed in her bid she could lose access to Jake altogether. There was no way she could risk losing her inheritance. Especially now.
Robyn walked over to the drinks cabinet and took out a bottle of brandy, pouring herself a large measure. The alcohol left a blazing trail of heat down her throat as she knocked it back in one go.
‘You win, Tiff,’ she said pouring herself another drink. She held it in the air in mock celebration. ‘You always told me not to underestimate you. I should have listened.’
Robyn sat down in a reflective mood. I should have listened to a lot of things. Her mood mellowed into one of bitter acceptance. She had lost big time. She could just imagine Tiffany going through her money like water. Robyn seriously doubted there’d be any left by the end of a year. The shares themselves were worth more than she cared to remember. She forced her thoughts elsewhere. What was done was done. There was no point crying over spilt milk. She could make that money back in a few years. But if she ever caught sight of Tiffany again she would strangle her with her bare hands. For now Robyn had to concentrate on the future. She was on her own in this big empty house. It scared the living daylights out of her. She forced herself to take deep breaths. How could this have happened to me? Why didn’t I just stay with Abi? The thought crossed her mind in a flash. Could she really go back to Abi? Robyn smiled warming to the idea of a readymade family. She figured she deserved to come out on top after all the shit Abi and Tiffany had put her through these last few months. Once she offered Abi an olive branch Robyn was sure she would welcome her with open arms. Abi had loved her once so there wasn’t any reason she couldn’t do it again.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Abi bounced Jake up and down on her knee trying to think of a polite way to reply to Jennifer’s question. Is there any future for us? As much as she liked her, Abi knew in her heart that there wasn’t. She had been flattered by Jennifer’s attention and did find her attractive but there wasn’t any spark. Not one ounce of chemistry. It was a shame and a blessing at the same time. Yes, she would have liked some companionship. As much as Abi hated to admit it, she still hadn’t got over Robyn despite her awful treatment of her. That wasn’t to say that she would ever dream of rekindling their relationship. Abi would rather walk on hot coals before she did that. But she knew she had to give herself time to heal. To mend her broken heart. Such a feat was going to take longer than a few weeks or even months. When Abi loved she loved deeply so it wasn’t a matter of just getting over her and moving onto the next one. Besides, she had Jake to think about. Especially his little lungs. Though it never interfered with her decision to not take things any further with Jennifer, she really didn’t think it would be appropriate to be hanging out with someone who took drugs of any kind. It wasn’t the example she wanted to set for her son.
As if reading her mind Jennifer said, ‘Is this about me smoking weed? ’Cause if it is, I can tell you now I’m not a junkie.’
‘Don’t be silly, I didn’t think you were. And no it’s nothing to do with the weed.’ She squeezed Jake in her arms. ‘I just wanna enjoy my son. It wouldn’t be fair on you or anybody for me to try and commit to something. I don’t think my heart is big enough for two at the moment.’
‘I told you, I don’t mind coming second. We could have something good, Abi, you me and Jake. I can look after you.’
Abi inwardly flinched. It was déjà vu. That’s exactly what Robyn said to me. No, she wouldn’t be travelling down that road again. She would look after herself. She didn’t need to lean on anybody anymore—not even Tia.
‘I appreciate that, Jen, but really I’m not ready.’
‘When then?’
‘I really don’t know. Maybe never if how I’m feeling is anything to go by.’
‘You’re gonna go back to your ex aren’t you?’ Jennifer asked in an accusatory tone.
‘What? No of course not…’ Abi was saved by the bell ringing. ‘I’d better get that, it might be my sister,’ Abi said. She hoped it was. That way Jennifer would get the hint and leave. Abi didn’t like where their conversation was going. With Jake planted firmly on her hip she hurried from the living room to the front door. The smile on her face faded when she saw who it was.
‘You! What the hell do you want?’
Tiffany took a step back. ‘Please calm down—’
‘How the hell have you got the gall—’
‘—Please hear me out. I don’t have much time. I’ve gotta plane to catch. I just came by to give you this,’ she said taking an envelope out of her pocket.
