by Mel Sherratt
Keera reached for his hand. ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘There’s no need to apologise. It wasn’t your fault.’
‘But what he said about me sleeping with you -’
‘We know it isn’t true. Although, I suppose to the outside world we seem like an odd couple.’
‘But we’re not doing anything wrong.’
‘We know that, but other people will see what they want to see.’
Keera sighed. Deep down, she knew what he was trying to say, and she knew that he was right. Their relationship was odd but she loved spending time with him. She wondered – was he becoming too attached to her? Was he trying to let her down gently?
So many things rushed through her mind. Did she want to risk losing his friendship? And was she latching on to him because she missed her dad? A tear trickled down her cheek and she flicked it away furiously.
‘I bet you wished you’d never met me now,’ she said quietly.
Derek frowned. ‘Of course I don’t. I think you’re lovely and I enjoy spending time with you. But—’
Behind them, the curtain opened and a man wearing a blue hospital uniform and white clogs came towards them. ‘Mr Paige,’ he shook Derek’s hand. ‘I’m Doctor Latimer. May I call you Derek?’
Derek nodded.
The doctor turned to Keera. ‘And, you’re his daughter?’
Keera and Derek glanced at each other. Doctor Latimer looked perplexed as they erupted into fits of giggles.
Donna went from anger to tears that night as she waited for Keera to come home. She hadn’t wanted to ring her again, for fear of alerting her to anything that would worry her, so instead she’d decided to wait up and confront her when she returned.
But that meant she had too much time to think about Owen. Once again, he had scared the life out of her. Despite Donna’s pathetic attempt at a bit of bravado, she couldn’t stand up to him, and he knew it. So unless she did something to stop him, he would always be in the back of her mind. Was she really prepared to live her life like that?
It was just after three a.m. when Keera finally came home. Donna was sitting on the settee, the mug of tea cupped in her hands having long since gone cold.
‘Mum!’ Keera jumped as she spotted her in the dim glow of the lamp. ‘Is everything okay?’
‘When were you going to tell me?’ she said bluntly.
Keera froze. ‘Tell you what?’
‘Don’t come the innocent with me.’ Donna glared at her daughter. ‘I know you’re working at The Candy Club.’
‘Oh.’ Keera looked at the floor. ‘How did you find out?’
‘Is that all you can say?’ Donna put down the mug and stood up.
‘It was the only thing I could get when I got back from Ibiza.’ Keera shrugged off her jacket and hid a yawn. ‘And at least I’m working. Sam can’t be bothered to get a job.’
‘You think I’d be happy to find out what you were doing?’
‘It’s only a massage parlour.’
‘I’m not that green,’ Donna pouted. ‘I know what goes on in those kinds of places.’
‘I–’
‘Is it just hand and blowjobs? Because if it is, then I can cope with that.’
‘Mum!’
Keera couldn’t believe it. All those times she’d tried hard not to offer extras, when she knew she could have earned some good money, and her mum didn’t believe her anyway.
‘Well, is it?’
‘I see you’ve changed the subject.’ Keera folded her arms.
‘What do you mean?’ Donna’s brow furrowed.
‘Sam! He can’t do any wrong in your eyes, can he? He doesn’t go to work and scrounges off the social, yet me,’ she prodded herself in the chest, ‘I pay my way but get it in the neck for holding down a job!’
‘That’s not a job!’
‘I get a decent wage for it.’
‘If you hadn’t been working at The Candy Club you wouldn’t have met that bloke you’ve been seen with.’ Seeing Keera blush, she continued. ‘Who is he?’
‘It’s nothing to do with you.’ Keera flounced off into the kitchen.
‘Don’t give me lip!’ Donna raced after her. ‘Is he a punter?’
‘Mum!’
‘Like I said, I know what goes on in those type of places.’
‘And you think I would stoop that low?’
‘Some women do.’ Donna folded her arms.
‘Well, I don’t and those type of places live on their reputations. The Candy Club is a massage parlour.’
‘You expect me to fall for that?’
‘You don’t have to believe me.’ Keera looked up through eyes filled with tears. ‘But it hurts that you don’t respect me enough to think that I would never do that. And it’s only temporary, so that I can get some money together. I’ll be moving out then, don’t you worry.’
‘But you’ve not long been back from Ibiza!’ Donna cried, all at once realising the implications of her accusations.
‘I didn’t want to come back. I still want to get away from this estate but,’ Keera paused for a moment, ‘now I want to get away from you, too.’
Donna was lost for words.
‘You don’t care about me. All you want me to do is fetch and carry things for Nan. I work doing whatever job I can find, Sam can’t be bothered to get off his arse but it’s always me who ends up going to Poplar Court. I feel like I’m your skivvy.’
‘That’s not how it is at all!’
‘That’s what it feels like to me.’
Donna had tears in her eyes now. ‘Keera, I don’t want you to leave – unless you want to go.’
Keera wouldn’t look at her.
‘You’re my daughter and I much prefer having you around rather than you not being here at all.’
There was a silence as they both digested what had been said.
