She shakes her head. “No Nat, you would have been perfectly fine by yourself. You showed him that you aren’t afraid of him. He no longer holds any power over you.” Her hands grip my shoulders and she draws me in against her. “I’m proud of you, Nat. You’ve come a long way, and it’s been an absolute pleasure being in your life.”
I pull out of her arms and smirk at her. “You’re stuck with me now,” I say as the sound of the front door opening reaches me. Dread fills the pit of my stomach as I turn and wait for them to say what’s happened.
“Natalie, he won’t be back,” Grant says emphatically.
Damien has a smirk on his face. “The old git legged it, he didn’t even wait for me to finish telling him what I’d do to him if he came back.”
The men chuckle and even Grant has a smirk. “Thank you.” It’s not enough, it’ll never be enough. There’s no word that could describe how grateful I am.
“Our pleasure. If you ever need help, just shout,” Hunter tells me giving my shoulder a squeeze before going into the sitting room.
“Same as, we’re only a phone call away.” Owen winks at me, as he follows Hunter.
“I’m glad you’re okay, Nat,” James says kissing my cheek. Damien nods at me, and they too go into the sitting room.
I’m tugged into Grant’s arms. He doesn’t say anything while he holds me, but having his strong arms around me makes me feel safe. I ease away and kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”
He walks over to Penelope, and his arm goes around her waist. “You should have seen his face when Damien began to threaten him, he couldn’t get away fast enough.” He chuckles to himself before his expression grows sombre again. “Seriously though, Nat, I doubt you’ll have any further problems with him.”
Happiness fills me. “That’s great. I’ve had enough crap to last me a lifetime.”
“It’s over now Nat,” he promises me. “Are you both okay?”
I nod, and look to Pen, who is still shaking.
“I’m okay, I’m still angry. The fucking cheek of him. What did he think would come from coming here? Arsehole.” Her lips press into a thin line. “I’m going to make a phone call, and when I’m finished, I want alcohol.” She marches into the kitchen; it’s going to take a while for her to calm down.
“Any idea who she’s going to call?” Grant asks as he watches her retreating back.
“Charles.” I shrug, even if she wasn’t, it’s not our business.
“Why would she call Charles?” He sounds suspicious.
“Charles was looking for him. She’s probably telling him he turned up tonight. Don’t worry about it. Come on, we’ll go and join the rest of them and wait for her.”
He narrows his eyes and looks as though he’s about to say something, but a baby’s cry stops him short.
“I need to check on my little man,” I say. “He probably needs his nappy changed.”
He nods, but he’s not very happy about it. As I walk into the sitting room, I see that it’s Savannah who’s crying, not Malachy. He’s fast asleep in Katy’s arms. “Is she okay?” I ask Jess, who is trying to get her to settle.
“I think so. She could be hungry, or she may need changing.” She reaches into the bag for a nappy.
“Jess, I’ve a mat and stuff in the spare room. It’ll be easier to change her in there.”
She slumps and heaves a great sigh, with obvious relief at my offer.
Somewhere quiet is sometimes what we need, what the baby needs.
She follows me into the spare room. “Do you want me to make up a bottle for you?”
She shakes her head as she gently lays Savannah on the changing mat. “No, thank you, Hunter’s getting it ready now.”
“Okay, you can stay in here and feed her if you want. It’s quieter, and there’s a chair in the corner, it may be easier?”
Her eyes light up. “Yes, that sounds perfect, thank you Nat.”
I give her a smile and retreat from the room to give her peace, as I make my way back to the sitting room, I see Hunter, looking a little lost. “The last door on your right.”
“Thanks, Natalie.” His voice is deep and gritty as his eyes stray towards the door I just exited.
“You okay, Nat?” Pen’s voice is calmer now.
“Yeah, I’m okay. What about you? Have you calmed down?” My eyes are drawn to the bottle of vodka in one hand and a glass in the other. “Do you at least have a mixer?”
