Run

by Mandasue Heller

  *

  Jake was tired when he arrived home later that evening. He’d had a hectic day, rushing from one side of Manchester to the other; picking things up here and dropping them off there, and dealing with a couple of tenancy issues in between. And he had more of the same lined up for tomorrow, so all he wanted to do was jump into the shower and then eat dinner before hitting the sack.

  Leanne had other ideas.

  Dressed up for the first time in ages, she was wearing the tight-fitting purple dress that Jake loved because he said it brought out the emerald in her eyes, and she’d coiled her long hair up loosely, leaving a couple of tendrils down to frame her face.

  ‘Wow,’ he said, pulling her into his arms when he saw her. ‘You look amazing. What’s the occasion?’

  ‘I thought it was about time I made an effort,’ she said, looping her arms around his neck. ‘Don’t want you losing interest in me now, do I?’

  ‘That’d never happen,’ he promised, kissing her softly.

  ‘Even if I got fat?’ She gazed up at him with a mysterious smile on her lips.

  ‘Even if you were morbidly obese,’ he said, clearly not picking up on the hint. ‘What are you cooking?’ he asked then, letting her go so he could take off his jacket.

  ‘Spinach tagliatelle.’

  ‘Spinach?’ He pulled a face.

  ‘It’s very good for you,’ she said. ‘Full of iron.’ Another hint.

  ‘So’s steak,’ Jake countered. ‘And I could do with a big, juicy rib-eye right now, so how’s about we leave your stuff for another day and I take you out instead?’

  ‘I’d rather stay in,’ Leanne insisted, taking his jacket out of his hand and slinging it over the back of a chair before pushing him towards the sofa. ‘Sit down and put your feet up while I get you a drink.’

  ‘Fine,’ Jake surrendered, flopping down and kicking his shoes off. ‘But make it a large one.’

  ‘I hope that means you’re not going out again tonight?’ Leanne asked.

  ‘Nope.’ He yawned. ‘I need a break.’

  ‘About time!’ she said approvingly as she rushed into the kitchen to pour him a whisky.

  Dropping a handful of ice into the glass, she carried it in to him and placed it on the table. ‘Just going to check on dinner; won’t be a sec.’

  Jake sat forward to reach for the glass, but hesitated when he saw a white stick sitting next to it on the table. It took a couple of seconds before it clicked, and he snapped his head around.

  ‘Surprise,’ Leanne said, smiling at him from the kitchen doorway.

  ‘Is this what I think it is?’ he asked.

  She bit her lip and nodded.

  Jake gazed down at the stick for several long moments, a frown creasing his brow, and Leanne’s smile slipped as it occurred to her that he might not be quite as thrilled by the idea of having a baby as she was.

  ‘Are you okay?’ she asked.

  ‘Okay?’ he repeated, standing up and walking over to her. ‘I’m absolutely fucking delighted!’

  ‘God, you scared me for a minute there!’ she gasped when he picked her up and swung her around. ‘I couldn’t tell if you were happy or horrified.’

  ‘I was shocked,’ he said. ‘Still am,’ he went on, drawing his head back to peer into her eyes. ‘Are we really . . . ?’

  ‘Going to have a baby?’ she finished for him when he left the rest unsaid. ‘Yes, we really are.’

  ‘When?’ He gently placed her on her feet. ‘How far gone are you?’

  ‘Almost a month,’ she said, amused when he guided her to the couch and sat her down as if she were made of china. ‘I’m pretty sure it happened the night I waited up for you.’

  ‘Ah . . .’ Jake gave a knowing smile. ‘That night. I remember it well.’

  ‘I bet you do,’ Leanne teased, recalling the lust in his eyes when he’d walked in and found her sprawled on the rug in front of the fire wearing nothing but a basque, stockings, and his favourite red lipstick.

  ‘God, this is unreal,’ he said, staring at her with wonder in his eyes. ‘I’m going to be a dad.’

  ‘Yes, you are,’ she confirmed, her eyes glowing with joy when he placed his hand on her stomach. ‘And I hope you meant what you said about not caring if I get fat, ’cos it’s so gonna happen.’

  ‘I wouldn’t care if you were twenty stone,’ Jake said, hugging her tightly. ‘You’d still be the most beautiful woman in the world. Does anyone else know?’ he asked then. ‘Have you told Chrissie, or your mum and dad?’

