Total pages in book: 214
Estimated words: 202638 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1013(@200wpm)___ 811(@250wpm)___ 675(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 202638 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1013(@200wpm)___ 811(@250wpm)___ 675(@300wpm)
‘Oh yes!’ she chirps excitedly. I can’t match her excitement for the anniversary dinner tonight. ‘See you there!’
‘Bye.’ I hang up and dial my mother before she sends out the search party.
‘Ava?’ Her shrill voice assaults my eardrums.
‘Mum, not so loud!’
‘Sorry. Matt’s called again.’
What?
I take myself across to the main open area and sit myself down. Any hopes of being cheered up by my mother have been well and truly dashed with that little statement.
‘Ava, he said you’ve moved in with a raving alcoholic who has a terrible temper. He beat Matt up!’
I fall back in a chair and look up to the ceiling in total mental exasperation. Why can’t the prick just crawl into the dark hole he came from and die? ‘Mum, please don’t speak to him anymore.’ I plead. What a lowlife he really is, dumping this shit on my parents. It just reinforces my conclusions about the deceitful, nasty snake.
‘Is it true?’ she asks tentatively. I can see her in my mind’s eye flicking a worried glare at my Dad.
‘Not exactly,’ I can’t completely lie to her. She’ll have to find out where I am eventually. ‘It’s nothing like Matt says, Mum.’
‘Well, what is it then?’
Oh, I can’t do this over the phone. There is far too much to explain and I don’t want her passing judgment on Jesse. I could kill Matt. ‘Mum, listen. I’ve got to get to work.’ A little white lie won’t hurt.
‘Ava, I’m so worried about you.’
I can sense her despair. I hate Matt for doing this, but he said he was sorry. Was that before or after he called my parents to give them an update on my love life? I should send Jesse around to trample all over him. ‘Please, don’t be. Matt wanted me back. He pounced on me when I went to collect the last of my things and turned nasty when I rebuffed him. Jesse was just protecting me.’ I try to cut a long story short and purposely leave out any parts that could tarnish Jesse. There are a few.
‘Jesse? Was that the man you were with when I called last weekend?’
‘Yes.’ I sigh.
‘So, he’s not just a friend?’ Her tone is scornful. She’s rumbled my small white lie and she won’t be happy about it.
‘I’m just seeing him. It’s nothing serious.’ I try and play it down and laugh in my head. I can’t believe I just said that.
‘And he’s an alcoholic?’ she prompts.
I let out a tired breath that I know she won’t appreciate. ‘He’s not an alcoholic, Mum. Matt’s being spiteful, ignore him. And don’t answer anymore of his calls.’
‘I’m not happy about this. There is no smoke without fire, Ava.’ She really doesn’t sound happy and I can’t blame her. I’ve never been so glad that they live so far away. I don’t think I could face her. ‘Your brother will be back in London soon.’ she adds threateningly. I know for sure she’ll be hanging up on me and ringing Dan immediately to give him the lowdown.
‘I know. I’ve got to go.’ I push.
‘Fine, I’ll speak to you over the weekend,’ she says on a huff. ‘Take care of yourself.’ She adds the last bit a little more softly. She never ends a conversation on a bad note.
‘I will, I love you.’
‘You too, Ava.’
I drop my phone in my lap and keep staring up at the high ceiling. Will he continue to shit all over me? The temptation to ring Matt’s mother is overwhelming. I’ve never been her favourite person and she’s never been mine. Her little golden boy can do no wrong, so calling her and filling her in on Matt’s transgressions would be fruitless. Oh God, my parents will be frantic.
I close my eyes and try to dispel all thoughts of hideous ex-boyfriends and worrying parents. It doesn’t work. When I open them again, Jesse’s face is floating above mine, a hand braced on each arm of the chair as he leans over me.
His big smile disappears when he registers my expression. ‘What’s up?’ he asks, all concerned. I don’t want to tell him. The last thing I need is to rile him after yesterday’s events. ‘Hey, tell me. No more secrets.’
‘Okay,’ I say as he crouches in front of me so our eyes are level.
He takes my hands in his. ‘Come on then.’ he prompts when I don’t elaborate on my okay. I don’t want to start the day off with a Jesse rage.
‘Matt phoned my parents and told them I’m shacked up with a raving alcoholic who beat him up.’ I blurt it out fast and brace myself for the storm. I can see the colour rising in his face already as he chews his bottom lip. I’ve changed my mind; I don’t think I want to send Jesse around to sort Matt out. By the look of his face, he would probably kill him.