‘You think I should leave him?’
‘No. Make him do the leaving. If he thinks he’s got away with it once, can you ever be sure that he’s being completely—?’ But I didn’t have a chance to finish the sentence. The sound of a car horn followed by a screech of tyres announced Tony’s return.
Leaving the car running, he leapt out of the car and slammed the door, taking a couple of strides towards us.
‘What the hell do you think you’re playing at?’ he yelled.
Rhys stood up taller. ‘We could say the same to you, stalking me, stalking Callie, sending her lies.’
‘You deserved it. You ruined my life so now it’s my turn to ruin yours.’
‘I did not ruin your life,’ I cried. ‘You did that all by yourself. Why can’t you see that?’
Jaw grinding, he looked towards Hazel. ‘Why are you talking to them? You do know who they are?’
‘Of course I know who they are,’ she snapped. ‘And Callie’s right. Yes, she had an affair with you but she thought you were single.’ She pushed back her shoulders and stepped out onto the drive. ‘You hurt her and you hit him. That was all you, Tony. When will you ever grow up and take responsibility for your screw-ups? Speaking of which, who are you screwing now?’
‘You bitch! You told her!’ Tony lunged towards me but Rhys pushed him back and in an impressive manoeuvre, pinned Tony’s arm behind his back and pushed his face down onto the bonnet of his car.
‘Get off me!’ Tony yelled, trying to wriggle free.
Hazel crouched down beside him. ‘What’s the matter, Tony?’ she said in a sing-song voice. ‘Does it hurt?’
‘Yes! Bloody gardener’s gone mad.’
‘Good,’ she snapped. ‘I’m glad it hurts.’ She gave him a shove. ‘Because you’ve hurt me and you’ve hurt our kids and you’ve hurt Callie and Rhys and yet you still think it’s everyone else’s fault. Even now, you’re blaming Callie for your latest sordid affair. But she didn’t tell me. It was you who told me just now. So who is she?’
‘Nobody.’
Rhys twisted Tony’s arm even further and he cried out.
‘Liar!’ Hazel yelled. ‘Who is she?’
‘The stupid woman’s obsessed with me and won’t accept it’s over.’
‘Who is she?’
‘Okay, okay, it’s Maria. She worked with Callie.’
Hazel looked towards me. ‘You knew her?’
‘She was my friend. I only discovered he’d been seeing her after I found out about you and ended it. And I only recently found out about the…’ I stopped myself just in time, but it hadn’t gone unnoticed.
‘You useless piece of shit,’ Hazel spat, shoving him again.
‘Ow!’
‘Let him go, Rhys,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘He’s not worth it.’
Tony staggered about, grimacing as he rubbed his arms and shoulders.
Hazel crossed her arms and scowled at Tony. ‘I want you gone. Go on! Sod off back to your girlfriend and baby.’
‘What baby?’
‘Don’t you dare. Don’t you bloody dare. I’m not stupid so don’t treat me as though I am. I had my suspicions before today so don’t you go blaming any of this on them. Once again, Tony, it’s all your fault.’
‘But it’s over.’
‘No, it’s not! This Maria woman is having your baby. How’s that over?’
‘It might not be mine. She’s a right slag.’
Hazel stamped her feet and released a frustrated squeal. ‘Jesus, Tony! Listen to yourself! Lying, blaming someone else and refusing to accept responsibility for your actions yet again. What’s the matter with you?’
‘I made a mistake. Two mistakes. Callie and Maria meant nothing to me. It’s you I love. Always has been, always will be.’
‘Is that meant to impress me? Am I meant to rush into your arms and tell you I love you too? Where’s your respect for women? Look at her.’ She pointed to me. ‘Look at that beautiful woman. She’s a human being with feelings, not a piece of rubbish for you to toss aside. I bet you told her you loved her too, yet you were busy getting her best friend pregnant while your wife was pregnant with your fourth child. How many others were there?’
‘None.’
‘I don’t believe you.’ She turned to Rhys and me. ‘Do you believe him?’
I grimaced. ‘Probably not.’
