by Lisa Swallow
A silent warning.
The minute I step inside the bathroom, my plan to call the police drops away. My phone is in my fucking bag by the door. I sit on the edge of the bath and take deep, calming breaths, hugging my stomach. Pain runs through me; bloody Braxton hicks contractions again, no doubt exacerbated by the nut job in the hallway.
What do I do? Lock myself in here until she gives up and leaves? Or until Dylan arrives home? If he can’t contact me tonight, he’ll take the next plane back. I remain on the edge of the huge bath, staring at the tiled floor and debating what to do. Should I carry on the charade with her and hope she leaves, or until I manage access my phone?
“Sky? Are you okay? You’re not having the baby are you?” Lily giggles again.
“No. I’m fine. Be out in a sec.” I switch on a tap. The water rushes into the sink, and I remain where I am.
“Cool, I’ll serve up.”
Heavy pregnancy doesn’t allow for sneaking, and as soon as Lily hears me leave the bathroom, she steps out of the kitchen again, holding two bowls of curry. Her hands aren’t free. I could push past and grab my bag and… what? I’ve no way to predict what she’ll do, and I’m scared she’ll hurt me or the baby. Or both.
“I should call Dylan and let him know I’m home from Tara’s safely.”
Her mouth hardens. “After we’ve eaten,” she says in a low voice.
Her first sign of displeasure is time to back right down. “Sure. Okay. Should we eat in the kitchen or the dining room?”
“Oh! The dining room. I like the view from there.”
Panic jabs my chest. “You’ve seen the view before?”
“Sure, I’ve spent a couple of nights here in the past. I like to keep an eye on the place when you’re in Berkshire or away.” Holy crap. My skin crawls at the thought of this woman in my home. Touching my things. “I always tidy up after myself. I didn’t want you to know, just in case you didn’t want me to help out. I know Dylan can be a bit odd about our friendship.”
Odd? Friendship? Jesus bloody Christ. This gets worse. “That’s nice of you, Lily, but really not necessary.”
“I haven’t been here recently, though. Some guy started stalking me and I don’t want him to know I came here sometimes. I think he was someone Dylan sent to make sure I was safe. He’s good like that, isn’t he?”
So where the fuck is this man who follows Lily tonight? Maybe he’s nearby and will arrive soon.
“I don’t like him following me, it’s annoying.” Lily leans in and lowers her voice conspiratorially. “The guy can’t watch me 24/7 and he doesn’t know I watch him too. I know when he won’t be around.”
Fuck. Like tonight?
“How did you get past the building security?” I ask. “I’m sure Dylan wouldn’t be happy about you letting yourself into our apartment.”
She shrugs. “I’ve watched them too. They’re funny, I don’t think they like their job much and spend too much time watching TV. I know when they won’t be paying attention and I have a key, not a problem.”
There’s a smugness to her words and the triumph she outsmarted us, and my stomach churns.
Lily guides me towards the dining room, to the table neatly set for two. Awkwardly, I sit. The nearest cordless phone is in the next room, but everything is on the table, prepared. There’s no need to ask her to fetch me anything so I can leave the room.
“Eat up!” She digs into the meal, blonde hair falling across her shoulders as she takes a mouthful.
“I’m not really hungry. Baby takes up all the room,” I say with a light smile.
“You have to eat something.” She shoves the bowl at me. “I made it for you.”
Reluctantly, I pick up my fork and stab a chicken piece. I can’t eat. This situation has wound fear so tightly around my insides I wouldn’t be able to swallow. Silence continues as I nibble on the edge of the chicken, mind jumping from possibility to possibility what to do next.
“I’m tired, Lily. I planned on an early night. Should I call you a cab?” She looks up, mouth pursed. “We could catch up tomorrow maybe?”
She chews a mouthful and studies me, and my scalp prickles at the hardness in her blue eyes. “No. Somebody should be here to look after you.”
The door to the flat opens and closes, and Lily’s head snaps around before she drops her fork. Her surprise turns to a smile. “Do you think that’s Dylan? I hope so.”
I bloody hope so too. “I’ll see who’s here.”
