I pressed the bell and waited. Jason answered the door.
“What’s wrong?” he said upon seeing me.
I just stood there looking at him. Wondering how he could look so innocent, acting like he hadn’t done anything.
“Why did you do it?” I asked in a low voice.
He looked at me with curiosity. “Do what?” he asked.
“Sleep with my sister; why did you do it?”
He swallowed and looked nervous. “What do you mean?”
“I know you slept with Sam.”
“No, I didn’t, Beth. Who told you that?”
“Sam!”
He went to grab my hand but I moved it out of his reach.
“Please believe me Beth, I didn’t sleep with Sam.”
I didn’t know what to believe. Sam was saying one thing and Jason was saying the complete opposite.
“Then why did she say that she did?”
“I don’t know why.”
I calmed down slightly. Maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe Sam had lost it. There was only one thing I could think to do.
“Then if you’re telling the truth, I’ll ring Sam and get her to come ’round to explain herself.”
“Fine.”
He was breathing heavily and he was beginning to sweat. I took my phone out of my bag and dialled Sam’s number.
“Hello, Sam... I don’t care. Just listen, Come ’round to Jason’s as soon as you can... Because he’s denying that it’s true... What? I don’t care about that at the minute... Are you going to come ’round, or not? What... Whatever... See you in a minute.” I put the phone back in my bag. “She’s on her way. I hope you’re right.”
“Do you want to come in?” he asked.
“No, I’ll stay here.” About 20 minutes later, I saw Sam walk down the road. She looked terrible. Her makeup had run so much that she had none left. Her face was puffy and swollen. Still, this was half her doing. She walked up to the door.
“Hi.” She sounded as though she was feeling sorry for herself.
I was in no mood for pleasantries or her selfish need to be the centre of attention.
“So, what’s the truth?” I had to get to the bottom of this. To be honest, I don’t think Sam was lying. She had no reason to lie. She was about to lose everything.
“Sam, why are you lying to Beth?” Jason demanded.
Sam looked Jason straight in the eyes.
“Why are you?” Sam said with an accusing look.
“We didn’t sleep together,” Jason replied, getting closer to Sam’s face.
“Jason, for God’s sake! Tell the truth,” Sam pleaded, pushing hair out of her eyes.
“I am! You’re sick and you need help, Sam!”
“I’m sick? I’m glad that I’m telling her the truth, at last. I hope that she believes me and doesn’t marry you.” Jason laughed a haunting laugh. Suddenly, he looked less scared than crazy. Sam continued, “You are no good and I hope that Beth sees sense and leaves you far behind.”
This wasn’t working. One of them was lying, but I couldn’t tell which one. Perhaps I needed to ask a few questions myself.
“OK, Sam, Where was it that you slept with Jason?”
She looked at Jason and then at me. “At the party,” she said.
“What? Mum and Dad’s anniversary party?”
“Yes.”
“But how? When? I don’t get it.”
Sam sighed. “When I left the party and got home, Jason came ’round to have a go at me for what I said about his mum.”
I looked at Jason and demanded, “Why did you do that?”
He replied, “I went ’round to tell her a few home truths, that’s all. Nothing else happened.”
I turned back to Sam.
She said, “He was going mad at me. Then it happened... We...” She trailed off.
“You slept together!” I finished off for her.
“Yes.” She looked down at the ground.
I looked at Jason. He couldn’t look at me, either.
“Please, Jason; tell me the truth. I can see it in your eyes. Don’t make me out to be a fool; let me have some dignity.”
He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t need to. His face said it all. I smiled.
“Thank you,” I said and laughed bitterly.
I walked away, leaving them quietly behind me.
CHAPTER 19
After the showdown with Sam and Jason, I was drained. Going home tonight and seeing Russell there would stir up too many emotions. I couldn’t deal with it, so I decided to go to Mum and Dad’s. He would probably worry, but I had to think of myself. I would ring him in the morning and we could go from there. At least then I would be less likely to do something that I might regret.
I left my car at Jason’s, so I could walk and have time to think about all that had gone on tonight. The fresh air cleared my head. I knew that tomorrow would bring fresh problems; for starters, I would have to explain everything to Mum and Dad. Well, maybe not Dad. Maybe Mum would handle that. The weather was warm-ish, so it was a pleasant stroll. Sometimes, my own company was enough. Perhaps I should stay solitary forever; that way, I might just be happy. I was finding this contemplation quite good for my soul.
The walk took me approximately half an hour. It might have been the best half-hour of my life. I wished that it had lasted longer.
I had keys to Mum and Dad’s house, so I let myself in and went into the living room. They were in bed and hopefully asleep. I sat on the sofa and kicked my shoes off. I leaned back and sat there silently, watching the clock tick ’round past midnight. Being in Russell’s arms would have been nice. However, it was probably better that I wasn’t. I should have felt isolated, but I didn’t. I felt free, for once. Free of Sam, free of Jason and that was how it was going to stay. For now, anyway.
