We had to leave it to all the professionals; apparently getting evidence admitted at such a late stage of the trial would be difficult but Emelia assured us she had some tricks up her sleeve. Poor Stix and Chris had received their own grilling to establish how exactly they had found the envelope. By the time we got back to the apartment, none of us were in any fit state to do anything but fall asleep. I was glad that Stix was already fast asleep in bed when Taylor called his mother last night to explain where she was, not that she seemed that bothered by the fact that her daughter had been gone most of the day. It still grates on me that Gillian favours Richard over her two other fantastic children, but nothing it would seem could tar her baby’s reputation as far as she is concerned. Gah!
But today is a new day and hopefully Emelia can turn the case around, particularly as Richard is the first witness for the Defence. Taylor was determined that only he should be there today so Stix and I are staying clear. When I called Michelle this morning to tell her what was happening, she insisted that she would come up and have a girl’s night when she finished work. But that leaves the rest of the day and Stix and I are going mad being cooped up, especially as Chris had to head home first thing this morning so that he could make it to his holiday job on time.
“I’m bored,” Stix moans as she flicks listlessly through a magazine.
“I know what you mean, hun,” I respond. “I wish I hadn’t told Taylor that we would stay in otherwise we could have done something. But I promised your completely over-protective brother that would stay home so that’s what we are going to do. Michelle said she would come later and do girly stuff so that will be fun.”
“Alriiiighhht,” Stix whines and I am reminded that she still is a teenager and this is probably the last thing she wants to be doing while she is on her school holidays. I throw a cushion at her and wonder how on earth to try and entertain her when she suddenly looks at me and says, “Abs, do you think you could teach me to make a cake?”
Stix suddenly looks embarrassed. “Of course,” I respond. “Do they not teach you that kind of thing at that fancy private school you go to?” I ask with a giggle before heaving myself off the couch and wandering through to the kitchen area.
“Nope,” Stix says with a grin. “I can tell you all about the economy of Guatemala but wouldn’t have a clue when it comes to an oven.”
“Oh man,” I joke. “What’s with your generation, huh?”
We spend the rest of the day baking and by the end Stix has managed to produce a couple of batches of edible cookies and a basic chocolate cake. It didn’t help that the first cake got burnt when I got side-tracked grilling her about Chris and we ended up having to bin a whole batch of cookie batter when sugar was confused with salt. But it all worked out in the end and I am tickled pink when I see how proud Stix is of her creations.
We are just in the process of clearing up when I hear the ping of the lift letting me know that someone is on their way up. For a moment Stix and I freeze, exchanging worried glances. What kind of mood would Taylor return in tonight? We have heard nothing all day and all I can hope for is that no news equals good news.
“Wassup bitches!” Michelle calls out, her posh English accent completely at odds with her words making us crease up with laughter.
“I thought this young one needed a proper movie education so I bring pizza, Pretty Woman, The Bodyguard and When Harry Met Sally.” I let out a laugh as I move forward to help Michelle with her bags. “We are going to pig out, watch movies and paint each other’s toenails…isn’t that what normal people do at sleepovers?” Michelle asks with a pout.
“I don’t know,” I say honestly. “I never had a sleepover when I was younger unless you count Nonna.”
“Oh well, me neither. Well, unless you count Minty sleeping in the bunk above me at pony camp?” Michelle counters.
Stix is staring at us both wide-eyed, not sure whether to take us seriously or not, but in the end she lets out a chuckle and grabs the pizzas and pops them next to the oven ready for cooking a bit later.
“Ooh, you made goodies,” Michelle sighs eyeing up the cookies cooling on the rack.
“Not me,” I say. “Stix made them. We had fun baking today and Stix did a fab job.”
“Even if half of it ended up burnt or in the bin,” Stix retorts. “But seriously Abs, you are a great teacher. I had so much fun today.”
“Me too,” I responded slinging my arm around her waist and giving it a squeeze.
“So,” says Michelle turning to face Stix. “Do you prefer Stix or Nicola? Because we have never been properly introduced before.”
“Um,” says Stix suddenly shy. “My family, well Taylor and Abby tend to call me Stix while my friends call me Nic or Nicola. So anything really.”
Michelle takes a moment to look Stix up and down, “Well I like Stix, it’s unique, just like you hun. So I think I am going to stick with that if that’s okay with you?” Stix nods her head before excusing herself to the bathroom.
“She is a complete sweetie, Abs. I can see why you love her so much.” Michelle says with a smile.
“I know,” I respond. “It kills me to think of her still living with her folks and being exposed to Richard but until she is eighteen, there is nothing we can do about her living arrangements. Taylor would have her here like a shot if he could.”
“And you?” Michelle asks.
“Absolutely. She is my sister. I would do anything for that girl!” I respond fiercely.
“Let’s get the pizzas on,” Michelle suggests as her stomach lets out a growl of protest. “What time is Taylor getting back?”
“I don’t know. He said he might be late when he left this morning so I am not holding my breath that he will be back in time for painting nails,” I say with a smirk. Truthfully, I wish he would text or something, just to let me know if he is okay but I am not going to push him, especially if he spent the day watching his brother spin lies in court. So I put on my happy face on and turn to Michelle, “Sod the pizza…I want cake!”