Before she can protest, I pull myself to my feet and rush out of the room, straight into Jem.
26
SKY
Jem steadies me with a hand on my arm. I never thought I’d want to hug Jem, but right now, I could kiss my confused ex-nemesis, and break down in tears. If anybody won’t stand for this shit, it’s Jem.
“What the fuck is happening, Sky? What is she doing here?” he hisses.
“I didn’t ask her,” I reply. “I—”
“Jem! Omigod! It’s been months!” Lily steps past me as if about to hug him, and he holds his arms in front of himself to stop her. Her face creases with disappointment before she perks up again. “Are you hungry? We’re eating dinner and have plenty to share.”
“No. Sky?” He drags hair from his face, as if it would help the situation’s clarity.
“Lily stopped by unexpectedly,” I say.
“So you didn’t invite her?” he asks.
“What the fuck? No!”
“Excuse me,” says Lily. “I am here and can hear you. All I’m doing is looking after Sky.”
I pull a face at Jem and tip my head, pleading with him to sort the situation before things become heated with the girl standing behind me. How unstable is she? There’s no way of predicting what Lily might do.
“I think you should leave.” Jem straightens and jabs a finger at the front door. “Now.”
“We haven’t finished eating.” Lily turns back to the dining room.
I mouth “Did you call the Dylan or the police?” at Jem. He frowns and shakes his head. “Ohmigod, Jem! Didn’t you think it was odd when you called and Lily answered?” I whisper.
“I came over to check on you, isn’t that enough?”
I rub my head and swallow down the growing panic. “We need to leave,” I hiss and push him towards the door.
“She needs fucking arresting. If we leave, she gets away with this. I’ll call them now.”
“Call who?” Lily reappears from the dining room.
“You’re an intruder. I’m calling the police.” Jem whips his phone from his pocket.
Lily knocks it from his hand. “No! Don’t you dare! All I’m doing is helping, aren’t I, Sky? Tell him. He doesn’t understand.”
“For fuck’s sake,” mutters Jem and leans over to pick up his phone. “Fucking psycho.”
“I said don’t!” Lily slams into Jem, and he’s knocked sideways, taken by surprise, stumbling into the wall. I stare in horror as Lily grabs the phone and hurls it across the hallway where it bounces off the wall and lands on the tiled floor with a loud crack. “Nobody calls anybody.”
“Lily!” I shout. “Stop this.”
“He’s spoiling our evening!”
Jem regains his footing and grabs Lily’s arm, roughly shoving her towards the front door. “You. Fucking go before I do something I’ll regret!”
His grip fails as Lily drags her arm away. “Don’t touch me, Jem,” she growls, “Or I’ll have you arrested for assaulting women again.”
For a moment the two stand off with Lily blocking the door, her height allowing her to stare straight into his eyes. If I wasn’t shocked by what was happening in front of me, I’d run. Jem reaches out for Lily again, anger clouding his face, and a different panic rises.
“Jem. Don’t,” I say in a low voice. “Don’t make this worse.”
The stalemate continues, and I’m blown away by this girl’s bravery and audacity. The cramps in my back from today intensify with the panic,
and I need to sit down. This baby’s too heavy for standing in hallways arguing with mentally unstable women.
“Fine, I’ll get my bag.” Lily sidesteps Jem and heads to the kitchen.
I tremble and look desperately at Jem. “We need to get out of here.”
“Police first. Where’s your phone?”
My instinct still tells me to run but, dazed, I nod at Jem’s control of the situation. “Handbag. Near the door.”
Jem places a hand on my shoulder. “You’ll be okay. I can deal with her.”
Resting my aching body against the wall, I whip my head between Jem heading to my bag, and the kitchen. Lily steps out of the room and the surreal becomes too real at the sight of the large knife in her hand.
“Jem!” I call.
“We all stay here and are nice to each other.” Lily points the knife at me and looks at Jem. “Put the bag down!”
Jem freezes, and when he steps closer, Lily crushes her fingers around my arm, pointing the knife between me and him.