She rolls her eyes at me. “Yes Mum, Grant is bringing them.” Just as the words leave her mouth, Grant walks out of the kitchen with a bottle of whiskey under his arm, a bottle of coke in one hand and in the other are six cans of lager.
“You two can spend the night here.” That way they don’t have to worry about getting a lift home and coming back in the morning to get their car.
“Thanks, Nat.” Grant smirks at Pen. “Told you she’d let us stay.”
“Shut it,” she says through gritted teeth. “Tonight’s been trying, and I want to get drunk.” She catches my eyes. “Thanks for letting us stay.”
“Of course. After all, it’s your house.” She hates when I say things like that, but it’s true, she’s my landlord. I pay her rent every month just as other normal people would pay their landlord.
“Hmm, we’ll see about that,” she tells me cryptically, sharing a secret smile with Grant, one that has me narrowing my eyes at them in suspicion. “Where’s that gorgeous little boy?”
“If he’s asleep, do not wake him,” I warn her, she’s a devil for taking him out of his cot or moses basket while he’s asleep and waking the poor thing.
“I won’t,” she promises me and pouts when we go into the sitting room and find him flat out in his moses basket. “It’s fine, I’ll have morning snuggles with him.”
Penelope is getting broody, with three babies in this house, two of which she sees daily, there’s no way that she and Grant aren’t doing all they can to get pregnant. I really hope that they do have a baby, they’ll both be amazing parents.
Chapter 24
Four Months Later
Spring is upon us and the trees are starting to bloom again, I love this season. It’s a beautiful thing to see. It means that warm days are coming. It’s hard to believe that my little boy is four months old now. He’s really growing into himself. He’s such a smiley, happy little soul. It’s going to be hard when I go back to college next month. I hate the thought of leaving him alone. Jess and Penelope are going to be my main source of childcare, with Jess a stay at home mum to Savannah, she’s told me that she’d love to have Malachy with her too. When I told them, I was going back to college I thought it would be Pen who would demand to be the one to look after him while I was away, but I was surprised when it was Jess.
Pen told me that it would be good for Malachy to be around other kids, it will help him with his development, and I agree wholeheartedly, which is why I jumped at Jess’ offer. Pen’s only stipulation was that she would have one day a week that is hers and Malachy’s, which I would never say no to. She started early, and she has every Wednesday with him, Grant tags along on those days too if he’s off from work. They have a great time together; my little man is so loved. Stef comes to see him every week, bringing Carter with her when she does.
Every month, the girls and I have a girl’s night in. Instead of just me and Penelope, we have Stef, Jess, Katy, Saffron, Molly, and Bailey. I’m really close to Katy and Bailey; those girls are so sweet, and they’re around the same age as me. They all come to mine and we have a takeaway and watch a movie, for Jess and Stef, it gives them a break from the kids and for everyone else it’s a fun, relaxing evening to catch up with your friends.
The best thing to happen in these past four months is my stepdad dying three weeks after he showed up at my house. That bastard was alone and died from a heart attack. The ironic thing was, he thought he was a great man, a man that everyone loved, yet he wasn’t found for a couple of days. As I said to Penelope when she told me, he deserved it. He�
��s gone and he’s never going to hurt me again, but it was what Grant said that made my heart pound with happiness. No-one was present for his funeral, he was buried alone. He also died knowing that he couldn’t hurt me anymore and that would have devastated him the most. Hearing those words, they settled something inside of me.
“Coooo,” Malachy says, looking into his buggy my heart fills with so much love as he smiles.
“Hey handsome,” I say, tickling his stomach and causing him to let out a little laugh.
My phone rings, and I roll my eyes. “Your Aunty Penelope’s crazy—she only called twenty minutes ago.”
Reaching into my bag with one hand, I pull out my phone, swiping the screen to answer I bring it to my ear. “You can’t leave us alone for five minutes?”
“God, it’s good to hear your voice.”
I freeze when that rugged tone hits me. “What do you want?” I say through gritted teeth.
“Nat, I’m sorry. I understand that you must hate me.” That gravelly Irish voice still has the same effect on me as it always has. It sets my heart racing and makes those butterflies come back in full force.