Donna made the first move for peace. She sat down at the table and beckoned for Keera to do the same. Then she reached across the top for her hands, covering them with her own.
‘Maybe I haven’t given you the attention you need because I’m too busy looking after Sam and your nan, but it’s only because I don’t feel I have to worry about you as much.’ She held up her hand as Keera began to speak. ‘Of course I worry about you every time you go out of the door, pray that you come home safely every time. But I don’t worry about what you’re up to and whether you’re going to bring trouble home – because you’re a good girl. And I love you for that.’
‘Even though I work in The Candy Club?’ Keera gave a faint smile.
‘Yes, even though you work in The Candy Club.’
‘You won’t mind me still working there?’
‘I don’t like it but like you said before, at least you are working - which is more than I can say for that layabout brother of yours, even without the dodgy hand.’
‘Sam will be okay, won’t he?’ Keera asked. ‘I mean, his hand, once he’s got used to it, it will get better in time?’
Donna nodded. ‘Although it will always be scarred. He seems to have found someone to help him get over it, though.’
‘You mean Megan? I know her from school.’
‘I think she’ll be good for him. I might even stop worrying about him, too.’
‘Oh come on, Mum,’ Keera teased. ‘You know that will never happen.’
They shared a smile this time.
‘So, this bloke?’ Donna probed.
But Keera brushed away her comment. ‘He’s only a friend.’
‘Did you want him to be more than that?’
‘I don’t think so.’ Keera shrugged. ‘How about you? Didn’t yours work out either?’
Donna shook her head. Now wasn’t the time to tell her about Owen, but she knew it would have to be soon.
‘No, love, it didn’t,’ she replied.
Getting into bed at last, Donna reflected on the day. So much had happened during the past few weeks that she had neglected some of the things that were i
mportant to her.
Who could really blame her for getting involved with Owen, wanting something to look forward to for once?
In a way, it was only now that she could see just how much of a perfect target she had been. Family were everything to her. She was proud of Keera and her willingness to work, stand on her own two feet.
So there was no way that she could leave things open and constantly be on her guard, worrying that Owen could attack her at any minute.
It was time to be brave.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Donna rang Sarah and asked her to call round to her house before she started her shift. It wasn’t often that either one of them wasn’t working at Shop&Save but Donna had checked the rota to see that they were both not due in until midday.
Over the past few days, she’d thought long and hard about what she was going to do next. One minute, she was going to forget all about Owen and hope that he never showed his face round here again. The next minute she was damning him to hell and was going to report him to the police.
Realising she wasn’t strong enough to do the right thing, she’d called Sarah for moral support.
‘What’s wrong?’ Sarah asked Donna the minute she saw her face. ‘You seemed really anxious on the phone and I was—’
Sarah had stopped because Donna hadn’t been able to hold in her tears.
‘Something happened,’ Donna spoke quietly.
‘This is about Owen, isn’t it?’
Donna began to cry again. Sarah manoeuvred them both to sitting on the settee and gave her friend a hug. She held onto her until the tears had subsided.
‘How did you know?’ Donna asked.
‘You stopped talking about him.’ Sarah wiped the hair from Donna’s forehead. ‘I didn’t want to pry but it was obvious to me that he’d done something to upset you, especially when you left the flowers at work, too. Do you want to tell me about it?’
Donna nodded. Slowly, she told Sarah what had happened, what Owen had done. Then she took out her phone and showed her the photographs of her injuries.
Sarah’s hand covered her mouth, her eyes brimming with tears. ‘That evil bastard!’ She shook her head in disbelief. ’You have to report him.’
‘I can’t face it.’
‘But he raped you! He lured you away and held you against your will. He mustn’t be allowed to do it again.’
‘I know.’
‘You have to go to the police.’
‘And tell them what?’ Donna’s voice was brittle. ‘How naive I was for believing all that rubbish he spun me? How stupid I was to think a woman of my age could pull a man like him? How I hopped into bed with him because I was besotted? Oh, they’re clearly going to think he raped me then.’
‘He did rape you!’
‘It will be my word against his.’
‘It won’t.’
‘Won’t it? You know how it looks. Older woman falls for younger man who she is flattered by because he made her feel so fucking special.’
‘The man is clearly a psychopath!’
‘And I am clearly the most gullible woman in the whole universe for being taken in by him!’
‘Of course you’re not.’ Sarah shook her head. ‘Men like Owen know how to work their charm on women; get under their skin, use your vulnerability to their advantage. He’s a predator, and we need to warn others off.’ She looked at Donna again.
‘I can’t.’
‘But what happens if he goes through with his threats? If he attacked Keera, you’d never forgive yourself.’
Donna baulked. ‘That’s a low trick to play,’ she said quietly.
‘I’m sorry but it has to be said.’
‘He wouldn’t go after her. She’s too young – to manipulate and for his tastes.’
‘He seems a sadistic bastard so he might not be bothered who he hurts, especially if he wants to get back at you.’
Donna shook her head again. But then she saw tears in Sarah’s eyes.
‘I’m so sorry, Donna.’ Sarah was crying too. ‘I was the one who told you to go! I kept on at you to do something for yourself and—’
‘This isn’t your fault,’ Donna soothed.