  ‘No, I wanted to tell you first. And I think we should keep it to ourselves for now. I know you’ll probably think I’m being superstitious, but they reckon you shouldn’t tell anyone till you’ve passed the twelve-week mark. It’s supposed to be unlucky, and I don’t want to risk anything going wrong.’

  ‘Then we won’t tell a soul,’ Jake promised as he pulled her into his arms.

  Happier than she’d felt in a while, Leanne wriggled free after a couple of minutes.

  ‘Where are you going?’ Jake asked, holding on to her hand when she tried to stand up.

  ‘To get dinner,’ she reminded him.

  ‘Sorry, but I’m not eating that green shit.’ He pulled her back down. ‘If you insist on staying in, I’m going to order a pizza. Then we’re going to crack a bottle of bubbly and celebrate in style. If you’re allowed to drink, that is? I don’t want to put the baby at risk.’

  ‘I’m sure one glass won’t hurt,’ Leanne said, loving him more than ever because it was obvious that he was going to be a caring, protective father.

  26

  Sally woke in a cold sweat, her heart still pounding with fear after dreaming that she was being chased down a pitch-dark alley by a hooded gang. Reaching out to switch the bedside lamp on, she felt a wet patch on the sheet beneath her and shoved the quilt off her legs in disgust. She thought she must have pissed herself in her sleep, but the agonizing pain that suddenly tore through her stomach told her otherwise.

  Panicking, because she’d never gone full-term with a pregnancy before, she grabbed her mobile phone off the nightstand.

  ‘Ben, it’s me,’ she blurted out when her call was answered after several rings. ‘I think I’m in labour! Can you call Jake and tell him to come round? Tell him it’s urgent!’

  ‘I’ll, er, see what I can do,’ Ben replied guardedly.

  ‘Ben, please!’ she squealed, her voice rising in pitch as another stab of pain ripped into her. ‘I can’t do this on my own! If you won’t ring him, I’ll do it myself. I mean it!’

  ‘All right, give me ten minutes.’

  ‘Hurry!’ Sally was almost screaming by now. ‘It really hurts, and I’m scared!’

  *

  ‘What’s up?’ Chrissie pushed herself up on to her elbows and squinted at Ben in the darkness when he climbed out of bed. ‘Was that a woman? It sounded like someone screaming.’

  Thinking on his feet as he quickly pulled his trousers on, Ben said, ‘It was one of Jake’s tenants. She’s got a leak and she’s freaking out about the electrics, so I’m going to have to go over and see if I can sort it.’

  ‘Okay,’ Chrissie murmured, lying down again and tugging the quilt up around her throat. ‘Try not to be too long.’

  ‘I’ll be as quick as I can,’ he promised, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek after pulling his jumper on.

  As he quietly let himself out of the house and climbed into his car, Ben felt sick with guilt. Chrissie was one of the most honest people he’d ever met and he hated having to lie to her. But as much as he would have liked to, he couldn’t bring himself to ignore Sally at a time like this.

  Furious with Jake for laying this on him, he rang him as he drove away from Chrissie’s house.

  ‘’S’up?’ Jake asked sleepily when he answered. ‘And it’d better be important, ’cos I’ve only had a couple of hours.’

  ‘Ah, poor you, you must be knackered,’ Ben replied sarcastically. ‘Not like me. I don’t
mind getting woken up in the middle of the night, me. Especially when I’ve been working all day, and it’s got bog-all to do with me in the first place!’

  ‘All right, mate, you don’t have to shout. What’s up with you, anyhow? Are you drunk, or something?’

  ‘No, I’m not fucking drunk, I’m fucking fuming!’

  There was a rustle of material, followed by a door clicking shut, and then Jake hissed, ‘What the hell is your problem?’

  ‘You are,’ Ben said. ‘I just had to lie to Chrissie and tell her there’s a leak in one of your flats to cover for you. Have you any idea how pissed off she’d be if she knew where I was really going?’

  ‘What you on about?’

  ‘I’m on my way to Sally’s. Remember her, do you? The one who’s having your kid? And when I say having it, I mean having it right now, so you’d best get your arse over there.’

  ‘It’s three in the fucking morning,’ Jake protested. ‘What am I supposed to tell Leanne?’

  ‘The same thing I had to tell Chrissie.’

