Change of Harte (Harte, #2) (Harte Series) (19 page)

Chapter 44

Eva sat alone in the corridor. There was a clock on the wall opposite and the second hand ticked by unusually loud, like a tiny hammer tapping the back of Eva’s skull. Time was moving painfully slow. Shelly had been gone a long time and Eva wondered if she’d even come back at all. But someone passed a paper cup of hot coffee into her hand and Eva knew without looking up who it was.

‘I’m sorry for biting your head off,’ Eva said as Shelly sat beside her.

‘S’okay. I kinda sprung all that on you.’

‘I’m glad you told me. I just…I just…Look, any time I’ve doubted Julian before, it’s always made a mess of things, you know. I know this is huge, but I need to talk to him about it. And I will. Just as soon as he wakes up.’

Shelly didn’t reply. But her silence was worth a thousand words and Eva knew Shelly shared her doubts about never getting the opportunity to have that conversation. Or any conversation, ever again.

‘If it helps, I don’t think he’d ever want to hurt you.’

‘It doesn’t really. But thank you.’ Eva ran her hands through her hair and tugged hard.

‘It’s all Julian’s fault. His obsession with games.’ Shelly was so full of anger. It wasn’t like her. But Eva suspected she was angry with the situation, not with Julian. Shelly was wrong that Julian only had one friend. He had them, too.

‘His games saved my life, Shelly.’

‘How the fuck are you so calm about this? Isn’t it driving you crazy?’ Shelly said, fidgeting with her nails.

‘Because if I let my outside fall to shit, like the way my insides are, you’d be scraping me up off the floor right now. Julian is dying. The least I can do is stay upright.’

‘I wish we could just rewind time. Tell Julian none of us want to play.’

Eva shook her head. ‘I’d play every time.’

‘But I told you…you don’t know the full story.’

‘Shelly, stop.’

‘Please, Eva. Let me tell you. I wouldn’t be a good friend if I didn’t. You can make your mind up when you know everything, and I promise I’ll just accept your decision.’

Eva looked at the door to the operating theatre again. She wished so hard that the surgeon would come back and tell them everything was okay. But the corridor remained as silent and still as ever.

Eva looked back at Shelly and resigned herself to listen.

‘It wasn’t just a game, Eva. Not to Julian. It was a setup. Mia was the example. The initial
it girl.
He needed to convince everyone, me and you included, that that’s how he rolled. He played everyone.’

‘Shelly, this is old news. We’ve been over this. Are you still upset about it all?’

‘It bothered me at first, yeah. Of course, it did. I felt used. Julian’s spot of entertainment while he was waiting for you.’

‘Me? You think this is me? That’s not fair. I didn’t even want to play.’

‘You never even had a choice. It was all set up before the recruiter even contacted you.’

‘The recruiter. What?’

Eva had dished her résumé out to every recruiter she could find. Ignite Tech just happened to be the first offer she’d gotten. Julian had done her a favour.

‘Eva, you’ve got a diploma in psychology, don’t you? Why the fuck would you be offered a job in marketing for a multinational technology company?’

‘I applied for everything and anything, Shell. I just wanted the hell out of Jersey. I’d have cleaned toilets with my hair if I had to.’

‘Eva, think. Julian wanted you and hiring you to come work in his Dublin office was his best plan.’

‘Wanted me for what?’ Eva was struggling to hold back her frustration. She didn’t want to talk about anything right now, never mind have a goddamn interrogation.

‘For revenge.’

‘Revenge?’ Eva voice was a barely audible squeal. ‘Oh, c’mon.’

‘Look, my facts mightn’t be a hundred percent straight, but this is what I’ve got so far. Did you know your dad visited Dublin a couple of times?’

‘Years ago, you mean?’

‘Yeah, like when you were just a kid.’

Eva shrugged. ‘Yeah maybe, I dunno. He’d go off on epic binges. He’d be gone for weeks. I never asked where; I doubt my mother knew, anyway. I didn’t care. I just used to wish he wouldn’t come back.’

‘Well, one of those binges took him to Dublin…’

‘…And.’

Shelly’s words were slurred because her mind was racing so hard, but Eva still needed her to speak faster. Shelly had Eva’s full attention now.

‘And…and, well, he ruined Julian’s life.’

Eva backed away, shaking her head. ‘How does…how did…my father knows Julian…what?’

‘He didn’t. Not really. He stayed in their guest house in Dun Laoghaire.’

Eva hands flew to her face. ‘Oh, no. Oh, Christ no.’

Julian loved Dun Laoghaire. She’d seen the fondness in his eyes when they’d walked the pier there together. The pieces were fitting together. They were fitting together and suddenly she didn’t want them to.

‘Stop, Shelly. I told you I didn’t want to talk about this.’

Shelly walked away slowly and sat on a nearby sill of one of the many windows overlooking the car park.

