Follow You Down

by Lazeema Haq

  His things toppled over, but she didn’t mind. In fact, it felt great, and she started kicking his things again.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Vesper was storing her things in a locker when she heard someone come in. “Hey, Jess. How’s it going?”

  The redhead cast her a quick glance. “Fine.”

  “You busy tomorrow night?”

  There was a short pause. “Why?”

  “We haven’t hung out in a while.”

  Jess sniggered. “Yeah, no kidding.”

  Vesper stilled, surprised by the hostility in Jessica’s voice. “What’s going on?”

  “Ever since you hooked up with Tristan you forgot I even exist. So what’s with the chummy act all of a sudden? Is he out of town or something?”

  Vesper wasn’t sure what to say or how to respond. Flushed with guilt, she averted her gaze away from Jess.

  “I never thought you’d be one of those girls who’d drop their friends because they have a man. I mean, that’s really shitty of you.”

  “I – ”

  Jessica didn’t wait for a response and left the room, leaving Vesper alone with her thoughts. Her mind reeled thinking back over the last couple of months, and she realised everything Jessica said was right. Juggling work, school, and then Tristan had left her with no free time and so whenever Jessica had attempted to make plans, Vesper had turned her down. Yet, deep down, she knew all of that was an excuse. A part of her had been so scared of losing Tristan she’d made him the centre of her whole life and ignored everyone else. Her mind shuddered with the thought of losing another friend but then a strong wave of determination flooded through her. No. Not again. The past wasn’t going to repeat itself again, not if she could help it.

  Later that night she waited in the parking lot for Jessica to come out. Jess probably didn’t want to speak to her but at the very least Vesper owed her an apology. Shortly after Jessica sauntered outside, Vesper slid out of the car and approached the redhead.

  Jessica shot her a cold, angry look. “What?”

  “I messed up. You have every right to be mad at me. I have been a really bad friend to you. I know I can’t change that now, but I really am sorry.”

  “Why were you such a shithead?”

  Vesper debated telling Jessica everything that happened with Tristan but ultimately decided not to. She was the one who’d screwed up and it was her turn to take responsibility. “Because I’m an idiot.” She took a deep breath. “You’re one of my closest friends.”

  “More like your only friend.”

  Vesper gave her a self-deprecating smile. “I do have one other friend.”

  “Probably imaginary.”

  Vesper chuckled. “I don’t want to lose you.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because you’re awesome and amazing.”

  “Keep talking.”

  “I’m not good at this friendship thing but I’ll try to do better. I promise. Give me another chance?”

  A soft smile tugged at Jessica’s lips. “Fine. You can start by buying me a drink tonight.”

  “I’ll buy you a whole pitcher.”

  “And you have to come to the opening night of my play. It’s in a couple of weeks.”

  “Play? I didn’t realise you were into that stuff.”

  “Neither did I. I auditioned on a whim.”

  “You any good?”

  “I’m fantastic.”

  They started walking towards Jess’s car. As the redhead chatted about the audition, Vesper cast a sideways glance at her and realised how much she missed this. “So when you become famous, you still gonna remember the rest of us?”

  “Depends. When the boyfriend stops being busy, you gonna remember me?”

  “Touché.”

  “You deserved that.”

  “I know. For the record, you don’t have to worry about being ignored again. I promise.”

  “What happened with Tristan?”

  Vesper shook her head “no”. “Let’s not waste our time talking about him.”

  “Sounds like you guys broke up.”

  “You can say that.”

  “Want to kill him? Torture him?”

  “I want to forget he ever existed.”

  “You know what’ll help with that?”

  “Liquor?”

  “Yeah, definitely that.” Jess’s smile faltered. “You’re okay, right? You’re not doing anything… crazy, are you?”

  “Define crazy.”

  “Like starving yourself? Some of my friends go on these insane diets ’cause they think it’ll keep their asshole boyfriends around – ”

  “That’s the last thing I want. And you don’t need to worry, Jess. I’m fine.”

  “You sure? You look like you lost a lot of weight.”

  “Isn’t that a good thing?”

  “Not if you’re starving yourself.”

  “I’m not, I swear. I’ve just been working nonstop.”

  “I noticed.”

  “And I took up jogging. Apparently cardio does help you lose weight. Shocker.”

  Jessica smirked. “Let’s drop off our cars at my place. There’s a bar nearby we can walk to.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Soon they were on their way with Vesper following closely behind Jessica. Sneaking a quick glance at the rear-view mirror, she smiled to herself. She felt at ease again, calm, and it was frickin’ wonderful.

  *****

  A few weeks later Vesper was at the after party to celebrate the successful opening night of Jessica’s play. They were at the local bar, hanging out by the pool table with Josh to keep them company.

  “You know, I’m usually good at this game. I don’t know what’s wrong with me today. Must be having an off night or something.”

  Hearing Josh’s excuse for losing again, Vesper chuckled. With the exception of Jessica, she had never really made the effort to hang out with other people from work which was obviously a mistake because this was a lot of fun. Taking a sip of her beer, she smiled at Josh. “I bet this is all part of your game plan to hustle Jessica.”

