by Kaylie Kay
‘No, not really, I didn’t really have any at home. I think I told you I was home schooled, and I haven’t really made any here except you, I only met builders at Tom’s.’ She looked up sadly at Olivia.
Olivia sank back into the chair. She knew she was beaten, that she couldn’t possibly just walk away now, that Sarah needed her. Why, oh why, oh why did she have to care? Why was a Sarah her problem? But she couldn’t just leave her, the girl needed a friend, and for now Olivia couldn’t see anyone else lining up for the position.
Two hours later Olivia walked back through her front door, mentally exhausted. She didn’t want to be doing this, didn’t want to be Sarah’s friend and counsellor, but she didn’t have anyone else, so how could she walk away? She was so young, dealing with all of this all on her own. She put her gym bag down in the hallway and walked through to the kitchen, placing the pile of letters she had just taken out of the post box onto the side. Opening the fridge, she took out the bottle of wine that was standing in the fridge door, and poured herself a large glass.
She sank into her sofa with her phone and mindlessly began scrolling through her newsfeed. A notification flashed up, and she clicked on it, probably someone’s birthday or something unimportant as it usually was.
Sarah Fischer has tagged you in a post.
A photo of them on their night out was on the screen, she remembered Sarah asking Claire to take it. Thank you for being such a good friend, it said underneath. Olivia rolled her eyes and took a gulp of her wine, moving past the post swiftly, not commenting on it. She heard Tom’s keys in the door and turned the phone off. Enough of that for tonight now that her fiancé was home. She smiled.
Chapter 52
What was in that envelope that had affected Tom? One minute they had been clearing up in the kitchen together, happy, and the next minute Tom had looked like he’d been punched in the stomach, leaving the room clutching the envelope and the letter that he had just taken from it. Olivia looked through the other letters that still lay scattered on the side; no clues as to what had just upset him were to be found there. She finished putting away the plates, walking out of the kitchen wondering where he had gone.
Five minutes passed slowly, Tom not replying to her calls, although she hadn’t shouted in case he was on the phone. Eventually he appeared from the den, with no sign of the letter, and a look on his face that she couldn’t quite read.
‘Are you ok?’
‘Yeah, yeah, fine. Sorry, just had to make a quick call.’ ‘What was the letter about?’ she asked casually.
‘Nothing, nosey,’ he teased, walking back into the kitchen.
Olivia wondered if he was really allowed secrets anymore now that they were getting married. Surely she was entitled to know everything now. Oh well, maybe she didn’t want to know everything really, it would probably only bore her if it was about work anyway!
‘I saw Sarah today,’ she called over her shoulder. No answer. ‘Did you hear me, Tom?’
‘Oh, yeah.’ He sounded distracted.
‘She said to tell you she’s got a job with Ted Coulter and congratulations on our engagement.’
‘Oh.’
‘She’s joined my gym.’ Nothing. ‘Tom.’
‘Sorry babe, I have to go out.’ Tom walked past her quickly, car keys in hand. He looked almost angry, she thought, not looking at her as he headed for the front door.
‘Where are you going?’ Olivia asked, confused.
‘I left something at the office, won’t be too long.’ And that was that, the door closed and he had gone.
Olivia sat bemused on the sofa; he had been so much better lately but things were going weird again. Oh well, she thought, topping up her glass, I’m sure it’s nothing serious. She picked up her phone and typed ‘wedding dresses’ into the search bar of her browser.
She was soon lost in the pages of fabulous dresses, screenshotting all of her favourites, and laughing out loud at the ridiculousness of some. Maybe she would take her mum to New York and look at the dresses in Vera Wang. She had been to the store on Madison Avenue once before with another crew member, and could remember vividly the rows of beautiful silk and lace dresses, and how stunning the girl had looked in the ones she had tried on. She had hoped then that it would be her turn one day, and now it was here. She giggled as she pictured her mum’s face when she saw the price tags, and how she would assure her that she didn’t have to worry, she wasn’t expecting her to pay for it. Despite tradition, she knew Tom would be happy to pay for things, and it wasn’t as if there was a father-of-the-bride anyway, sad for a moment when she realised her dad wouldn’t be there to walk her down the aisle. The sound of the doorbell dragged her back from her self-loathing and back into the room.