Eva wanted desperately to walk the other way. She eyed up the sign for the exit and even began pacing toward it, but after just a couple of seconds, she stopped. What the fuck was she doing? She was so torn. She was finally in a good place. Her life was good. It wasn’t perfect, but fuck it—it was good enough. Following Shelly would mess it all up again. But dammit, she’d spend this long looking for answers…and now that she was about to get them, she was considering running away. What kind of a coward was she?

‘Shell, wait,’ Eva shouted turning around.

‘You sure you’re ready for this?’ Shelly asked, sliding over to make room for Eva to sit beside her.

Eva sighed. ‘Actually, I’m sure I’m not ready.’

Shelly put her hand on Eva’s knee and gave a gentle squeeze. ‘I know, hun. Who in the hell would ever be ready for this shit?’

Eva took a deep breath. She already hated her father, but she had a horrible feeling that whatever Shelly was about to tell her would make her hate Julian, too.

‘It was the fire, Eva. He started it. Your dad burned down Julian’s house.’

Eva closed her eyes and nodded slowly. She didn’t want to believe it, but she did.

‘He was pissed, Eva. Or off his head on something. He threw a bottle of gin into the sitting room stove and the whole place went up in a matter of minutes. He was gone, along with his passport and two thousand of the Harte’s family savings.’

Eva’s whole body erupted in goosebumps. She always knew her father was evil, but this, this was another level entirely. He’d wiped out a whole family and left Julian
as
a homeless orphan.

‘How do you know all this?’

‘Nathan.’

‘Nathan?’ Eva shook her head. ‘What, what does he have to do with this?’

‘He’s an undercover reporter, Eva. He works for one of the big papers. That’s what happened at Vertigo. Nathan wanted to save Melissa, but he wanted a story, too. He’d been piecing the game together for months.’

Eva dropped her face into her hands and her body shook with a mix of temper and despair. ‘Is that why you broke up? Because of this story? Because of me?’

‘No, not because of you. Because Nathan is a lying bastard. Six months we’ve been together and not once, not even one fucking time, did he hint that he was working for the press.’

‘Oh, Shelly. I’m so sorry.’

‘Not your fault, hon. Jesus, we really know how to pick ‘em.’

Eva nodded. Still trying to piece together why Julian set her up. Why would he want anything to do with the daughter of a man who ruined his life? It didn’t make any fucking sense. This had to only be the tip of the iceberg.

‘How did you find out about Nathan in the end?’

Shelly looked like she was about to have a breakdown any second. And Eva felt bad for pushing her, but this was just too important not to get as much information as she possibly could. Shelly didn’t reply. She’d kind of zoned out. Rocking gently from side to side, her shoulder tapping off Eva’s every few seconds.

Eva turned so they were face to face. She placed both her hands on Shelly’s shoulders to steady her and she spoke slowly and very clearly. ‘Shell.  Tell me. How. Did. You. Find. Out?’

Shelly shrugged herself free and looked Eva in the eyes. ‘He told me?’

‘Who Nathan or Julian?’

Jesus Christ, this was like trying to get cava from a turnip.

‘Nathan, Eva. Nathan told me. He didn’t have to, but he did. And now I don’t know what the fuck I’m supposed to do with that.’

Eva was disappointed for a second. She really hoped Julian had confessed. It wouldn’t have made her less angry, but it would have redeemed him, just a little. ‘What does all this have to do with the game? I don’t get it.’

‘This is a game, that is a game. That’s all Julian ever says. Well, they’re just words. There is no fucking game. There never was. I told you.’ Shelly rubbed her temples. ‘It was all just a setup. Julian wanted to fuck you over. You’re the daughter of the man who destroyed his life. He wanted to destroy yours. The game was created just to do that.’

Eva stood up. Her legs were more wobbly than if she’d drank her body weight in tequila. ‘But he saved me. That’s why we’re here, for fuck’s sake. He got stabbed coming for me. This doesn’t make any sense. God, I just wish I could talk to him. This is too hard, Shell. It’s too hard.

‘I know. I know. Maybe at some point he had a change of heart. Like I think he really does love you. You just have to weigh up if you can forgive everything and just love him back.’

‘Shell, are you sure? Promise me you’re sure. You were wrong at the club. Nathan was wrong. Maybe he’
s
wrong now.’

‘God, I wish I wasn’t, but I’m sure. Yeah, I’m sure.’

‘Well, looks like Julian won at last. Because I couldn’t be any more fucked over right now if I tried.’

Chapter 45

Eva didn’t register pain as her shoulder crashed the cubical door. She was so far past any physical feeling. Her knees bent without her telling them to and she hit the tiled floor with a loud thud. She tossed her head from side to side and grabbed hold of her stomach. She begged herself not to throw up until the women in the next cubicles flushed.

Maybe Shelly was wrong. Maybe Nathan was a shit reporter and he’d gotten all his facts wrong. That happened all the time, didn’t it? And then the paper would have to print a retraction and take it all back. This could be one of those times.