“This isn’t being nice though, Lily. You’re scaring me. Please put the knife down,” I say in a low voice.
“Sky wants me to stay! You’re spoiling our evening.”
I tremble as the knife presses against my arm and will Jem to do something. “Put the fucking bag down, Jem,” she growls.
“Put the knife down. You’re frightening Sky.”
“Not until you move.” She points the knife towards the dining room. “Go in there.”
“I’m not leaving you with Sky.”
He steps closer to Lily, and she whips the knife around to point at him instead. “Don’t you dare touch me again.”
One knife, one girl, two of us. Surely we can deal with this. Jem do something. He rubs a hand across his mouth. “Lily. This won’t achieve anything. You don’t threaten friends with knives.”
“I only want Dylan to talk to me. If I stay here long enough, he’ll come back.” Her voice breaks, and the cool metal touches my skin as she holds the knife against me instead. “Dylan and me, we’re meant to be. He loves me. He’s always loved me.”
“Lily. You know that’s not true,” I say.
“Yes, it fucking is!” She shouts at me, and I recoil. “You need to stop coming between us, or I’ll make sure you’re gone for good!” She narrows her eyes at my belly. “Both of you.”
The sudden shift in mood edges in a more sinister motivation here, and Dylan’s words about her cutting the baby out of me echo. She wouldn’t. I gasp for breath and wrap my arms around my baby. “Lily, please. You can be part of our life, okay? I’ll talk to Dylan, and I’m sure he’ll agree. But right now I need to be alone.”
“Tell him to stop. He’s going to call the police!” She jabs the knife in Jem’s direction
I rest my head on the wall, legs heavy as I support the baby’s weight. “Maybe you should leave, Jem.”
“Oh, no! No, he doesn’t, he will call the police.”
Jem’s eyes dart between us, as he sizes up what to do, face hard. With a knife between us she’s subtly threatening to use, I don’t want him doing anything to inflame the situation. I give a small shake of my head and he nods at my stomach.
“Sky hasn’t felt well today, that’s why I came over,” he says. “I wanted to check on her too.”
“Oh?” Lily looks at me. “You never said you weren’t well. See, it’s good I came to look after you.”
My eyes water in pain and confusion, her change back to nice again hurting my head to join my backache. I clutch onto Jem’s words. “I need to sit down. Pains.”
“Are you in labour?” she asks. “Now?”
How naive is this girl? Did she think I’d suddenly go into labour, or if I thought I was earlier, would I return home and not take myself to hospital?
“I don’t know. But…” I bend over at a mock contraction. Well, if she’s taken everything she knows about pregnancy and birth from the TV shows… “Shit!”
“Sky?” she asks in alarm.
“The stress is making this worse, Lily,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Are you going to have the baby now?” Her voice rises.
“I don’t know. Maybe. I…” I look up at Jem and slide to the floor. “Let Jem call an ambulance.”
Lily’s face covers with a huge smile. “No need. I can deliver babies.”
I tighten my arms around my belly. “What?”
“I’m a nurse.”
Omigod, what next? “No. You’re not a nurse.”
Lily flashes the knife in my direction again, towering over me sitting on the floor. “Are you saying I’m lying? Why do you always tell people I’m lying?”
“Okay, okay, you know what you’re doing,” I say and grimace. “But I’ll need a doctor too. Baby’s early.”
“If you’re going to help, you need to give me the knife, Lily,” says Jem softly.
“Do you think I’m stupid? Why would I do that? You’ll hurt me,” she snaps. “We need to focus on Sky. I think she needs to lie down.”
Oh god, this can’t be happening to me. I rest my head against the wall and look up at her, the welling tears escaping. “Lily, please,” I whisper. “I’m scared, and I want to go to hospital.”
My distress catches her off guard, and she lowers the knife. “Sky, let me help.”
Jem launches himself at Lily and seizes her around the waist with one arm, extending her arm outwards so she can’t touch him with the knife. She screams at him, and her knuckles whiten as her grip on the knife holds.
“Let it go,” he shouts and claws at her fingers. “You crazy bitch!”