That was strange, she thought, that someone was ringing the bell but hadn’t buzzed the gates first. Tom must have misplaced his front door key. She opened the door, but no one was there and Olivia was puzzled as she looked out into the driveway. The lamp that hung by the door threw light in an arc around the front of the house but darkness shrouded the edges and Olivia couldn’t see into the shadows. She thought for a moment that she heard a rustle near the bushes on the left, and she shivered uneasily. It must have been a cat, she thought, as she closed the door quickly, although whilst that would explain the rustling it didn’t explain the doorbell. She was pretty sure that was beyond the abilities of most felines.
Suddenly Olivia felt uneasy; she had a feeling that she didn’t recognise at first, hadn’t felt for many years, maybe since childhood – fear. Quickly she went to the back of the house and checked that the back door was locked, terrified now that someone was in the garden. She pulled the curtains hastily to shut out the shadows outside that seemed to be moving, sitting back on the sofa, drawing her legs up to her chest. She called Tom’s phone but there was no answer. Damn him for going out, she thought. The doorbell rang again and Olivia wanted to scream, the fear was turning to terror and she tried to wake herself up. If only she were really asleep, she wished.
‘Hello?’ she called shakily, loud enough so that if anyone was at the door they would hear. The bell rang again. ‘Hello?’ Olivia called again. She could hear her voice shaking.
Olivia crept up the stairs, trying not to make a sound, and made her way into the front bedroom. She hid behind the curtains as she peered down into the driveway. She couldn’t see anyone, but a small brown box sat on the floor in front of the door. The light had gone out, not having detected any motion for some time, and Olivia stood deathly still, her senses heightened as she watched for anything that would explain what was happening.
Chapter 53
Fifteen minutes had passed and nothing had moved. Olivia’s heart rate was beginning to slow down. She left her position to check through the back windows; nothing was in the garden that she could see. Tom still wasn’t answering his phone as she came back downstairs and walked tentatively to the front door.
The box sat there innocently, but Olivia still approached it with caution. She was torn between grabbing it quickly and running back inside, or treating it like it might be a bomb. Get a grip, girl. Who the hell would leave a bomb on your doorstep? she mocked herself, picking it up, looking around her and retreating swiftly behind the safety of the door.
Placing it gently on the kitchen side she studied the box. It was a little smaller than a shoebox, but square in shape, taped shut on all sides. It looked innocent now, a harmless present left by someone who didn’t want to be seen – a surprise. She tried Tom’s phone one last time, not wanting to open it on her own.
‘Sorry babe, I left my phone in the car. I’m on my way back, are you ok?’
Olivia was so relieved to hear his voice, and tried to stop the tears that threatened to fall as she told him about what had happened.
‘Don’t open it until I get there,’ Tom ordered her.
‘It’s ok Tom, I don’t think it’s a bomb,’ she said, trying to sound braver than she really felt.
‘I know, but some w
eirdo has left it on the doorstep and run off so I don’t want you opening it on your own, ok?’
‘Ok,’ agreed Olivia, not wanting to open it on her own either.
‘I’ll be five minutes.’
Olivia felt the relief wash over her as she heard the gates open and Tom’s car pull in. He came through the door moments later, and she looked up at him from where she sat and couldn’t help but let the tears flow. Tom wrapped her in his arms and held her tightly as she sobbed, letting all the emotion of the last hour leave her.
‘It’s ok now, I’m back,’ he reassured her.
Once she had calmed down he released his hold and cupped her face in his hands, wiping away the last of the tears.
