Second Time Around (25 page)

‘She was always so kind to me,’ Cal mused.

‘To everyone,’ Jess said. ‘Especially Bobby. But, since her recovery, he seems to drive her mad.’

‘Basically she doesn’t give a crap about any of us now.’

Despite Noel’s flippant tone, Jess could hear the crack in his voice. She met Cal’s eyes and slipped her arm round her little brother’s shoulders. ‘She cares. She cares a
lot. Especially about her darling son.’ Her teasing brought a smile and Noel leaned his forehead against hers. She fought back her tears and stood up to get the guys another beer and make
some coffee.

‘Interesting.’ Cal declined the can.

‘What is?’ Noel asked.

‘In both cases it’s as if the wires in the brain have got crossed or tangled, with unpredictable results. Your mum and Bobby probably have more in common now than ever
before.’

‘Maybe but it sure as hell isn’t bringing them closer,’ Noel assured him.

‘I was telling you Nora called.’ Jess refilled her glass and, leaning against the worktop, told them about the conversation with her mother’s best friend.

Noel groaned and put his head in his hands. ‘What do we do, Jess, or should we just stay out of it?’

‘We can’t possibly stay out of it now,’ Jess protested. ‘We have to do something. I just wish I knew what.’

Thirty minutes of arguing, Cal acting as referee, and they were still no nearer a solution when the doorbell rang. Jess froze. Maybe she’d just ignore it.

‘Jess, someone’s at the door,’ Noel said.

‘Oh, right.’ Thanks, Noel. Thanks a lot. She went downstairs and opened the door a crack and, as she’d feared, Louis was outside.

‘Hello, darling.’ He pushed the door open and reached for her.

Frightened, Jess held him at arm’s length, glancing nervously over her shoulder. She was afraid of Louis but she was even more afraid of what would happen if Noel and Cal witnessed him
manhandling her. ‘You have to go. My brother’s here.’

Louis groaned. ‘Fuck. Call me when you get rid of him, Jess. I want you.’

‘Just go, Louis,’ she said, her stomach heaving at the lust in his eyes.

‘Give me a kiss first,’ he said, lowering his mouth to hers.

Jess heard a noise and turned to see her brother glaring down at them. She stepped back. ‘Louis, this is my brother, Noel.’

Louis tilted his head in acknowledgement, his eyes twinkling with amusement. He looked back at her. ‘Like I said, call me when you’re free and we can discuss
that . . . care-in-the-community piece.’

‘Will do,’ she said and shut the door after him.

‘What the hell? I thought you’d dumped him.’

‘I have, Noel, but I still work with the man.’

‘You don’t kiss a boss.’

Jess tried for a careless laugh but it sounded unconvincing even to her. ‘Louis’s like that with all women, it doesn’t mean anything. I can handle him.’ Another lie, she
realised, leading the way back upstairs. She pulled up short when she saw Cal standing in the doorway. He must have heard everything. She flushed and begged him with her eyes not to say
anything.

‘Everything okay?’ he asked, his expression grim.

‘Fine,’ Jess said brightly.

‘It was her boss looking for a quick bonk,’ her brother told him.

‘Noel, cut it out.’ She glared at her brother, mortified.

‘Hey, don’t be so touchy, I’m just kidding. But how you could ever have had anything to do with a guy like him—’

‘Noel, grow up and stop embarrassing your sister,’ Cal said quietly, his eyes on her. She couldn’t quite read his expression. She looked away, wishing the ground would open and
swallow her up.

Noel flung himself down on Jess’s sofa. ‘Where were we?’

‘You had decided, I think, that your brother-in-law was the best person to approach,’ Cal reminded them.

‘Yeah. You do it, Jess, he’ll listen to you.’

‘Thanks,’ Jess muttered. The thought of confronting Keith was daunting. She looked to Cal. ‘I doubt he’ll heed me.’

‘Don’t be confrontational or judgemental,’ Cal counselled. ‘Tell him you’re worried about Bobby and the behavioural problems you’ve observed. Say you and Noel
are concerned for both him and your mum and suggest he has a chat with Bobby’s teacher. They must know about these things, know the normal behavioural parameters for that age
group.’

Noel brightened. ‘He can’t take offence at that, can he?’

Jess wasn’t so sure but she nodded. ‘I’ll do my best.’