Lily writhes against him as he holds her backwards against his chest, useless against his strength. I crawl forward and reach for my bag near his feet. Lily kicks out at my hand and misses, foot colliding with my stomach instead. The pain radiates through and knocks the breath from me.
“Sky! I’m sorry! I didn’t meant to.”
Jem wrests the knife from Lily’s hand, and it falls to the floor, where he kicks it into the kitchen. “Sky?”
“Please do something,” I say through tears. “Jem. Please.”
He tightens his arm around Lily and shakes his head. “What do I do? I can’t hurt her. She’s already threatened me with an assault charge.”
“Just fucking do something,” I shout. I want to run, hide, lie down, and deal with the emotional and physical assault on my body.
I want Dylan.
“Lock her in a room or something.”
“No!” she shrieks. “You need my help. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“Jem!”
The two struggle with each other, Jem’s reluctance to be physically harsh obvious. His past media profile demonised him, and despite his new life, I understand his fear of her threats.
Gritting my teeth, I pull myself to my feet and grab the knife, taking my turn in pointing it. “If you’ve hurt me or my baby, Dylan will crucify you!” The pain in my back spreads around my side as my stomach tightens too, and I fail at hiding my wincing reaction.
“Are you really in labour, Sky?” asks Jem.
I shake my head. “I don’t know. I was going to call the midwife when I got home for advice. I thought it was just bad backache.”
“I said I’d help,” whines Lily. “Please, Sky.”
“Get her out of this house, Jem!” I say through gritted teeth. “I don’t care about calling the police. I want her gone. Now.”
Jem drags her to the door and grapples with the handle. She kicks out again like a wild animal as he opens and pushes her through into the corridor. Her yells echo as she hammers on the door, shouting my name.
“Reckon security will call the police if she doesn’t stop the noise,” mutters Jem. “I’m gonna call the police too and an ambulance, you don’t look good. Then I’m going out there and…” He drags a hand through his hair. “I don’t fucking know what to do here, Sky.”
I slump back to the floor, losing my fight aga
inst the pain hardening my stomach. “Call Dylan.”
Jem waits for my breathing to slow and watches me warily. “He’s in France.”
“I know, and I don’t fucking care,” I yell as the contraction passes. “Just get him.”
Jem squats down and sits back on his heels as he makes the call. “You are definitely in labour.”
“How the fuck would you know?”
“Because I watched someone go through it recently.” He leans over to touch my head and I swat him away. “And she swore at me as much as you are.”
I cough a laugh at his words, the horror of the situation building hysteria. “I’m okay for now, but I do need to get to hospital.” The pressure against my back shifts, pressing down on my pelvis and my denial from the last couple of days slips. I’ve ignored signs I shouldn’t.
Jem kneels back again and rubs a palm across his mouth. “You’re not gonna… have it now, are you? Did Lily cause this?”
The pressure builds in my back again and I close my eyes against the pain. “No,” I say through clenched teeth. “I think it started earlier today.”
“Why the fuck did you come home, then? You should’ve gone to hospital.”
I glare at him. “Because I didn’t know!”
“But you’re in labour.”
“Jem? Are you an expert?” My brow covers with perspiration as my stomach contracts. No. This isn’t happening. “Just shut the hell up and call an ambulance.”
I close my eyes as Jem makes the call and breathe through the dizzying pain. I have four weeks to go. The midwife said I’d be okay. In my stupid Sky way, I run through my rational explanations to allow myself the answers that suit me.
My waters haven’t broken: that doesn’t mean the baby will come today. This is my first baby: if I am in labour, it won’t happen quickly. Ruby was in labour for twelve hours. Cerys told me her horror stories about prolonged birth too.
But a girl I knew from work, her first labour took an hour. An hour.
No.
I am not in labour. This isn’t labour.
“Help me up, Jem,” I say and drag myself up the wall. “I need the bathroom.”
Jem holds me under the arms and pulls me upright. The movement brings us closer together than we ever have been. I’ve never allowed Jem to touch me, never expected to rest against him for support like this. I place my hands on his shoulders and dip my head, breathless, and his shirt brushes my cheek.