“Hate you? I don’t hate you. I feel sorry for you.” It’s true, I can’t hate him. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have Malachy, and I pity him because he hasn’t watched him grow, he wasn’t there to witness him being born. “What do you want, Richie?”
“To see you, I want to talk to you, to explain things to you.” There’s something different about him, his accent is thicker, probably due to him living back in Ireland, but there’s something else different about him, and I can’t for the life of me figure out what.
We do need to talk, since I found out I was pregnant with Malachy I’ve wanted to tell him. “Okay, where are you?”
“I’m in London. Are you free today?” He sounds hopeful, but I’m shocked. He’s back in London? Since when? I was hoping for more time to prepare myself before facing him again.
“What time and when?” I’m already dreading it. Not only that, but I need to find someone to look after Malachy. There’s no way that I’m bringing him with me when we meet. I’ll tell Richie about him and if he’s interested in seeing him, then we’ll set up a time.
“Is seven okay?” I can hear traffic and realise that he’s out somewhere.
“Can we make it earlier, like this afternoon?” I don’t want to be out too late, especially if I’m getting a babysitter.
“Yeah, of course.” He sounds eager, and that sets me on edge, I’m not sure if I can deal with listening to his excuses. “Is two okay?”
Pulling my phone away from my ear I see that it’s twelve. “Yeah, two is fine, where shall we meet?”
“I don’t mind, anywhere is fine.” He seriously is eager.
“Okay, what about the coffee shop opposite Wimbledon theatre?” It’s close to home so I can make a quick exit.
“Uh, yeah I know the place, see you there at two?”
He doesn’t sound as though he’s sure where it is, but he should be able to find it. “Yeah, I’ll see you at two.” I hang up and immediately regret saying yes to meeting him today. I should have pushed it for tomorrow, it would have given me time to prepare, to figure out what I’m going to say.
I quickly call Pen, and she answers straight away. “Natalie, are you okay?”
“Richie just called.” I realise that I’ve stopped in the middle of the bloody street. I was on my way to the shop. Every day I walk to the shop and grab the newspaper just to get out of the house.
“Shit, what did he want?” She's pissed off. She’s witnessed first-hand how messed up I get when he's around. There's something about Richie, though, that really gets to me. I'll forgive him for leaving; hell, I think I already have.
"He wants to talk, and Pen, I need to tell him about Malachy. I was wondering if you could watch him for me?"
She sighs, and I'm not sure if it's because I'm asking her or because of who I'm going to see. I think it's the latter.
"What time Nat?"
"It’s at two."
"Shit, Nat, I would but today's my and Grant's appointment with the doctor about getting treatment." Her and Grant have been trying to get pregnant but to no avail. They’re now trying to go down the IVF route.
I close my eyes and curse myself for not remembering. I should have remembered, and if I had, I wouldn't have called her. I would have rung Jess straight away. "Shit Pen, I'm so stupid, I forgot. I'm so sorry. I should have remembered. I'll call Jess."
"Don't apologise, Nat. I honestly didn't think you'd remember, you've had a lot on your mind lately." She doesn't sound mad. "You're the only one we’ve told, and please keep it that way."
"Pen, who am I going to tell? Will you call me this evening and tell me how you get on?" I hope that it goes really well for them; they deserve to have some good news.
"Grant's working this evening, I'll swing by your place and we can talk?"
I nod before realising that she can't see me. "Yes, that sounds good. I've made lasagne, so we can eat that for dinner. I'll chuck some chips on."
"Sounds delicious. Okay, I've got to go. I'll see you tonight." I hear Grant's deep voice in the background but can't make out what he's saying.
"Good luck Pen." I tell her saying a silent prayer for her.
"You too." She hangs up.
I instantly dial Jess and just like Pen she answers quickly. "Hey Nat, you okay?"
Jesus, everyone assumes something's wrong when I call. That tells me that I'm not calling them often enough.
"Hey Jess, are you busy?" I really hope she isn't, I don't want to bring Malachy with me.
