by Woods, Karen
Grace stormed back into the front room and the letter on the sofa seemed to be drawing her towards it. As if she had no control over her body she sat down and picked it up again. Eyes dripping with tears, she read over the letter, again and again.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Grace sat in the meeting room chatting to Fred. Marcy had just left the room to make a phone call. Fred was such a lovely man and everything about him was sweet. She loved his company and he always made her feel better about herself, and God knows she needed that now, she was at her all time low. Despite Fred’s own heartache, he always still found the time to listen to everyone else’s problems, always putting his own to the back of his mind. He was a friend forever. “So Grace, how’s life been treating you since we last met?” Fred was eager to hear about any developments and dug deeper, he loved a bit of gossip, he was a right fish wife.
“It’s not been good Fred, to tell you the truth. Just when I think I’m coming out of the other side, a spanner is flung into the works and I’m on my arse again. It’s been a total nightmare if I’m being honest with you.”
Fred was sat forward in his seat and you could see in his eyes that he wanted to hear more, he stroked her hand gently. Before he could get another word out of her, Marcy walked back into the room and the conversation stopped. “We’re just waiting for someone else to join us and then we can begin. She’s just around the corner so we shouldn’t be long.”
Fred couldn’t hold his excitement. “Is it somebody new, Marcy?” She sat down and refrained from any eye contact with him, she never replied. The door opened slowly and in walked Amanda. Grace was surprised and greeted her with open arms. “Welcome back darling,” she said. Fred joined them and a group hug was formed. Amanda looked like she’d made the effort to get ready today. She was wearing some loose jeans and a pink t-shirt. Her hair was tied back in a neat ponytail. Sitting down her cheeks were blushing and she looked flustered. Today Amanda was pleasant; her usual cocky attitude was gone, it was strange seeing her like this. Marcy smiled at her and gave her a cheeky wink, and that was enough to let her know she was welcomed back in the room.
The class began and Grace was eager to put her cards on the table, she had to get it out before she exploded. After five minutes of constant talking Grace gasped for breath. She spoke in a low tone as she revealed to the group her next piece of information. “This is the letter that Martin sent to me, it’s a load of bullshit if you ask me. I think he’s just trying to ease his own conscience,” she passed the pieces of paper over to Marcy to read. Fred held his hand to her after she’d finished reading it to get the gist of it too. Once he’d read it he passed it onto Amanda.
Marcy sat with her legs crossed and began to speak. “He does seem to be sorry, Grace.”
Fred chirped in and he was clearly upset. “Grab happiness with both hand’s Grace. Don’t let it pass you by just because of your pride. I think you should give him another go. Me and Amanda would give our right arms to be back with our partners again, wouldn’t we honey?”
Amanda was hormonal and her lips were quivering, she was actually going to cry, her eyes were watering. She never answered him and kept her head low. Grace played with the silver bracelet on her wrist and inhaled deeply. “I still love him,” taking a deep breath she continued. “It’s pathetic I know, but I’ve tried to hate him, God knows I’ve tried, but it just won’t happen. One minute I despise him, and the next I find myself thinking about the good times we shared, what’s all that about? Am I right in the head or what?”
“Grace, as Fred said, happiness is something that everyone deserves,” Marcy began, “I think you need to write down all the things you love about Martin and then another list of all the things you hate about him. When it’s done, see which outweighs the other.”
Grace was shocked. “But he broke my heart Marcy. He put everything we had in jeopardy for a dirty little tart.”
Amanda twisted her hair around her fingers. “Just take time out and think about it. Imagine if he was dead and you would never see him again, think about how you would feel then?”
Grace reached forward and swigged a mouthful of water, she licked her lips slowly. “Perhaps you’re right. Perhaps it’s me who’s too bitter and twisted now, that I’ve forgotten how to love again.”
Amanda piped in and raising her eyes to the ceiling. “You and me both sweetheart, fools in love aren’t we?”