The Twenty-First
Best friends are best friends for a reason. They tend to know you better than you know yourself, embrace your flaws and celebrate your triumphs and they know just how to pick you up when you need it. We may not have known each other since birth yet since she friended me on my first day at Hudson International Michelle and I have come to know each other inside out.
Our night of frivolity was just what I needed and by the time we all fell asleep on the giant sofa we were all exhausted but happy. A night on the couch though was not exactly kind on my back and when I awoke at four a.m. I padded softly through to the bedroom expecting to see Taylor tucked up in bed. Instead, I found him passed out on the chaise fully clothed, one shoe on and one shoe off, reeking of whiskey. I can only guess at the hangover he is going to have when he finally wakes up.
Michelle left early, heading off on a mini-break with her gorgeous boyfriend, Marc, to the Cotswolds. As she gushed over him last night, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy at their relationship. It is so simple; two people who have fallen in love and are moving forward with their lives. No crazy parents, no psychotic brothers, no suicide attempts, no attempted murders. I mean you couldn’t write this stuff; people would think you were living in la la land if you made my life into a movie. I know Taylor loves me and I love what we have achieved together, but why does it have to be so complicated?
I glance across to where Stix is still fast asleep on the couch. I am trying not to make too much noise but it is gone ten and I am desperate for a caffeine fix so I flick on the kettle, forgoing my lovely posh coffee machine and instead going with instant. Minutes later, I see Stix stretching out on the sofa and yawning loudly so head to the fridge and pull out the ground coffee. When I take the lid off though I see it is empty, so I grab out a bag of beans and pull out my grinder.
“It’s going to get loud in here,” I call over to Stix, flicking the switch when she gives me the thumbs up.
“What the hell is up with all the noise?” Taylor grumbles as he ambles through, hands over his ears dressed only in a pair of loose-fitting sweatpants.
“Maybe if you hadn’t drunk so much whiskey last night and passed out on the couch then the noise wouldn’t bother you so much,” I say snarkily, pressing the switch so the machine begins its noise again. I bang around as I prep the machine, just for a little fun, letting out a small laugh when Taylor lets out a loud groan.
“Why did you drink so much last night anyway?” I ask softly as I slide a glass of juice and a couple of painkillers across to him knowing that he must be hurting.
“A day listening to my brother’s lies would be enough to drive anyone to drink,” Taylor says with a sigh, swallowing down the tablets and then laying his head down on the cold marble counter-top.
“What’s up big brother?” Stix asks. “Not feeling well?”
“Your big brother drank a bit too much last night so let this be a lesson to you, young lady,” I say mock-sternly, pointing my finger at Stix.
She lets out a loud giggle and Taylor groans again, “Shh, I am in pain here!”
I set about making coffees for everyone and preparing some batter for pancakes. I sizzle some butter in the pan before ladling in some of the batter watching as it bubbles up before flipping it over rather dramatically, much to Stix’s amusement. “Come on, get some carbs into you,” I instruct. “It will make you feel better.”
I try asking Taylor several times about what happened in court, but he insists that he doesn’t want to talk about it with Stix around. When I ask if she is staying with us permanently he hangs his head and glances around to make sure Stix is still out of earshot. When he sees her laying on the couch with her headphones in he begins to talk. “I don’t think it is safe for her to go home. I saw the look in Richard’s eyes when Emelia skirted around the letters. He knows we have them and there is only one person who could have given them to us. I spent hours yesterday trying to convince my parents that Richard is a danger, but they are so blind to it all and insisted that he would never harm his sister. In the end, I told my mother Stix would not be coming home until I am sure that Richard is no longer a threat to her.”
I see the anguish in Taylor’s eyes. His family is being torn apart and there is nothing we can do about it. I place my hand on his cheek and look deep into Taylor’s eyes. “We will get through this,” I reassure him. “And Stix is welcome to stay as long as she needs. We’ll just need to get her some things. The poor girl doesn’t even have her own clothes,” I say pointing at Stix who is currently dressed in a pair of my leggings which are way too short for her and one of Taylor’s shirts. Despite it all she has still managed to make the outfit look rather chic, belting in the shirt with one of my brightly-coloured silk scarves.
“Yeah, I hadn’t really thought of that,” Taylor smiles.
“That’s because you are a boy,” I respond with a chuckle. “So how should we handle this? Because I really do need to get back down to Brighton to make sure everything is okay.”
“Let’s stay here tonight, maybe go out and have some fun. I want to keep everything as normal for Stix as possible if we can. Tomorrow we can go back home. I’ll go across to my parents’ house and pick up her things. If my parents want to see her they will have to come to us which I know is the last thing either of us wants but they are still her parents no matter how shitty they are.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I respond wondering what it is going to be like living with a teenager. I don’t have any siblings and my childhood was not exactly the most normal one so I have no idea. Am I expecting damp towels on the floor, ear-splitting music played into the wee hours, or moody grunts when she doesn’t get her own way? I find myself grinning ruefully at the thoughts running through my head.