I closed my eyes and felt myself drifting off. My head was still thumping, so I laid down, covered myself with the throw from the back of the sofa and allowed myself to drift off to sleep. The next morning, I awoke to hear Mum’s jovial tones in the kitchen. I don’t think she knew that I was there yet. I stayed where I was and took pleasure in the sweet and harmonious singing of the birds outside of the window. It was a lovely warm day and I was determined to enjoy it.
Mum called up to Dad that his tea was ready and walked into the living room.
I said, “Hi, Mum.”
Mum jumped and swung ’round.
“Love, what are you doing here?”
I think I had unnerved her.
“I couldn’t go home last night, so I came here to sleep. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No, of course not. Why couldn’t you go home?” She smiled sweetly.
“Because Russell was sleeping there.”
She looked at me, confused.
“Why was Russell at your house?”
Here we go.
“Mum, I’ve got something to tell you and I think you should sit down for it.” I said it in one breath. It was easier to get out that way. Mum was starting to get worried. She sat down as I had asked her.
“Beth, what’s going on?”
I took a deep breath.
“A couple of days ago Sam told me that she’d cheated on Russell and that she was pregnant.” Mum went to speak. I held up my hand. “Hang on, I’m not finished. Then last night, I found out Sam had slept with Jason.” Mum sat and didn’t say a word. “I’m finished now,” I told her, just to make sure she understood she could talk now. She still sat there silently. “Mum, are you OK?”
She cleared her throat. “Sam’s pregnant? Are you sure that she said she was pregnant?”
“Yes, Mum. She told me that herself.”
“She’s pregnant and she slept with Jason?”
“Yes.”
“How are you so calm, Beth?”
“Because, I’ve had time to work out my feelings. Trust me, last night, I wasn’t so relaxed.”
“I’m guessing that you’ve spoke to Sam?”
/>
“Yes, how else would she have told me, otherwise? Come on Mum, please keep up. This is hard enough for me as it is.” She seemed to think that because I was a little more composed, I was lying or something. Sam was the bad guy this time and Mum still couldn’t accept it.
“So, where’s Sam now and do we know who the father to the baby is?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care on both counts.”
Mum looked shocked.“Beth, don’t be like that. She’s your sister.”
“Mum, I’m sorry if you don’t understand, but Sam stopped being my sister when she slept with Jason.”
“I do understand, but she will always be your sister. I know what she did hurt you, but in time you will forgive her.”
“Maybe I will, but right now I don’t and I need for you to be on my side. I’ll need your support through this.”
“I am on your side, love. You will have my support. I’m sorry if it doesn’t look that way. I will also be having a harsh talk with Sam, when I see her next. But I cannot and will not pick sides.” That was fair, I never expected Mum to pick between Sam and me. Mum stood up and went to walk out of the room. As she did she walked past me and kissed me on the forehead. “I do love you, you know, Beth.”
“Yes, Mum. I know you do and I love you, too.” I smiled. Then she walked out of the room, carrying on with her day.
Once that was finished, I got up and headed for the bathroom to freshen up. As I went past the front door, its bell rang in my ear. It made me jump. Straightaway, I thought it was Sam and my heart vibrated in my chest. I could feel adrenaline rush through my body at the speed of sound. I looked through the spyhole and saw that it was Megan. With a sigh of relief, I answered the door.
Megan stood there with her hands anchored at her waist.
“Well, I’ve found you at last! Had I known you were round here, I wouldn’t have gone to your house to be surprised at seeing Russell there.”
I smiled sweetly. “Hello, Meg.”
“What’s happened now between Sam and you?” She moved her bag up on her shoulder so it was more comfortable. “She got in touch and asked me to come round to talk to you.”
“Do you want to come in so I can tell you everything?”
“Yes, that would be nice, thank you.” She entered and sat in the living room expectantly. I closed the door and walked in after her. “So, what’s the scoop?” she asked.
“I found out Sam slept with Jason.” I could say it matter-of-factly now, even though my stomach still did a flip out of sheer panic.
Meg jumped up out of her seat. “She did what?!”
“Meg, calm down. Sam let it slip last night.”
“Calm down! Where is she?”
“Like I said to Mum, I don’t know and I don’t care.”
Meg sat down again, but she was on the edge of her seat now.
“When did Sam do that?”
“At the party, she said.”
“So, does that mean she lied about who the father is?” Megan innocently questioned.
“Oh, my God! I didn’t think of that.” I began to feel sick, in the pit of my stomach, and again I could feel a lump in my throat. My hands tightened into fists, as I kept myself from crying. I repeated, “Don’t cry, don’t cry,” in my head. I didn’t want to anyone to think I cared.
Meg said, “Beth, I’m sorry. That was insensitive of me.” She walked over to give me a hug.
“Meg, please don’t. I’m only just holding it together. I don’t want to cry again.”
She backed away and smiled sympathetically. “Have you seen Jason yet?” She had a little more concern in her voice now.
“Yes, I did. Last night.”
“What did he say for himself?”
“He denied it.”
“Well, then, it might not be true.”
“It’s true, Meg. I could tell.” You could hear the sadness in my voice, and my breathing was heavy.
“So what are you going to do now?”
“I’m going to get Jason’s things from my house and have him pick them up.”
Meg nodded. “What about Sam?”