"No, what's up?" Her voice is a soft whisper and I’m wondering if Savannah’s asleep. I hope I haven’t woken her.
"Is there any chance that you could watch Malachy for a few hours?"
"Yes, of course, what time?" she says instantly, not even a slight hesitation.
"Half one?"
"That's perfect, he can come with Savannah and me when we pick up Emme from school. I'll use the double buggy Hunter bought." Jess hasn't told anyone else that she's pregnant again. She didn't plan on getting pregnant, Savannah is only six months old now, and Jess is worried that Savannah isn't going to get enough attention once the new baby arrives. Hunter is excited. He’s already bought the double buggy and Jess isn't even three months gone yet.
"Thank you so much." My shoulders slump forward with relief.
"Is everything okay?" she sounds worried still.
"Richie called me. We’re meeting at two." Even saying his bloody name sets my pulse racing.
"Shit, he's back?" She's not happy with the news.
Jess and I had a proper heart-to- heart one night, when she came over and we talked about everything and anything. I told her everything that Richie and I had been through, or should I say what Richie put me through. She couldn't believe it was the same man that she had dated. She told me that he was a gentleman with her just as he was with me, but he was also a coward.
"Yeah, we’ve got a lot to discuss." If I didn't have Malachy, I wouldn't be meeting him. I wouldn't put myself through the pain of seeing him again because as much as I deny it, I'm pretty sure that I still love him.
"Bring him round, and I'll watch him. Take your time and don't rush. You two need to talk." She's so sweet.
"Thank you. I'll be there soon."
"See you soon, then." She hangs up, and not for the first time I'm astonished at how close we've become.
I start walking home, both my hands on the buggy I look at Malachy, "My chunky monkey, I'm hoping that this talk with your daddy will result in you having him in your life." I hope he will. I hope that Richie wants to know him.
My nerves are shot. I'm shaking like a leaf as I walk up the street and toward the theatre. He sounded as though he had no idea where it was so I'm not sure if I should expect him to be here or not. I want him to meet our son and I want to find out what he plans on doing, I won't let him come
in and out of Malachy's life like a yo-yo. It's not fair on him, he deserves better than an absentee father.
My heart pounds as I get to the theatre, I catch sight of him, he's walking down from the shopping centre. He looks bigger, not as in fat but as in muscular. He's got bigger muscles, the nearer he gets the better I can take him in.
His face splits into that breath-taking smile of his as soon as he’s in touching distance, the one that always made my knees weak. "Natalie," he whispers as his eyes take me in, lust and hope so clear in those green eyes.
"Richie," I greet him, my voice even. I've promised myself that I wouldn't fall for his wit and charm. He's put me through enough pain to last me a lifetime, I won't be that stupid again.
"Thank you for meeting me. You could have said no, but I'm fucking glad that you didn't."
His fingers tentatively caress my cheek but I quickly withdraw from him, even though my instincts tell me to lean into his touch. I can't, I won't.
"I deserved that."
"Let's talk,” I tell him and nod my head across the road to the cafe, there's a pub on the other side of the road too but I'm not going in there; alcohol and this conversation do not mix.
He follows me into the cafe and we take a seat in the corner, it's quiet in here. "What did you want to see me for?" I'm not giving him any easy way out. I deserve answers, I want him to tell me why he was a coward, why he thought it was perfectly acceptable to sneak out in the middle of the night and leave me with nothing but a bloody letter.
"I wanted to apologise. I wanted to see you because I've missed you,” he tells me, not lowering his voice, so I guess the waitress who's walking over to our table overhears as she smiles widely at us.
"Words Richie, that's all they are. I've heard them before,” I say as the waitress arrives at the table and takes our order.
"I've fucked up with you so much. I've hurt you too many times to count. I truly am sorry." His fingers begin to drum against the table.
"Tell me Richie, why did you leave without saying goodbye?" This time I can't keep the hurt out of my voice.
The Scars Of Life (The Working Girls Book 4) Page 21