She turned back to Tony. ‘I’ll leave a suitcase of your stuff outside after the kids have gone to bed. You will not knock, ring, or do anything to try and get our attention. My solicitor will be in touch in the New Year.’
‘And what if I refuse to leave?’
‘Then I will insist that Callie and Rhys go to the police with the evidence that you’ve been stalking them. I think your new employer would be very interested to hear about the ABH charges too.’
‘You wouldn’t dare…’
Hazel folded her arms and stared at him. ‘Oh, I would. And when you hear from my solicitor, you’ll discover that I’m not the forgiving little wifey that you had me pegged as. You’re going to pay for this.’
‘Then you’ll have a fight on your hands,’ Tony growled as he got in the car and slammed the door shut.
‘I can’t wait.’
With a wheel spin, the car sped off the drive, screeching down the street.
The lounge window opened. ‘Mummy! Liberty’s got a piece of Lego stuck up her nose,’ shouted one of the kids before slamming the window shut again.
Hazel took a deep breath. ‘From one pleasant task to another, eh?’
‘I’m so sorry,’ I said. ‘We probably shouldn’t have come. I didn’t want to cause trouble. All I wanted was for Tony to leave us alone.’
She smiled as she shook her head. ‘It’s fine. You simply gave me more reasons to be strong about it and not take any more of his bullshit excuses.’
The window opened again and another child poked their head out. ‘It’s okay. She’s sneezed it out.’
Hazel laughed. ‘Crisis averted, although now I have the pleasure of washing snot off a piece of Lego. Who’d have kids, eh?’
‘We’d better leave you to it,’ I said. ‘I’m still sorry though.’
She shrugged. ‘I’m sorry for what he’s put you through. If you see this Maria, will you tell her she can do better and not to be scared about being on her own with a baby? I’m about to be on my own and, if I can do it with four kids under the age of seven, she can certainly do it with one.’
I nodded, although I doubted we’d be in touch unless it was for Maria to tear a strip off me for interfering again, as she saw it.
Hazel headed back towards the house as Rhys and I set off down the drive.
‘Oh, Callie,’ she called. ‘Thanks for the wine. I think I’ll be very grateful for that tonight. I hope you have some more at home as I think you might be in need of a stiff drink too.’
‘I do. Enjoy it. And good luck.’
She smiled, waved, then closed the door. Rhys pulled me to his side and kissed the top of my head. ‘Does it make me a bad person for enjoying that? The way Hazel kicked ass, that is, not what he’s put her through.’
I squeezed him around the waist. ‘If it does make you a bad person, then that’s two of us off Santa’s list next year. Ready for round two?’
‘Bring it on.’
41
It had taken a lengthy text exchange with Rhys, but Izzy finally opened the door of her mum’s house and stepped outside. Wearing skinny jeans tucked into Ugg boots and a sparkly silver top, she pulled on a puffer jacket. Rhys got out and walked around the van to lean against the side next to my door. I wound down the window, my heart thumping.
‘What do you want?’ she snapped, giving Rhys a filthy look.
So that was Izzy. She was very pretty, with expertly applied make-up and long blonde hair twisted into spiral curls.
‘A few things,’ Rhys said, ‘but first I’d like to introduce you to my fiancée, Callie.’
Her ey
es widened and her jaw tightened, but she blatantly refused to look at me. ‘Your what?’
‘My fiancée. I proposed yesterday.’
‘Hi Izzy,’ I said, cheerfully. ‘It’s nice to finally meet you.’
She looked in the other direction and I half expected her to say ‘whatever’, the petulant little brat. What had Rhys seen in her?
‘Secondly, your little games are going to stop right now.’
‘What games?’
‘That family selfie this morning. What were you thinking of, kissing me then posting it on Facebook when I specifically asked you to delete it?’
‘You were the one who kissed me.’ She turned to me, grinning. ‘Proper snog with tongues and everything.’
‘Wow! You’re a real class act, aren’t you?’ I shook my head, stunned at her audacity. ‘Your mother must be so proud of you.’
‘Meaning?’
‘Let me see. There’s how you got pregnant, using your daughter like a bargaining chip, the fake selfie on Facebook, and paying my ex to take photos of you and Rhys in the park together.’ I had no idea whether she had anything to do with it but calling her bluff was worth a try.