I watch Taylor walk across to his sister and snatch the headphones out of her ears playfully. She punches him lightly on the arm as they squabble but then her expression turns serious as he explains the plan. I can’t catch their words from where I am standing, but I can see all the emotions playing out on her face; the apprehension, the confusion and then finally the relief.
“Are you sure Abs?” Stix calls across to me. “I mean, I don’t want to cramp your style or anything,” she continues nervously.
I quickly walk across to the sofa. “Of course, sweetie. You are family. You are my sister too and you are welcome to stay as long as you need. Plus, if you stay long enough I might even rope you into some babysitting duties. Okay?”
“Okay,” Stix responds quietly with a look of relief on her face.
“Right,” I say. “I think we need to get out of here. I am getting cabin fever. Who’s up for a walk to Leicester Square to catch a matinee and a giant bag of popcorn?”
“Just as long as I don’t have to watch some crazy chick flick,” Taylor responds playfully.
“I don’t know, Tay. It’s two against one now,” Stix adds. “I would say majority rules,” she says laughing.
“Uh huh,” I add nodding and giving Stix a wink.
The Twenty-Second
“Do you have everything you need, Stix?” I ask poking my head around the door frame to our spare room.
“Yeah, I think I am all good, Abs. Thanks again for this,” Stix replies soberly, her expression saying it all.
I walk into the room and sit down on the double bed looking around. “This looks really lovely,” I say as I survey the transformation of our guest bedroom. The plain grey walls now have a vast array of pictures hung up. A string of fairy lights has been wound around the headboard and every surface is littered with books, make-up and electronic gadgets.
“Sorry for the mess, Abs. I am not quite finished getting this lot packed away.” Stix looks at me with apprehension, as if I am about to tell her off.
“Don’t stress about it Stix. This is your room for as long as you need it. You don’t need to walk on eggshells, please. Make yourself at home. Tell me if there is anything you need or let me know when I order the groceries in.” Stix nods at me and suddenly looks every bit the shy sixteen-year-old she is.
“But there are some house rules, okay? No boys in your bedroom. If you make a mess, clean it up. If you go out, you need to let me or Taylor know where you are. You will have one of Henry’s guys watching over you at all times, even at school. I know you have your exams coming up so you need to be home in the evenings to study…” As I trail off as I suddenly realise that I sound like I am lecturing her. “Sorry, Stix,” I say. “I know I am not your mother.”
“Seriously, Abs, most of the time my own mother doesn’t care enough to want to know where I am or what I am up to, so it is kind of nice that someone actually does.” My heart breaks when I see the look of despair on Stix’s face so I stand up and wrap my arms around her.
“I love you, Stix. You are my baby sister now so while I may not be your mother, I will still come down hard on your arse if needs be, just like any big sister would.”
“I love you too, Abs,” Stix whispers back as she buries her head in my shoulder, something that is no mean feat given how short I am compared to her.
“Right, I’ll leave you to it then,” I say stepping back. “Dinner will be ready in an hour.” I give her one last smile and step out of the room.
.........................
“So are you going to tell me what the hell happened in that courtroom on Friday?” I ask. “Every time I mention it you change the subject.” Taylor and I are curled up in bed and I know I finally have him in a position where he can’t avoid me anymore.
Taylor lets out a sigh and closes his eyes for a moment. “To be honest, Abs, I am not actually sure. The Defence did a good job with Richard, making out that we are the crazy ones in all of this and when Emelia got up to cross-examine him she briefly alluded to the letters but nothing outright.”
I let out a squeak, “But surely the whole point of those letters was to show that Richard was in this with Hanna
h from the start?”
“Emelia made some point about lying under oath but never directly challenged Richard on it. I have been trying to get hold of her all weekend to find out what is going on, but all I got was a text message telling me that she has a plan and to sit tight. To be honest I am not feeling particularly reassured by any of this,” Taylor murmurs looking me in the eyes.
“Do you think she is going to get off? After all of this, do think she will actually get away with it?” I whisper, the unthinkable suddenly becoming a very real possibility.
“I don’t know, Abs. Part of me says trust the system, that Emelia knows what she is doing, but another part of me is scared.” I look into Taylor’s eyes and for the first time ever see real fear in their depths. “My life without you and Bean in it is unimaginable but if Hannah walks free, I just don’t know how else to protect you, apart from letting you go.”
“Don’t you dare!” I shout at him and then realise I need to keep my voice down so as not to wake Stix. “You are not tearing us apart. I have told you before that we are a team.” I whisper fiercely. “We are in this together. When I took my vows on our wedding day, I swore for better or worse and I have no intention of going back on my word. And don’t you dare either!”
I am breathing heavily from my outburst and I can feel the tears pricking behind my eyes. The idea that Taylor would walk away from us is actually causing me physical pain. “Calm down, Abs. Please,” Taylor pleads as he sees how worked up I am getting. A fierce kick in my belly suddenly has me crying out.
Book Three: Thirty Days, Book 3 Page 12