“Come on Grace, lighten up,” Fred butted in, “let’s have a happy ending for a change. There’s been so much misery in this room for months, it’s about time one of us walked away from here and found happiness again.” Marcy nodded, she was thinking the exact same thing herself.
Fred opened his bag of chocolate raisins and passed them around the class. He also had news to share. “I’ve met a new friend too. Nothing special guys, so don’t be getting excited, but we are taking things slow. He’s right up my street you know. We like the same things, it’s weird. He’s like a mirror image of me”
Grace clapped her hands together softly. “There you go then, one of us has found happiness, so the pressure is off me.”
Fred roared laughing. “What’s happened to Harry, Marcy? Has he given up on us all or what?”
Marcy stopped him dead in his tracks and tried to change the subject but it was no good Amanda answered him. “He’s back with his partner Fred. They have worked things out, so I believe.”
Fred was jumping for joy and clapping rapidly, “There you go then, another one of us has found happiness.”
Amanda snarled and even though she wanted to hide the hurt inside her heart, it just come flooding out, her hormones were raging. “Happiness for Harry, yes, but what about me and his child I’m carrying?”
Grace covered her mouth with her hand in shock. Fred plonked back in his seat and the room was silent. Now she had their full attention she filled them in on the missing pieces of the jigsaw that was their relationship. “He’s a spineless bastard, he just used me.”
Fred wanted all the gory details; he’d never had an inclination that the two of them were serious lovers. “I thought you two hated each other. When you were together in class you were always bickering. Am I missing something here, because I can’t believe that I didn’t see what was right in front of my nose?”
Amanda opened up and she was genuinely upset. “Yeah, we always had a pop at each other but inside I fancied the arse off him. I swear to you now, the minute I stepped foot into this room and saw him for the first time, he captured my heart.”
Grace agreed with her. “I knew you two had a connection, but I just thought you were good friends though.”
Amanda licked the tears that had fallen onto her lips. “I did too, Grace. He told me he felt the same way too. He had me right over. I bought everything he told me, what a fool I was.”
Marcy was urging her to continue. “Why don’t you say your piece to him and get it off your chest?”
Grace went white as she remembered that Harry was getting married. She was hesitating and didn’t know if she should keep the information to herself. Taking a deep breath she held a flat palm over her heart. This girl needed to know the truth. “He’s getting married Amanda. I saw him in the pub the other night and he was on his stag night. His friends told me that he was getting married.”
Amanda was gasping for air, she was choking. Fred ran for a glass of water and passed it to her. Grace stood up rubbing Amanda’s back talking to her in a calm voice. “Breathe love, just take deep breaths,” Amanda was having a panic attack.
Once she’d calmed down she clenched her pearly white teeth together and banged her fist on the edge of the sofa. “I hope he gets what’s coming to him. His partner won’t change and he knows it deep down inside, he’s just doing it for his kids. More fool him if you ask me.” Her words were strong and the class could see she was just putting a front on, she was heartbroken inside.
Marcy told the class that they only had one more session left together. Grace
was up in arms and sprang to her feet. “I’m not ready yet, I need more time with you Marcy. I’m going through a crisis in my life; just don’t dump me when I need you most.” Marcy had to be firm. Each class was funded for a certain period of time and she had a deadline to meet. After explaining to them all about the situation regarding funding, Grace backed down. She was anxious and kept fidgeting.
Fred spoke up, he was always a good problem solver. “We can all still meet up at my house if you want. At least then, we can still help each other. The only thing that would be missing is Marcy.”
Grace shook her head. “We can’t advise each other, Marcy is the professional, not us. You need qualifications to help us lot get better, you’re talking through your arse.”
Marcy stuck by Fred’s words. “He’s right Grace. You can still help each other. I can only advise you on your problems. I’m here to guide you, that’s all.”