‘Is that what he told you? The wanker still owes me the money.’
‘You’re friends with Tony?’ I asked.
She screwed up her face. ‘As if. Creepy old git.’
‘How do you know him?’ Rhys asked.
Izzy sighed. ‘He’d followed you to the house one day so he knew where I lived. He said he needed revenge on Callie and did I want to help him for £100? Except he reckoned the photos weren’t good enough so he wasn’t going to cough up.’
‘Yeah, well, I’d say goodbye to that money because Tony has other more pressing financial priorities now,’ I said.
Izzy pouted. ‘I knew I should have made him give me the money first. He said I could trust him.’
I laughed. ‘Believe me, Tony is the last man on earth you can trust.’
‘Are we done?’ she asked, rolling her eyes.
‘No,’ Rhys said, ‘we’re not. Here’s what’s going to happen. The constant phone calls and texts are going to stop. From now on, I only want to hear from you regarding arrangements to see Megan or if there’s something genuinely wrong with her, which doesn’t mean she’s teething and needs Calpol. We’ll also have regular access, we being Callie and me.’
‘No way.’ Izzy shook her head vigorously, narrowing her eyes at me.
‘Yes, way,’ Rhys continued.
‘Good luck with that.’ Izzy threw me a filthy look, then turned and started walking towards her mum’s house.
‘I’d hoped we could resolve this informally,’ Rhys called. ‘But have it your way. I’ll call Social Services next week.’
Izzy stormed back towards him and jabbed him in the chest. ‘You’d seriously take my baby away from me?’
‘I have no intention of taking our daughter away from you but if you’re not going to play fair with visiting rights, then I’ll have no choice but to go down an official route and, while I’m at it, we’ll sort out payments too. You and I both know I’m paying way more than I need to.’
‘You’re bluffing.’
‘You think so?’ Rhys shook his head. ‘By the way, did you ever tell your family about how Megan was conceived? I’m sure they’d be fascinated to discover I’m not really the bad guy you’ve no doubt led them to think I am.’ He turned to me. ‘Where’s that other bottle of wine?’
I handed him the second gift bag and he smiled at Izzy. ‘Shall we go and wish your family a Merry Christmas?’
She grabbed the bag off him. ‘You can have Megan tomorrow if you want.’
‘Just me?’ Rhys asked.
She scowled again. ‘Both of you.’
Rhys grinned at her. ‘That wasn’t so difficult, was it? Merry Christmas, Izzy.’
‘Piss off.’ She stormed back to her mum’s house, giving us the finger.
‘Well, isn’t she a delight?’ I said when Rhys clambered back into the van.
He exhaled and his shoulders slumped. ‘Not that I’m trying to defend her, but I’ve never seen her that bad. She can behave like a spoilt kid sometimes but the aggression was a new thing.’
I gently squeezed his thigh. ‘Do you think it’s over with them both?’
He shook his head. ‘I’d love to say yes. You?’
‘Same here. I think they’ve heard the message and they’re scared, but I have a feeling this isn’t over yet.’
Rhys started the engine. ‘It’s over for today, though. What time are we due at your mum’s?’
‘Not till six.’
‘Then we have a couple of hours to make it a memorable Christmas for good reasons. Let’s get out of here.’
Our final visit of the day couldn’t have been more different. Nick answered the door, hugged me, and shook Rhys’s hand.
‘Nice apron,’ I said, smiling at the Mrs Santa design.
‘Argh! I forgot I was still wearing that.’ He swiftly untied it and dropped it onto the floor.
‘Happy Christmas!’ Mum said as I bent down to hug her. Seated in an armchair with her leg up on a footstool, the plaster-cast was wrapped in tinsel.
‘Very festive.’
She smiled. ‘The plain white was far too boring.’
Rhys hugged her then sat beside me on the sofa.
‘So, how was your first Christmas together?’ Mum asked.
Rhys and I exchanged smiles. ‘Amazing,’ I said. ‘Rhys asked me to marry him.’