“That’s it for now with Sam. She’s on her own. They can have each other.”
“Good girl. What are you going to do about Russell? I gather that he stayed at yours because of Sam?”
“Yeah. How was he?”
“Worried about you. You should ring him.”
“Yeah, I know. I’ll be back in a minute.”
“I’ll go in the kitchen and say hello to your mum,” Meg said.
“Thanks.”
She headed out of the room as I dialled the mobile number I had for Russell.
“Beth?” he answered.
“Hi. Sorry I didn’t come home last night. I had a lot to think about. Are you mad?”
“No, of course not. I was just worried about you. I’m glad you’re safe. Will I see you today?”
I thought for a second. “Yes. I’ve got to come home in a bit. I’ve some house-sorting to do.”
“Do you want me to help?”
“No, I think it’s something I have to do on my own. But if you want, we can go out for dinner.”
Russell’s voice brightened. “Yeah, I’d like that. I’ll be gone when you get home but I’ll come round in the afternoon.”
“All right. Russell...”
“Yes?”
“Thanks,” I said.
“Anything for you.”
With that, the phone call was finished. I walked into the kitchen to find Mum and Meg quietly discussing the trouble they heard about today.
“Right, I’m off. I’m going home to sort a few things out.” I walked over to Mum and kissed her goodbye. “Meg, could I catch a lift to my car?”
“Yes, where is it?”
“Outside Jason’s.” She looked puzzled. “I walked to Mum’s last night,” I told her.
She nodded. “Oh. Come on, then. See you later, Mrs. Dempsey.”
All the way there, I was praying I wouldn’t see Jason. When we finally did get there, I thanked Meg, got in my car and drove away. When I got home, I was worried that one of them might be there, but to my relief, no-one was. I got out and went in through the front door. Closing it, I leaned against it and had the cry I’d been expecting to have. I slumped on the sofa, hugged a cushion and wept. I needed to get this out of my system.
After a quarter of an hour, I felt some of the pain subside. I could get on with the removal of Jason from my home and life. I began up in the bedroom. I cleared out the wardrobe and the drawers, putting his things into a bin liner. Occasionally, I cried; mostly, I was just numb.
I carried on and finished the room. Next was the bathroom. All his aftershaves and deodorants went, along with his shampoos, razors and anything else I could find. I worked systematically through the house until every piece of him was eradicated. Each bag that I filled went out into the street. When my job was done, I sat down happily.
As I relaxed with the telly on, the phone rang. I picked it up, thinking it was probably Russell.
“Hi.”
“Beth, it’s me, Sam.”
My voice instantly changed.
“What do you want?”
“Please talk to me. I’m so, so sorry.”
“Sam, we have nothing to say to each other.”
“I do. I have loads I want to say to you.”
“Right, then; I don’t have anything to say to you and I don’t want to hear what you’ve got to say to me. Is that easier for you to understand?”
“Please, we’re sisters. Doesn’t that mean anything?”
“Did it mean anything to you, when you slept with Jason?” She went quiet. “No, I didn’t think so. That’s why I’m just not interested.” I was about to put the phone down when I thought of something. “Just one question: is Ollie the father or is it Jason?”
“Ollie, of course.”
“Are you sure of that? I’m sure Jason would like to know, and the baby... If
you’re still keeping it, that is.” I replaced the receiver. The pain was hard to get rid of but I pushed it down until I couldn’t feel it anymore. Then, while the anger was still fresh, I took out my mobile and texted Jason to pick up his things, which were out in the street for the rubbish men, otherwise. I thought that would send the message plain and clear.
Once I was finished with everything, I rang Russell to say that I was free. We agreed to meet at the old tavern, at one p.m.
On the dot at one, I was outside. I was a bag of nerves. I had made an effort to clean up by applying some makeup and doing my hair. I walked up to the waiter and asked for a table for two. He smiled, walked me through the tables and showed me to one. I sat down and ordered a drink while I was waiting for Russell. It felt like I waited forever.
He walked in and my heart did a flip, but for all the right reasons, this time. He too had made an effort. In his pressed blue jeans, his legs looked taut and his shirt had a few buttons open at the top, made me want him all the more. He had a slight wave in his hair that looked casual but sexy.
He walked up to the table and grinned.
“Hi.” He sat down opposite me.
“Hi.” All of a sudden, I was nervous. It was like I was meeting him all over again. My hands were sweaty and my mouth was dry. I took a mouthful of my cola. The ice hit my teeth and stung them.
“You look lovely,” he said
“Thank you. So do you.” I looked at the table because I couldn’t hold his gaze.
“How did today go?” His voice was soft.
“Good. Better than I thought.” It was nice that he was concerned. He reached out and took my shaking hand.
“Are you nervous?” he asked.
“Yes, I don’t know why.”
“Don’t be,” he said delicately and held my hand tighter.
I tried to relax but my anticipation was too high. I didn’t know what to expect next. I carried on with the chit-chat, hoping that would take my mind off the immediate future.
“Did you see Sam when you went home?” I asked.
“Yes, but she didn’t say anything to me. I think she’s got the message now.”
“Good, I’m glad.”
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