Amanda sat listening to them bickering. After a few minutes she screamed at the top of her voice to get them to be quiet. “If Fred is offering us a meeting place to get things off our chest, then I for one will be attending. Stop being so negative Grace, I thought that was my job?”
Grace was gobsmacked, this girl had balls and if she hadn’t told them she was pregnant she would have pummelled her fist into her face. Grace was in a rage and she grabbed her handbag from her seat. “Maybe you’re right, but I’ll see if I’m up for it nearer the time. I’m going, I have a bus to catch,” she lied. Grace left and slammed the door behind her.
Marcy came to Amanda’s side. “Thanks for that, you know what Grace is like when she’s got a bee in her bonnet. She’ll calm down, she always does.” Everyone said their goodbyes and Marcy’s heart was low as she watched them leave, she really cared about these people and hoped in the future they would all sort their lives out. She wasn’t holding her breath though, life could be so cruel sometimes, and each one of her clients had found that out the hard way.
Amanda was fuming inside. She was mumbling under her breath as she pounded along the pavement. Passers-by were looking at her as if she was potty and one woman crossed the road to avoid her. Amanda hurried along the road and then all of a sudden she stopped dead in her tracks, she changed direction.
Harry was sat in his front room watching the television; he was lay horizontal on the sofa flicking through the channels, he was bored. Jenny was out with the children and he was alone. The crashing sound of a brick being launched through the lounge window startled him. Jumping up from the sofa, the red brick just missed his head. Sprinting to the front door he ran to the garden gate. Nobody was about, not a living soul. Stretching his neck over the fence, he checked the area further. Hands ragging through his hair he headed back inside cursing under his breath. Tiptoeing over the broken glass he bent his knees and started to pick the broken glass up. He knew he should have phoned the police to report the incident but that wasn’t his style, he was no grass, he would deal with this himself. A car pulling up outside could be heard, popping his head through the hole in the window he could see Jenny and the kids arriving back home.
“What the hell has happened?” Jenny yelled.
Harry hunched his shoulders and held his hands out in front of him. “I don’t know I was watching the telly and a brick just come flying through the window. I ran outside straight away, but there was no one about.”
Jenny walked inside the house and paced the front room. “We need to report it. I mean, who would do a thing like that?” Harry picked up the last of the broken glass and put it in the bin. Jenny was behind him still whining. “Some people are not right in their heads. What do they get out of terrorising people in their own homes? I bet it’s your mental sister, it just has her stamp written all over it. She’s an evil cow.”
Harry turned his head quickly and growled. “Don’t be saying it’s our Kerry. For all we know it could be your ex-lover Colin. I bet he’s found out we’re back together and wants to cause some trouble,” he froze and tilted his head to the side. “Why did you two split up anyway, while we’re on the subject?”
Harry was waiting for an answer and he wasn’t backing down. Jenny went bright red and turned away from him. “Bloody hell, why are you bringing Colin into our argument. He’s gone now; he’s history, so just get over it.”
Harry snapped and went nose to nose with her; he was ready for punching her lights out, she was so cocky. “What, just get over it, just like that? Do you know what you put me through? You can’t just shake it off like water from a duck’s back. I’ll ask you again, why did you two split up?”
Jenny was frantic and knew if she didn’t answer him soon, this argument would go on all night. “I told him I still loved you Harry. There you go, I’ve said it. That’s the reason we split up, are you happy now?” she pulled away from him and marched into the kitchen. Something about what she’d just told him didn’t seem right, she was hiding something, he could tell by her manner. Harry went after her, there was no way he was buying her cock and bull story.
Morgan came in from outside and went straight to her mother’s side. “Dad, please don’t be causing trouble. For once can’t we have a quiet night?” Harry shot a look at his daughter and held his tongue. Jenny was staring out of the window and she was relieved Morgan had saved her bacon. Once Harry was gone Morgan whispered into her mother’s ear. “What was all that about? I’m sick of you two arguing all the time. It was better when we lived away from him.”