  ‘She knows I hired you to deal with the maintenance of my properties, so she’s not going to believe that.’

  ‘Well, you’d best think of something, and quick, ’cos Sally’s threatening to ring you herself if you don’t go round,’ Ben warned. ‘And the way she was screaming, I wouldn’t test her if I was you.’

  ‘Shit!’ Jake muttered. ‘I can’t deal with this right now.’

  ‘And you think I can?’ Ben countered angrily. ‘I’m driving around at stupid o’clock, feeling guilty for lying to Chrissie – and God only knows what I’m going to be faced with when I get to Sally’s. And it’s not even my flaming kid!’

  ‘All right, I’ll try to think of something,’ Jake conceded. ‘Don’t let her do anything stupid.’

  Ben tutted when Jake cut the call, and then sighed when, almost immediately, his phone began to ring and he saw Tenant 48 on the screen – the name he had Sally listed under in case Chrissie ever got hold of his phone. After folding his own failing company a couple of months ago, he’d taken on the role of maintenance manager for Jake’s properties, so Chrissie thought nothing of the tenants having his number – and him theirs. But it was yet more lies, and Ben resented Jake for putting him in this position.

  Pushing Chrissie out of his mind when he answered the call and heard Sally crying out in pain, he said, ‘I’m pulling up outside yours. Can you open the door, or should I let myself in?’

  ‘Let yourself in,’ she gasped. ‘And hurry!’

  Ben took a moment to brace himself before entering the house. He was the squeamish type, and couldn’t even bear to watch women giving birth on TV, never mind in real life. Hell, he couldn’t even stomach the fictitious midwife drama that Chrissie liked to watch, so he didn’t know how he was going to cope if Sally was as far on as she sounded.

  Sally was lying on top of her bed, her face contorted in pain, her knees pulled up to her chest. Against his better judgement, Ben let his gaze slip to the space between her legs, and the room went into a spin when he spotted the gore-covered top of what he presumed was the baby’s head poking out.

  ‘Where’s Jake?’ Sally panted when the contraction subsided. ‘Did you ring him?’

  ‘Yeah, he said he’ll try to come over,’ Ben mumbled queasily.

  ‘What do you mean, “try”?’

  ‘He’s coming,’ Ben quickly corrected himself, hoping that Jake wouldn’t let him down. ‘It might take a while, though, ’cos he’s got further to come than me.’

  ‘How long?’ Sally demanded. ‘Where’s he coming from?’

  ‘The, um, other side of Manchester,’ Ben said, flinching when Sally let out another low growl that escalated into a scream. ‘Is – is there anything I can do?’ he asked, forcing himself to move closer to the bed.

  ‘It’s coming!’ she screeched, clutching at his hand. ‘It’s coming and I can’t stop it!’

  Almost throwing up when blood spurted out on to the sheet beneath her, Ben put his free hand on the wall to steady himself. ‘I think we need an ambulance,’ he croaked, wincing as her grip threatened to crush his fingers.

  ‘I want Jake!’ Sally cried. ‘Call him again! He promised he’d be here! I need him!’

  Thinking that the loss of blood must be making her delirious, because there was no way Jake would have promised to be present at the birth of a child he’d never even wanted, Ben tugged his phone out of his pocket and dialled 999.

  ‘I’ll get out of the way and leave you to it,’ Ben said when the ambulance arrived five minutes later.

  ‘You can’t leave me!’ Sally cried.

  ‘We need to take her in,’ one of the paramedics said when they realized she was haemorrhaging. ‘You can come with her, if you like?’ he added to Ben.

  Ben didn’t want to go anywhere but home to bed and Chrissie. But Sally was panicking, and he felt sorry for her, so he reluctantly agreed to follow behind them in his car.

  As they set off, he tried to call Jake again, and guessed – hoped – that his friend must already be on his way when he didn’t answer.

  When they reached the hospital, Sally was rushed to the maternity ward in a wheelchair. Terrified and screaming with pain, she held on tightly to Ben’s hand as he walked alongside her.

  Unable to break free without hurting her, Ben hoped that she might let go of her own accord when they transferred her on to a bed in the birthing suite and placed her feet in stirrups. But she didn’t.

  Everything happened so quickly after that, Ben didn’t get a chance to explain that he wasn’t actually the father when one of the nurses gave him a reassuring smile, and said, ‘Don’t worry, Daddy; won’t be long now.’