They stood up to leave and Noel excused himself to use the loo. Immediately, Cal came over to her. ‘Is that guy giving you trouble again?’

She studied his face and saw only concern. ‘He doesn’t like being given the brush-off,’ she admitted.

His expression darkened. ‘Let me deal with him, Jess.’

She shook her head and put a hand on his arm. ‘No. Thanks, Cal but I’ll call you if I run into trouble.’

His eyes held hers and then he smiled and touched her cheek. ‘Call me anyway,’ he said, and turned away as her brother came back into the room.

Noel and Cal had gone and Jess was left wondering how she was going to broach the matter of Bobby with Keith. She had to get him alone if they were to have this conversation.
The last thing she needed was either Sharon or her mother walking in on them. The safest option was to invite him to the flat. She could say she wanted to give him an update on how the arrangement
was working out. That should be enough to put him on alert.

She just hoped that Keith would listen and not stick his head in the sand, as her sister seemed to have. From what Cal said, with the right support, Bobby’s future could be a bright one.
But getting such news would still be quite a shock. Keith must be stressed out already between worrying about Sharon and—

Jess’s phone rang. She froze when she saw it was Louis, her hand going to her neck, where there were still some marks from his bites. She let the phone ring and then ring again. Then a
text came through.

He was watching the flat? Should she ignore him? He’d hardly come hammering on the door at this hour.

Her phone beeped again.

Maybe I’ll just come over.

She stared at her phone, truly frightened now. Quickly she flicked through her contact list and found Cal’s number. He didn’t live that far away. She rang, praying he’d pick
up.

‘Jess?’

She closed her eyes at the concern in his voice. ‘Can you come over?’

‘Is he there?’

‘No, but I think he’s on his way.’

‘Don’t open the door to anyone. I’ll be with you in five minutes and I’ll phone you when I’m at the door.’

‘Thank you,’ she said, but he’d already hung up. She stood up and went to peer out of the window, and yelped when the doorbell rang. She looked at her phone and checked the
signal. It was fine, so it wasn’t Cal. It had to be Louis. The bell rang again a couple of times and then she heard the outer door open, and voices. What the hell was going on? What was Louis
playing at? He was putting his job and marriage at risk, and for what? Sex? Sex with a reluctant partner. The four-letter word came to mind again and she shuddered. Again, the raised voices had her
ear pressed against the door of her flat.

As quietly as she could, she opened her door and peered down the dark stairwell. It was deserted but a light was coming from under the door that led into the main house. She heard laughter and
sighed. obviously the landlady had company, who must have rung Jess’s bell by mistake. She went back into her flat, closed the door, turned the key and put on the safety chain for good
measure. Her hands were shaking and she began to open cupboards in search of wine, but all she could find was a dusty bottle of gin. She poured a measure into a tumbler and downed it in one. After
refilling the glass, she went into her tiny lounge and perched on the arm of the sofa, where she could watch the road outside. Where was Cal?

There was a bang downstairs and she started, spilling half her drink down the front of her top. This man had turned her into a nervous wreck, but she knew that she’d only herself to blame.
She’d let him walk all over her and, when she finally found some backbone and told him it was over, he’d been turned on. She thought of him pounding her into the wall in the narrow
hallway and began to tremble. Louis Healy had raped her. He’d
raped
her. And, if he got her alone, he’d do it again.

Her phone rang and relief washed over her when she saw Cal’s name on the display.

‘Jess? I’m downstairs.’

She didn’t even answer but rushed downstairs to let him in. As Cal stepped into the hall she flung herself into his arms.

‘Hey! Jess, what is it?’ He pulled away to search her face but she was staring past him and let out a frightened whimper when an engine roared to life and Louis’s car
disappeared round the corner.

Up in the flat, Cal placed a mug in front of Jess, but she kept a firm grip on her glass of gin, mainly because, if she let go, she knew her hands wouldn’t stop
shaking.

‘What happened?’ Cal asked, stirring sugar into his coffee.

‘Louis wanted to come over and I ignored his calls, but he knew I was here.’ She raised her eyes briefly to his. ‘He won’t leave me alone. I think he likes me saying
no.’

Cal stopped stirring and she watched as he carefully set the spoon down. ‘Does he listen when you say no, Jess?’ he asked, his voice quiet and controlled.

She dropped her gaze. ‘No.’