  “Come on, I wouldn’t do that. I’m a nice guy.”

  Jessica rolled her eyes. “I hate when guys brag about being nice guys.”

  “I know. If you’re a nice guy, you don’t have to tell anybody. We’ll figure it out,” Vesper piped in.

  “Okay, okay. Stop busting my balls.” He put his hands up in surrender.

  “If you were really a nice guy, you’d get this round,” Jess teased.

  “Oh, is that a hint?” Josh played along.

  “Sounds more like a demand,” Vesper replied. “This round’s on you anyway, buddy. You lost.”

  Josh exhaled a heavy sigh. “I’ll be back.”

  As Josh headed to the bar, Jessica playfully bumped Vesper’s shoulder. “Having fun?”

  “A lot more than I thought I would.”

  “Good. I’m glad.”

  “I can’t believe how great you were on stage tonight, Jess.”

  “Thank you, thank you.” Jess took a bow. “I told you I was fantastic.”

  “And so humble too.”

  Jessica grinned. “I didn’t think so many people from Tonic would show up.”

  “Why are you so surprised? Everyone loves you at work.”

  “Do they?”

  “Of course they do. You’re awesome. And you’re always there when they need something.”

  “I’m glad you were there. Thanks for calming me down when I freaked out before. Didn’t think I’d be the type to get opening night jitters.”

  Vesper smiled. “You’re welcome.” She stood up and set aside her empty bottle. “I’m go
ing to hit the bathroom. Want to come?”

  “No. I’m good.”

  Shortly after Vesper was exiting the ladies room when she stopped dead in her tracks. Standing few feet away was Tristan, dressed casually in jeans and a mint green shirt, behaving like his usual carefree and cocky self. The smile on his face transitioned into a sexy smirk (the very same one that made her weak in the knees) and she realised his focus was centered on Dawn, a bartender from Tonic who had shown up to support Jess. The blonde sidled up next to him as he whispered something in her ear, his hand casually stroking the small of her back. Laughing and flirting, they appeared to be completely engrossed in one another.

  Suddenly Jess was standing in front of her, thankfully blocking her view of Tristan. “You okay? I didn’t know he was going to be here. I guess Dawn brought him,” Jess said, watching her with concern.

  Vesper offered a polite smile. “I’m fine.”

  “We don’t have to stay.”

  “Don’t be silly. I would’ve run into him sooner or later, might as well be tonight. Besides, I’m having a good time. I don’t want to leave.” Linking her arms through Jessica’s, Vesper pulled her towards where Josh was waiting for them in the opposite corner of the room.

  “Drop the act, Vesper. I know you’re probably freaking out on the inside.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Well then you’re handling this way better than I would. If I saw my ex out with one of my friends, I would lose it.”

  “Dawn isn’t a friend.”

  “Yeah, let’s argue about semantics right now,” Jess said sarcastically. “And I can’t believe Tristan. What a dick!”

  Vesper frowned as Jessica glanced over her shoulder to look at the pair behind.

  “What the fuck?” Jess spewed out. “They’re making out!”

  The thought made her sick to the stomach but she ignored the feeling, instead nudging Jess to turn back around. “Jess, calm down.”

  “Why am I more pissed off than you? You should be fucking livid but you’re acting like this doesn’t bother you at all!”

  “What do you want me to do? Throw a jealous fit? Freak out in front of everyone? What would that accomplish?”

  “It might make you feel better!”

  “I feel fine. I refuse to let Tristan dictate how I act or behave. Not anymore. I won’t turn into that girl again.” Vesper faked a smile. “Besides, I don’t care what he does. I’ve moved on, and obviously he has too. It’s for the best.”

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “What?”

  “Tristan didn’t hurt you, did he?”

  The smile on Vesper’s face stiffened. “I don’t want to talk about this, Jess.”

  “Did he hit you?”

  “Oh God, no. Never. Is that what you think?”

  “I don’t know. I just… the way you’re acting, I wasn’t sure.”

  “No, he never laid a hand on me. That’s not his thing.”

  “Then what happened?”

  “We weren’t compatible. That’s all.”

  Jessica rolled her eyes. “Wow. Thanks for the explanation.”

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t want to waste any more of my time talking about him. I can’t.”

  “Okay, okay. I’m sorry for pushing you.”

  “It’s fine.”

  Soon it was Vesper’s turn to buy the next round and she headed down to the first floor to avoid running into Tristan. The bar was crowded, it took a while to get the bartender’s attention. While waiting for the drinks, she felt someone slide into the tight pocket of space next to her. Instinctively, her body stiffened. Without even looking up she knew who it was.

  “Buying a drink for the rebound? Isn’t that sweet.”

  It took a second to click in that Tristan was referring to Josh. Tristan’s voice was full of scorn, immediately strengthening her resolve not to engage with him.

  “Ignoring me?” he mocked. “Bold move.”

  The bartender handed her the drinks. She moved to leave but Tristan blocked her path. She looked up at him angrily. “What do you want?”

  “From you? Absolutely nothing.”

  “Then get out of my way.”

  “Tsk, tsk, always in such a rush to leave. Can’t bother to stick around, can you?”