There were high-pitched squeals of excitement from Mum and slightly more manly ones from Nick, more hugs, and photos. Nick disappeared into the kitchen and returned with glasses of bubbly to toast our happy news.
As I relayed the story of Rhys’s proposal, I tried not to think about the reaction Ed might be having to the news, or about the earlier confrontations with Tony and Izzy. Ruby, Jenny, Mum and Nick were all thrilled at the news and hopefully Jenny was right about Ed and change was afoot.
Nick had to head off early in the evening to exchange gifts with his girlfriend so I walked him to the door.
‘I’m so chuffed for you both,’ he said, hugging me again. ‘And I think Rhys will make you really happy.’
‘So do I. What about you and Lindsay? Going well?’
He shrugged. ‘I like her but I’m approaching it cautiously. I’m taking it as a good sign that she wants to see me on Christmas Day when I know she usually spends the day with family.’
‘And you’re going out on New Year’s Eve.’
He grimaced. ‘To a toga party. What’s that all about?’
‘You’ll have fun. I think. Never been to one myself.’
‘There’s probably a good reason for that.’
We hugged again and I waved him off then returned to the lounge where Mum was laughing at something Rhys was telling her. The affection she felt towards him was obvious. I watched them for a moment with a smile on my face. Would Ed ever be like that with me? I suspected not but I’d happily accept a polite truce. Something else to wish for…
42
‘How are you feeling?’ Rhys asked as we pulled up outside Izzy’s house after lunch on Boxing Day.
‘Ridiculously nervous. What if she doesn’t like me?’
‘She’ll love you.’
It was a cold day but very still so we’d decided to take Megan for a walk down to South Bay.
Izzy was waiting outside her tiny two-bed terrace rocking Megan in her buggy. Bundled up in a snowsuit, she was fast asleep. What a stunning little girl, with pudgy pink cheeks, dark curly hair, and long thick eyelashes. I couldn’t wait to see her awake.
‘You’re late,’ Izzy snapped.
Rhys looked at his watch. ‘By one minute.’
‘You’re still late. Bring her back by four at the latest.’
‘We’ll bring her back somewhere between four and five,’ Rhys said, taking hold of the buggy.
With a tut, Izzy stepped back into th
e house and slammed the door. She hadn’t looked at me in the whole of that time. Great.
Megan woke up shortly after we arrived on the seafront. She grinned when she spotted her daddy and giggled as he blew a raspberry on her cheek. Reaching for one of his dark curls, she yanked on it and giggled. Untangling himself, Rhys turned Megan round to face me. ‘This is Callie, sweetie. Say hello.’ He swooped her towards me, making her giggle again.
I loved watching Rhys with Megan. He seemed so relaxed and comfortable in the role of dad and, thankfully, he didn’t laugh at me when it was obvious I had no idea how to hold a child. ‘Do I have to support her head?’
‘Not at this age. Only when they’re babies but she’s nearly one now. You need a firm hold, though, as she’s like a wriggly snake.’
We had such a lovely afternoon together. Megan was the complete opposite to her mum: warm, affectionate and full of giggles.
‘She’s beautiful, Rhys,’ I said as we walked back towards Izzy’s house a couple of hours later. ‘Do you think she could be a flower girl at our wedding?’
‘I’d love that. I can’t guarantee she’d do what she’s meant to, but she’d definitely look cute.’
When we arrived back at Izzy’s, she answered the door in her dressing gown. Megan put out her arms and started squirming in her buggy. ‘Hi, precious. Have you missed me?’ Izzy bent down and picked her up, cuddling her close. ‘I’ve missed you so much. Did you have a lovely time with Daddy?’
Watching her with her daughter, I saw a different side to Izzy. The sulky brat was gone and she seemed normal. And nice.
On the way home, a text arrived. ‘It’s from Maria.’
‘A mouthful of abuse?’ Rhys asked.
‘No, it’s… oh my God!’
✉︎ From Maria
Thought you might be interested to know that you were wrong about Tony. He’s left his wife and moved in with me. He can’t wait for the baby to arrive so we can be a proper family
‘Will that man ever stop lying?’ I said to Rhys.
Making Wishes at Bay View Page 22