Cal clenched his fist. ‘He hurt you?’

‘I don’t think it was intentional,’ she said, wondering why she was still defending the man.

He thumped the table with the heel of his hand, making her jump. ‘Jesus, why didn’t you say something, Jess?’

Jess shook her head. ‘I feel so ashamed.’

‘Ashamed?’ he almost shouted. ‘Sorry,’ Cal said when she shrunk back in the chair. He took her hand. ‘Jess, there is no reason for you to feel ashamed.’

She couldn’t look at him: it was too humiliating. ‘I brought it on myself.’

‘No one brings violence on themselves.’

‘I told him it was over and yet, when he came round, apologising, I let him in.’

‘And he hurt you?’

Jess could hear the anger in his voice but said, ‘Yes. I was such a fool. Why did I let him do it? And why did I let him leave, thinking that it was okay to treat me like that?’

‘He forced himself on you?’ Cal pressed, his expression grim.

She nodded. ‘I tried to push him off me but he was too strong,’ she said, keeping her eyes on the glass in front of her. ‘Then I just wanted it to be over.’

‘Listen to me, Jess.’ He put a gentle finger under her chin and tilted her head. His eyes were soft and kind and she felt tears in the back of her throat. ‘This is not your
fault. He did this to you.’

She looked at him through her tears.

‘Tell me you know that, Jess. Tell me, sweetheart.’ He brushed her hair back from her face. ‘Tell me.’

‘I should have been stronger,’ she wept.

‘Did you say no, Jess?’ he asked.

‘Yes, yes, I did.’

‘Then he should have stopped. This is not your fault,’ he repeated. ‘He raped you, Jess.’

His words sent her over the edge and she rested her head on the table and sobbed her heart out. She was aware of Cal rubbing her back and murmuring something, she didn’t know what, and she
didn’t care. It was soothing.

‘Do you want to report him?’ Cal asked, when she’d calmed down.

Jess straightened and shook her head. ‘No. It was a while ago and it would just be my word against his.’

He studied her for a moment. ‘Don’t try to deal with this alone, Jess. You don’t have to.’

‘I’ll be fine now,’ she assured him, hating that he knew this about her. ‘I just needed a good cry. Don’t worry, I won’t let him in again.’ She forced a
smile. ‘We never figured out what’s up with Noel.’

Cal clearly wasn’t happy to drop the subject but allowed her to sidetrack him. ‘No, but we can get together again after you’ve talked to Keith.’

She nodded, although she wasn’t sure she could face him again after tonight. Every time she looked at him she would be reminded of her confession. And, when he looked at her, he would see
Louis.

‘Something did occur to me,’ Cal was saying, unaware of the way her mind was working.

‘Oh?’

‘Noel hasn’t applied for any jobs.’

‘So?’ It wasn’t unusual to take some time out after university before settling down, and Noel had a summer of sailing to look forward to.

Cal shrugged. ‘I thought it was odd.’

‘It’s probably because he wants to support Mum through Sharon’s pregnancy.’ Jess stood up. She really needed Cal to go now. She felt tired and if he kept looking at her
like that, his knowing gaze full of pity, she’d end up in tears again.

He seemed to read her mind for, after a brief, awkward hug and instructions to lock up, Cal left.

She had just put the chain on the door when her phone beeped. After a few moments, she found the courage to look at it, relieved to see it was only a message from Noel.

Keith. of course. She sighed and checked her watch. It was almost eleven but, while her sister would be asleep, she knew her brother-in-law stayed up quite late. She fired off a text, asking him
to drop in sometime. Moments later the phone rang. Oh, shit, he wasn’t supposed to call! Taking a deep breath, Jess answered, trying to sound upbeat. ‘Hi, Keith.’

‘Hey, Jess. What’s up?’

Get right to the point, why don’t you? Caught on the hop, she struggled to switch her thoughts from Louis and Cal back to Bobby. She searched for the right words that wouldn’t
alienate him or freak him out. ‘I just wanted to fill you in on something I didn’t want to bother Sharon with.’

‘About Bobby?’

‘Yes.’ She gulped at the silence at the other end of the line.

‘And you can’t tell me over the phone?’

No, Jess thought. This really wasn’t a conversation to have on the phone. ‘I think it would be better if we met,’ she said, her voice firm.

‘Will you be home in the morning? I could be there about nine thirty.’