  “No point. I know a lost cause when I see one.”

  “Oh, is that what I am now?”

  “I don’t care what you are. You’re no longer my concern.”

  She side-stepped around him and headed for the stairs. Unfortunately, he followed behind.

  “So how long were you fucking my dad?”

  She stopped midstride. There it was again, the never-ending accusations.

  “This is the part where you tell me I’m paranoid, right? How I’m just an insecure jerk? How the pictures of you coming out of his place when I was in London are just a figment of my imagination?”

  Her first instinct was to defend herself but she fought the urge, taking a deep breath.

  “Good thing I have a detective keeping tabs on the asshole or I may have actually fallen for your fucking lies.”

  She turned around to find his eyes flushed with anger and hatred, so very reminiscent of their last encounter. “You’re right. I am a liar,” she taunted him. “I was sleeping with your dad. Everything you’ve accused me of is true. Anytime you and I weren’t together I was with your father. He seduced me and I fell for it hook, line and sinker.” His lips pursed into a grim line and she felt a strong spurt of satisfaction. “Satisfied?”

  “Relieved.”

  “Good. Then stay the hell away from me.”

  “Don’t flatter yourself, sweetheart. You were nothing but a miserable fucking experience.” He cocked an eyebrow, his face steeped with malice. “It’s amazing not having to worry about someone’s sexual hang-ups when you just want to get laid.” A cold sneer crossed his lips. “With Dawn there’s no drama, no sob stories, just great sex. I forgot how much fun that was.”

  His harsh words unleashed a tidal wave of pain but she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her hurt. Instead, she offered him a small smile. “Fun? Maybe at first, but it’s only a matter of time before you drag her into your shitstorm. Hopefully she’ll be smart enough to walk away early. No one deserves that kind of hell.”

  Tristan’s momentary silence was exactly what she needed to make her escape.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Later that night Vesper was going up the elevator of her building when she noted the flirtatious smile exchanged between Josh and Jessica. When Josh had volunteered to drive them all home she hadn’t thought much of it but now realised it was an excuse for him to spend more time with Jess. Not that Jess minded if the grin on her face was any indication. “You guys didn’t have to walk me up to my apartment. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

  “You know me, I’m a gentleman. I couldn’t let you come up here all alone.”

  “So you’re planning to bring me home every night then? Not sure I’m up for having a permanent bodyguard.”

  “How about you just say ‘thank you’ and leave it at that?” Jess piped in.

  Vesper grinned. “Thanks, Josh.”

  “See, that wasn’t too hard, was it?” Jess said.

  The elevator doors opened and Vesper slipped out ahead of the other two, smiling to herself. “I’d invite you guys in, but honestly, I’m tired of both of your faces.”

  “Wow, that’s harsh,” Josh said from behind.

  “That’s Vesper for you.”

  “Alright, alright, enough with that crap.” Standing on her tip-toes, she placed a kiss on Josh’s cheek. “Thanks for tonight. I had a blast.”

  “Hey, it was my pleasure.”

 
; Wrapping her arms around Jess next, she gave the redhead a hug before leaning into whisper in her ear, “Enjoy yourself.”

  “I plan to,” Jessica replied.

  “And thanks for everything.”

  Jess gave her a warm smile in return.

  After they left Vesper entered her apartment and headed straight to the kitchen, hoping a glass of water now would offset the chance of a hangover tomorrow. She was on her second glass when there was a knock on the door. She walked over to open the door, and froze immediately upon spotting Tristan waiting for her. He had let himself in with the key she had given him months ago.

  In the pub he’d appeared to be in a good mood until accosting her. After she had walked away from him he’d returned to Dawn, but Vesper had felt his keen gaze observing her throughout the night. By the time she’d been ready to leave, he was back to making out with Dawn. Now here he was, looking frazzled. “What are you doing here?” she demanded angrily.

  “Are you alone?”

  “Get out of my place. I don’t want you here.”

  “Where’s the rebound?”

  “In the other room.”

  “Liar, he took off with Jessica.”

  “Get out, Tristan!”

  “Not until we talk.”

  “I don’t want to hear anything you have to say!”

  “Too fucking bad.”

  He took a step closer, closing in on her.

  She had seen him angry many times before but there was something different about him now. He reeked of booze, his eyes glazed, and his face was wet with tears and sweat. His volatile behaviour had always been concerning but right now he was pacing wildly, acting crazed like a rabid dog.

  And she was petrified.

  *****

  Six weeks. It had been six weeks since she’d walked out of his life. Vesper, his Vesper, with the quick wit and sharp tongue, this amazingly stubborn woman who came into his life out of nowhere, made him feel things he never wanted to, shook his whole world up and then left him in a state of complete despair. Initially he’d contemplated crawling back to her like he always did after a fight – his fault or not – but then his pride pricked at him, reminding him she was in the wrong this time. His resolve steeled further after receiving the pictures from the private detective he’d hired to keep an eye on Arthur. Just as Tristan had suspected, she was seeing his father and his life imploded all over again. Vesper had lied to him, repeatedly, and his heart shattered at the thought of her betrayal.