Eva couldn’t hold it in anymore and vomit burned its way up her throat. Her whole body heaved as it spilled out her mouth and into the toilet bowl with a loud, angry splash.

But Nathan had managed to convince her that he was a mild-mannered dork. She’d really believed he was her friend. But he’d lied to her. He wasn’t incompetent at this job, he was the exact opposite. And he was a complete lying bastard. Just like Julian had lied to her. And her father before that. Every man she’d ever dared to give a shit about was a liar and pretending to be something they’re not. She was like a magnet for lying assholes. And yet none of this…none of the hurt or anger or hate could compete with hope. Hope that the game-playing asshole she was head over heels in love with would wake up.

‘Eva. Eva, are you in here?’ Shelly’s voice echoed around the cold restrooms.

Go away. Please go away!

Eva could hear the slam of each cubical door against the wall as they were kicked opened one after another. Shelly wasn’t leaving. Eva wiped around her mouth with some tissue and opened her door.

Shelly eyes were red and puffy and her face was ghostly white, even her lips had lost most of their colour.

‘Julian?’ Eva choked, her face turning a matching colour to Shelly’s.

‘We need to hurry.’

The previously eerie corridor was now quite busy. Two Gardaí stood with notepads and pens in their hands, talking to a doctor Eva hadn’t seen before. A blond woman who radiated elegance and sophistication, even from behind, was speaking to the pretty female surgeon who Eva and Shelly had met earlier.

Eva didn’t need her to turn around to know it was Mia. Eva edged closer, standing just a couple of steps away from Mia and the surgeon, but neither woman turned their attention away from the conversation they were locked in. Listening in, Eva was terrified of what she might hear. Shelly lagged a little behind.

‘We’ve made him as comfortable as possible,’ the surgeon said. ‘The next twenty-four hours are critical. It’s up to Julian now.’

‘He likes a challenge,’ Mia said.

Eva sucked her lips between her teeth and pressed them hard against each other. Mia said exactly what Eva was thinking. It hurt that that bitch from hell knew him so well.

‘Would you like to see him?’ the surgeon asked.

Mia’s head looked like it might fall off she nodded so hard.

‘Of course. I can take you through to ICU now.’

Mia and the surgeon began walking away. But Eva’s feet were cemented to the spot. She couldn’t get them to move.

‘You’ll see a lot of wires and tubes, but I can assure you that we’re keeping him as comfortable as possible. He’s had a lot of pain relief, and he's constantly monitored by one of our nurses,’ the surgeon explained gently to Mia, her voice trailing off as she and Mia gained some distance.

‘Wait,’ Eva called, her legs finally moving. She was beside Mia and the doctor again in seconds. ‘Can I see him, too? Please?’

The doctor looked at Mia first and then Eva. ‘Oh, I’m sorry. It’s strictly family only in ICU.’

‘But that’s not fair,’ Shelly protested, finally stepping forward.

‘Please,’ Eva begged, tears pouring down her face. ‘Please, just for a second, please.’

‘I really am sorry,’ the surgeon said extending her arm to lead Mia ahead.

‘No. Mia, please. Tell her?’ Eva grabbed the back of Mia’s black blazer.

Mia spun around, jerking herself free from Eva’s grip. ‘You think you have the right to see him?’ Mia was practically hopping on the spot. ‘You almost got him killed, you crazy bitch. You’re toxic. Your whole family is. This obsession Julian has with paying his dues is over. Your mother and sister are waiting for you in a hotel on Harcourt Street. He doesn’t owe you anything anymore.’

‘Paying his dues? What in the hell are you talking about?’

‘If you haven’t figured it all out by now, you’re even more stupid then I ever thought.’ Mia turned back to the surgeon. ‘Which way?’

‘Mia, I’ve always known you’re a bitch, but this is low even for you. I’m not going anywhere. You’re not going to stop me from seeing him.’

‘Run back to your family, Eva. And let me be with mine.’

‘Julian is going to be my family, Mia. Just as soon as he’s better. We’re together now.’

Mia laughed. The surgeon looked uncomfortable. Shelly did, too. Eva was past caring.

‘Julian Harte’s beautiful face can get him away with a lot, but it won’t help him pull off a girlfriend and a wife.’

Eva’s heart somersaulted and crashed against every rib in her chest. ‘No. No way. You’re lying.’

‘Didn’t you know Julian is married,’ Mia smirked.

‘No, he’s not,’ Shelly interrupted. ‘I’ve never seen this so-called wife.’

‘You’re lying,’ Eva repeated, her eyes begging for telltale signs in Mia face. ‘You have to be lying.’

‘You’ve never seen his wife?’ Mia spat, tapping her chest angrily. ‘You’re fucking looking at her.’

‘Holy. Fucking. Shit.’ Shelly gargled.

‘You want to play games with my husband, Eva. Fine! But you need to know that being married to that man has taught me a few things. I don’t lose. Bring it.’

End of Round 2