Abi looked at it suspiciously. ‘What’s this? Another trick? Are there drugs in there?’
‘No, it’s my way of saying sorry. Robyn told me so many lies about you. I thought you were a right cow, but I know the truth now.’ She took off her sunglasses to reveal a black eye.
Abi’s hand flew to her mouth. ‘Oh my God, Robyn did that to you?’
Tiffany nodded. Her eyes glistened with tears. Despite her feelings of anger, Abi felt a pang of sympathy for the woman. She was so young. So naïve. How could Robyn have done such a thing?
‘Anyway, I really am sorry about what I did to you.’ Tiffany looked at Jake with sorrow in her eyes. ‘I hope you both have a good life,’ she said stuffing the envelope into Abi’s hand.
‘Wait until after the divorce to cash it, in case someone goes snoopin’ in your bank account.’
Before Abi could ask her what she was talking about, Tiffany turned and ran for the stairs. Abi adjusted Jake on her hip and ripped the envelope open. Her jaw dropped. ‘What the ….’ She squeezed her eyes shut, waited a few seconds, then opened them again. No, I’m not dreaming. In her hand was a cheque for £500,000.
‘Hey, Abi, you’re phones ringing.’
In a daze, Abi turned and Jennifer walked towards her, holding Abi’s phone.
As Jennifer neared she said, ‘Look, I’m gonna make a move. Let me know if you change your mind. See you at work.’
Abi was still at a loss for words. She nodded mutely as Jennifer brushed past her. The ringing of her phone brought her back down to earth with a thud. £500,000. How can this be happening? ‘Hello?’ she said answering the phone.
It was Harper.
‘Are you okay, Abi?’ There was concern in her voice.
‘More than okay.’
‘Well I’ve got good news. My guy managed to retrieve all of the emails Robyn sent you—’
‘—It’s okay, Harper. I don’t think we are going to need them anymore. I just want this over and done with.’
‘Are you sure?’ Harper sounded doubtful. ‘We can—’
‘—Believe me, Harper, once I tell you what just happene
d, you’ll know I couldn’t be surer.’ Abi breathed in a sigh of relief, knowing she would never have to ask Robyn for anything again, for herself or Jake. Abi was finally free and she vowed never to put herself in such a vulnerable position again, for anyone.
Chapter Fifty
Dylan jerked up into a sitting position. The water from the bath seeped over the edge onto the tiled floor. ‘You have got to be kidding me.’
Harper smiled and blew a handful of bubbles in the air. ‘Nope. Five hundred grand to the penny. The best thing is. It’s legal. The money lawfully belongs to Robyn’s girlfriend, sorry ex-girlfriend, and she can do whatever she wants with it.’
It almost seemed surreal that things would have turned out the way they had. At the beginning of the case she would never have thought there could be a happy ending. But there was. Harper had found love with a woman she could not have imagined only months earlier. So much had changed in her life in such a short amount of time. Her mother, Dylan, even the actions of Tiffany had proved to her that there was goodness in people if you just gave them a chance. Maybe somewhere along the line there was even hope for Robyn.
‘I take it you’re not going to declare Abi’s sudden wealth?’ Dylan asked cocking her head to the side.
‘As far as I’m concerned it’s hearsay. You know Abi’s word isn’t to be trusted. Robyn wrote that on paper in black and white. So I can’t help but assume Abi’s lying about her big windfall as well.’
Dylan pulled Harper up by her arms to meet her half way. Soap suds slowly slid down their bodies.
‘And you call me sneaky?’ Dylan said.
‘I think I called you a lot more than that.’
Dylan laughed. ‘Yeah, that’s true.’ She gave a small shake of her head. ‘Robyn must be spitting feathers right about now.’
‘Serves her right, that’ll teach her to think she’s above the law.’ Harper dabbed her finger on Dylan’s nose leaving behind a small mound of fluffy white bubbles. ‘At least now the case will be straightforward. She’s agreed to the terms of the mediation. So hopefully no more threats about custody. Boy am I glad. This case is enough to put me off marriage for life.’