Jenny was covering up and she never breathed a word of what had gone on, she lied. “Oh it’s both of us love, what, with the wedding only days away, we’re both stressed that’s all. Don’t worry we’ll sort it out soon, we both just need to calm down.” The front door slammed shut and Morgan ran into the hallway. “He’s gone out mam,” she shouted back at her mother. Jenny let out a laboured breath and hung her head low, she didn’t reply, she just plonked down on a chair and lit a cigarette up.
Harry was driving like a mad man. Every corner he turned he nearly spun the car over. He knew exactly where Jenny’s ex-lover was and that’s where he was heading. He wanted to know what his partner was hiding, because she was definitely hiding something. Pulling up in the car park at the back of the pub he marched into the boozer like a man on a mission.
A group of men sat in the corner of the pub playing cards; they were laughing and joking amongst themselves. Harry clocked his surroundings and pushed his chest out in front of him, he looked like a man of steel. The juke-box was playing softly in the background and a few of the punters were singing along to it. Harry froze as he saw the man he was looking for. Going to the bar, he ordered a pint, he wasn’t ready to fight yet, he needed to get his head straight and think about his next move. From the corner of his eye he watched the man like a hawk. Harry slurped at his pint and closed his eyes slowly; the sides of his nostrils were flaring, he was ready to strike.
The men all lifted their heads up as Harry stood at the side of the table. One of them snarled at him and he was getting ready to stand up, he was a big man too and he would have knocked ten tons of shit out of him. Harry poked Jenny’s former lover on the side of his head. “I think me and you need a few words mate. Are you stepping outside or do you want to do this here?”
Colin stood up slowly and looked him straight in the eye; he was cocky and fancied his chances. “Do it wherever you want mate, I’m easy.”
One of his mates stood up and he was trying to get to Harry’s side but Colin pushed him back in his seat. “Stay put Jono, this is for me to sort out not you.” Harry went first and made his way to the exit, he kept watching his back as he walked outside. This guy was massive and he’d never really thought about what lay ahead until now. Once outside they walked to the alleyway at the back of the pub, the other man was taking his coat off. Harry stood tall and coughed to clear his throat; his heart was racing and his adrenalin was pumping through his body. “Why did it end between you and Jenny,” Harry asked in a firm voice.
Colin l
ooked confused and his forehead creased. He thought this man wanted a one-on-one not a counselling session “Why are you asking me that, hasn’t the slut already told you what happened?”
Harry walked nearer to him and he was getting ready to pounce. “I want you to tell me the truth; I don’t believe a word she tells me anymore.” The man chuckled and held his head back, he started to relax and put his coat back on. Harry was no threat to him and he knew he would have twisted him up in seconds. “She was out getting banged off some random guy. I caught her bang to rights, so don’t let her pull the wool over your eyes. She came home with no knickers on, stinking of sex.” Harry’s face dropped, he looked like he was going to be sick. “I never believed her story for one minute, and after questioning her she was uncovered for the dirty tramp she really is.”
Harry shook his head, he was a lot calmer. “I knew there was more to it, I fucking knew it.”
Colin came to his side and held his hand out. “Shit happens mate. She told me she’d split up with you before I started seeing her, so don’t let her fill your head with shit. She said you were only there for the kids and I believed her. All I can say is sorry. But do yourself a favour and cart her before she does it again, because she will you know.” Harry shook the man’s hand and watched him leave. If the truth was known he was glad he didn’t have to fight him, the man looked as hard as nails. Harry raised his eyes to the sky and a cunning look was held in his eyes. He walked back to his car with a smirk on his face. “Oh, so that’s how you want to play it is it, Jenny? Well, let’s see who’s laughing now you shag-bag. Every dog has its day, and my day is coming sooner than you think.”
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
Jenny swirled about in her ivory coloured wedding dress. Her friend Paula was by her side putting some mascara on her eyes. “Are you nervous, you look so calm?” Paula asked.