‘But if—’
‘This isn’t your fault,’ Donna repeated. ‘I’m not having anyone blame themselves, only me. I was the stupid one. And I need to find the courage to report him. That’s why I asked you to call round. I knew I wouldn’t be able to go through with it unless you were here. And even now, I’ve had to talk myself into it.’
Sarah gave her another hug. ‘Where does he live?’
‘Percival Street. Number thirty-eight. I’ve never been there, though.’ Donna dipped her eyes in shame again. ‘That should have been a warning sign. Stupid fool.’
Sarah reached for Donna’s phone again.
‘What if they don’t believe me?’
‘Well, then they’ll have me to deal with, won’t they?’
Donna couldn’t help but smile a little. ‘Will you stay with me?’ she asked.
‘For as long as you want me to.’
Donna looked across the room. Outside, the weather was still as glorious as it had been when she’d first met Owen a few weeks ago. It had been the hottest summer on record.
It had been her worst summer ever.
Sarah touched her gently on the arm. ‘Let me call the police.’
Donna turned to Sarah and nodded.
One month later
Since the attack on Derek, Keera had been doing a lot of thinking about their relationship. Derek was a lovely man, kind, and considerate. He would make someone a great partner; would it be so wrong if they did get together?
But she’d been considering, too, what other people would think about them. Would they see an older man after a younger woman because he was lonely? Or would they see two people whose friendship had turned into a little more than they’d bargained for?
One thing was certain, she was too young to think of settling down, especially with someone twenty-nine years her senior. And, more than that – she couldn’t put her finger on what exactly – something between her and Derek had changed after the attack.
Had he become too close to her? She wasn’t too concerned about the age gap between them, but that was because she didn’t have romantic feelings for him … or maybe it was because she did.
She sighed. When had they started to get too close?
Even though she was getting along with her mum much better, she didn’t want to stay at home forever, so the phone call she’d received last night had been a welcome relief. She decided to go and see Derek.
It was the first time she’d visited his house in daylight. He showed her through to the back garden and she sat down on a bench in front of the kitchen window while he brought them both a drink.
The weather was cooling now as summer turned into autumn, and Keera was so glad that she wasn’t about to start another shift at The Candy Club. Ramona had been upset when she’d handed in her notice, apologising profusely for her brother’s behaviour. Keera had put her mind at ease, it hadn’t been Ramona’s fault, and she had got her own back in a way. She hoped Steve would keep away from her now.
She’d left with Ramona saying there would always be a place for her if she wanted to return. Keera knew she’d never go back there, no matter how desperate she became.
Derek gave her a glass of wine as he joined her.
‘So, how are you feeling now?’ she asked, as he sat down next to her.
‘I’m fine. Stop fretting,’ he joked stretching his legs out in front.
Keera looked at the gash on the side of his face. The stitches had been removed but the scar itself was still healing over. Tears welled in her eyes as she thought of the pain he must have gone through, all because of that lunatic Steve Wilson. Derek had refused to press charges, saying that he’d rather not be responsible for any trouble Ramona might get into. Ramona had been extremely grateful, but Keera had wanted justice. She’d finall
y given up pressurising him after Derek had persuaded her it was for the best.
Keera looked away before he could see how upset she was. But he must have noticed, because he leaned across and tilted up her chin.
‘Hey, don’t cry,’ Derek told her, wiping away the tears that had fallen. ‘I keep telling you that what happened wasn’t your fault.’
She shook her head. ‘If you hadn’t met me, then Steve wouldn’t have attacked you and …’
‘Nothing to be done about it now. We can’t turn time back.’ Derek looked her straight in the eye. ‘I’ve been thinking … I’m going to take a holiday. Get away for a while.’
‘Oh?’ Keera frowned. ‘Where would you go?’
‘To Australia to see the kids. I thought I might visit for a few weeks.’
There was a pause.
‘You know you can’t come with me,’ he continued.
Keera looked at him. ‘Of course I know that.’
‘So we can stay friends for when I come back?’
‘I don’t think so.’ She shook her head again.
‘Oh!’ Derek drew his head back and frowned.
‘I’m moving to Manchester to be with Marley,’ she smiled. ‘Marley’s mum says that she’s sick of her moping around wishing that I was there. She says there’s room for both of us if I want to go and stay.’
‘That’s great, Kee.’ Derek smiled. ‘Really, I mean it. You should get off this estate.’
‘But who will give you a massage when you get back from Australia?’
‘Oh, I’ll just not bother going anymore.’ Derek shrugged. ‘My back hasn’t been hurting me for a while now, anyway.’
‘Why, you crafty bugger.’ Keera thumped him playfully on the arm.
‘You had no idea?’
She shook her head.
‘Call yourself a masseuse?’ Derek grinned.
Keera leaned forward and gave him an impromptu hug.
‘I’ll miss you, Mr P,’ she said. ‘You’ve been more of an influence than you’ll ever know.’
Derek kissed her forehead. ‘I’ll miss you too.’ He smiled. ‘Be sure to keep in touch with the odd text message every now and then.’