‘Right, where is it?’ he asked gently. Olivia gestured towards the kitchen. Tom got up, and Olivia went to follow him.
‘You stay here, you’ve had enough drama for one night.’ As much as Olivia wanted to know what was in it, she did as she was told, grateful that he was looking after her.
She heard the sound of the tape being cut and the box being opened, before Tom gently closed the door. What on earth was inside it that he didn’t want her to see? She heard the back door open and a minute or two later close again, then the sound of Tom walking back across the kitchen. The fridge door opened and she heard him exhale loudly as he took a bottle of beer from the shelf, before finally opening the door and coming back into the lounge.
‘Must’ve been kids messing about, there was nothing but a clown toy in it,’ he said reassuringly. There had been a film out in the cinema lately with a scary clown in it, so it was plausible, she thought, that kids would find this a funny way to terrify people. ‘I’ve put it straight in the bin. I’ll get someone around tomorrow to fit security cameras, I don’t want you to worry.’ He put his arm around her as he sat down; she loved that he cared so much and was comforted by his plan, wondering if she would ever feel quite the same again when she was on her own here.
‘I had better go to bed,’ Olivia said, noticing that it was almost eleven o’clock, ‘I haven’t even packed yet. Come up with me?’ She looked at Tom pleadingly, not wanting to be on her own, still nervous. Tom drank the last of his beer from the bottle and got up, following her protectively.
Sarah was pleased with herself; her night had been a success. She waited in her car, the new one she had bought last week, and watched Tom drive back into his house. She had ignored all of his calls, and his angry voicemails saying that he was at her house. She had told him straight, in the letter, to leave Olivia or face the consequences.
It was simple, he would have to split up with Olivia either way, whether through his own choice, or because she made it happen herself. Sarah thought she had been quite nice about it up until now, offering herself to him, selling their new life together as a good alternative, but he just couldn’t see it. She had even got the job at the council so that she could help him, if he was nice to her, or she could lose him the contract if he wasn’t.
What was this hold Olivia had over him anyway? She really wasn’t all that. Why did Tom have to still think with his head and his heart, instead of his dick, like most men? She was exasperated; he obviously needed decisions to be made for him, so she would have to split them up.
The box had been a bit impulsive admittedly, but she had been so angry after she had left Olivia. She had joined the gym without much of a plan, just knowing that she would be able to keep an eye on things if she were able to get Olivia to trust her. Olivia was weak, a goody-goody, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to help herself being nice if she played on her weaknesses. She was right, it had been a pushover to get her to go for a drink, listen to her fake troubles, but she’d sat there in the coffee shop, rubbing her face in it, keeping on touching her ring, and playing with its big diamonds. Raging, she had stopped herself screaming that her life wasn’t so bloody perfect, that Tom wanted to be with her really. When she had seen that bride and groom model in the card shop window afterwards she had bought it mindlessly. Back in her flat it had felt good to imagine that the bride in the model was that bitch, as she had dug out its plastic eyes and sawn its throat with a steak knife. She was so pleased with what she had done she needed Olivia to see it too, and so she had come up with the idea of leaving it on the doorstep for her. Luckily the walls weren’t so high and she had managed to get over them without much trouble, and without being seen.
She smiled menacingly as she recalled the terrified way Olivia had called ‘Hello?’ too frightened to answer the door, as she had hidden in the bush, and tried to imagine what she had looked like when she opened the box, the pathetic cow that she was. She knew Tom would know it was her, but she hadn’t done anything to the groom, so she hoped he would know she wasn’t angry with him anymore, she couldn’t stay angry with him for long.
Chapter 54
Olivia’s phone beeped as she got out of the shower.
Your flight to Houston this morning is cancelled. You are stood down today, please acknowledge and check your roster for further updates.