  Still trapped in Sally’s vice-like grip, he watched, transfixed, as she gave one last almighty push.

  ‘It’s a boy!’ The midwife beamed at Ben as he stared down at the bloody, squirming creature that had just slithered out of Sally’s body. ‘Would you like to cut the cord?’

  Unable to speak, he was vaguely aware of shaking his head as the room began to swim around him.

  *

  Still feeling shaky when he came round sometime later, Ben gratefully accepted a cup of sweet tea from one of the nurses before following her to the side room they had moved Sally and the baby into after he’d fainted.

  Sally was lying on her side, gazing at the now-clean baby sleeping in a Plexiglas cot beside her.

  ‘Isn’t he beautiful,’ she purred, smiling proudly up at Ben when he entered the room.

  He stared down at the child, and swallowed loudly when he saw that it was a miniature replica of Jake.

  ‘He’s a bonny little chap,’ he managed after a moment.

  ‘I don’t suppose Jake’s here yet?’

  ‘Not yet, no.’ Ben shook his head, his gaze still riveted on the child. ‘He must have got held up, and I can’t get a signal in here so I can’t call him.’

  ‘Will you try again when you leave?’ Sally asked. ‘Let him know that Jack’s here, and we’re both fine?’

  ‘Jack?’ Ben raised an eyebrow.

  ‘Suits him, doesn’t it?’ Sally smiled. ‘If he’d been a girl, it would have been Jackie. Jake wasn’t too keen; he thought it was too close and people might put two and two together. But I like it, so he’s got no choice.’

  Frowning, Ben perched on the bedside chair. ‘You and Jake have talked about names?’

  ‘Of course,’ said Sally.

  Ben was confused. Jake had always maintained that he wanted nothing to do with Sally or the baby, and Ben had thought that Sally must be delirious when she’d said that Jake had promised to be present at the birth. But now it seemed that they had discussed names, as well.

  ‘Am I missing something here?’ he asked, peering into Sally’s tired eyes. ‘Is something going on between you and Jake?’

  Sally dipped her gaze as her cheeks reddened. ‘No, of course not. He comes round to drop my money off, and sometimes stays for a brew, and we
chat about the baby. That’s all.’

  ‘You said he’d promised to be at the birth?’

  ‘Did I?’ She frowned as if she couldn’t remember. Then, shrugging, said, ‘It was probably wishful thinking. At least I had you, though, eh?’ She gave Ben a grateful smile. ‘Sorry I freaked out. Are you feeling better now?’

  ‘I’m fine,’ he said quietly. ‘Just never seen anything quite so . . .’

  ‘Gross?’ She raised an amused eyebrow.

  ‘A bit,’ he admitted. ‘But it was kind of amazing, as well. Awe-inspiring, actually,’ he added as he gazed over at the sleeping child. ‘To witness his arrival into the world, hear him take his first breath, his first cry.’

  ‘Are you sure you heard that?’ Sally teased. ‘I thought you were already on the floor by then?’

  ‘I heard it,’ Ben murmured, thinking that it really ought to have been Jake. ‘Anyway, I’d best go and let you get some rest. I didn’t realize it was so late.’

  ‘Thanks for being here,’ Sally said as he stood up. ‘And don’t forget to tell Jake.’

  ‘I won’t,’ Ben promised. ‘And, um, well done,’ he added, taking one last peek at the baby.

  *

  It was already light when Ben walked out of the hospital. Exhausted, and still feeling peculiar after witnessing the birth of his friend’s child, he paused to light a cigarette before trying Jake’s phone again.

  Unsurprised when it went straight to voicemail, he waited for the beep. Then, choosing his words carefully in case Leanne should hear the message, he said, ‘It’s me again; just letting you know that I stopped that leak. But it’s only a temporary fix, so you might want to take a look at the boy-ler.’ He placed heavy emphasis on the word, hoping that his friend would pick up on it and understand that he now had a son.

  Sucking deeply on the cigarette as he walked slowly to his car, Ben replayed the conversation he’d had with Sally. Although she’d denied it, her expression when he’d asked if there was something going on between her and Jake had contradicted her words. But Jake was crazy about Leanne, and this whole situation had arisen out of his desperation to keep her from finding out about the baby, so why would he start seeing Sally again and put everything at risk? It didn’t make sense.