Result, thought Olivia, grateful that she hadn’t left the house yet. She sat on the bed and thought for a moment what she should do with her extra day off. Despite the urge to get back into bed she soon reached into her drawer and pulled out some gym clothes; there was a good spinning class at 9:30 that she could make if she hurried.
As she walked across the car park Olivia smiled, feeling invigorated. The worries of the night before had drained away as she had pedalled manically to the music and the shouts of the instructor. With every imaginary hill that she had climbed she had felt stronger, defiant, she wouldn’t let the actions of some kids that she didn’t even know make her a victim.
As she started up the car she nearly didn’t notice the piece of paper stuck under her windscreen wiper. She opened her door and reached around to remove it, tempted to throw it on the ground but stopping herself and put it on the passenger seat. It wasn’t the first flier that she had had put on her car, never advertising anything that was of any interest to her. Surely they were a waste of the advertiser’s time and money, she thought. As she sat in the line of cars exiting the car park she opened it absentmindedly, not really interested, but stopped when she noticed the handwriting. It wasn’t a flier after all, it was a note.
Your boyfriend doesn’t love you, he is only with you because he feels sorry for you. He is having an affair with someone better than you, you should leave him.
Olivia felt sick. The sound of the horn beeping from the car behind reminded her where she was and she dropped the note back on the seat as she started to drive. As she pulled up at the house what seemed like moments later she realised she had no recollection of how she had got there, that she couldn’t remember any of the drive home. She picked the note back up and sat there in the car staring at it. It was definitely a girl’s writing, she could tell by the loops and the way the letters flowed, but it looked like it had been written in a hurry, without much thought to the content. Who would write this? Was there any truth in it? Surely she would know if Tom was cheating. Surely he wouldn’t have asked her to marry him if he didn’t want to be with her. She felt the anxiety burning her chest, remembering the fear of the night before, and now the thought that someone had been watching her, seen her car and taken the time to put the note on it. Was it possible that the two things were connected? She tried to talk herself down, find the sensible explanation. It had been kids the night before, hadn’t it? The note didn’t mention a name so maybe it was just another weirdo playing some messed-up prank?
She hadn’t noticed Tom’s car parked there, maybe because he was never home during the day so she hadn’t expected him to be now, and her mind was elsewhere. She looked over at it as she turned the key in the lock, still holding the note in her other hand. As she walked into the house she could hear him shouting. She didn’t think she had ever heard Tom sound so angry before. He obviously hadn’t heard her come in and she closed the door quietly, trying to hear what he
was saying.
‘You’re mad, just leave us alone, it’s over!’ Silence, presumably as the object of his fury spoke. Olivia crept towards the kitchen where his voice was coming from. ‘I swear to God, if you ever come anywhere near my home or me again I will call the police, I should have called them last night.’ Olivia held her breath on the other side of the door, wishing for a moment that she hadn’t heard anything, that her flight hadn’t been cancelled and she wasn’t stood here right now listening to her world fall apart. ‘Sarah, you have to move on, it wasn’t anything, we had nothing, it was all a mistake.’ His voice was getting lower, he sounded desperate almost. ‘I love Olivia, I will never leave her for you. Why can’t you get that into your head?’
Olivia pushed the door open. Tom had his back to her, his phone to his ear and other hand rubbing his head.
‘Tom.’ She couldn’t say any more. She had no more words.
Tom froze momentarily before turning around slowly. He looked at her, like he was trying to tell how much she had heard, but it must have been clear that she had heard enough. He hung up the call, not looking at the phone or taking his eyes off of Olivia’s face as he put it down on the side. Olivia stepped forward, looking at the object next to the phone, trying to work out what it was. Tom followed her gaze to the wedding figures that were sat there, but he moved too slowly to grab them and Olivia gasped as she saw the face of the bride, covering her mouth with her hands.
Olivia didn’t know what to do, but she couldn’t breathe and she needed to get out of there. She turned and walked hastily towards the front door, getting back into her car and driving, with no idea of where she was going.
Chapter 55
