Chapter 20 #3
Yet here she was, lying in bed with some strange man who had clearly waited until she was asleep and had then taken a selfie to send to Danny.
Oh, poor Danny!
Kirsty was cheating on him, and it would break his heart.
A feeling of rage surged through Brooke.
All the years of trying to bury her own feelings for him and kill her resentment and jealousy of her cousin were suddenly for nothing.
All the times she’d hated herself for loving Danny the way she did.
All the times she’d bitten her lip and said nothing when Kirsty had bossed Danny around and made him do whatever she wanted. All the times she’d lied to him.
Because Kirsty had been lying to Danny for a while now.
Brooke knew because she’d heard her mum and Kirsty’s mum discussing it in the kitchen one evening when they’d thought she was upstairs, and Kirsty’s mum had said she felt terrible keeping it from Danny and she wished Kirsty would tell him the truth about how she felt because it wasn’t fair.
No, it wasn’t fair, and Brooke had kept her mouth shut, even though every part of her wanted desperately to tell Danny what was really going on. But she hadn’t – not for Kirsty’s sake, but because she couldn’t bear to see the pain in his eyes.
And now, after all that, Kirsty was having an affair. She didn’t deserve Danny. She never had deserved him, and Brooke was suddenly determined to tell her so.
She needed to get back to Danny’s house to confront Kirsty and tell her just what she thought of her. She’d bet her cousin didn’t even realise that the sleazeball she was carrying on with had taken her photo. Well, that would be a nice surprise for her, wouldn’t it?
She turned, in a panic, to look for that moron Lee. Where was he? Finally catching sight of the blond highlights near the door she rushed over to him.
‘Would you give me a lift to Camden?’ she asked breathlessly.
Lee looked her up and down. ‘Are you joking? After the way you just spoke to me?’
‘I’m sorry. I’ve had a lot going on tonight,’ she said coyly. ‘It was nothing personal. I just really, really need to get out of here.’
‘You and me both, darling.’ He nodded. ‘Okay. I’m, er, just going to the loo first. Won’t be a minute. I’ll meet you in the car park. Mine’s the Subaru Impreza.’
‘Of course it is. That’s okay. I’ll just get my bag.’
As Lee hurried off to the toilets, Brooke made her way to where she’d left her bag. It wasn’t there.
‘Has anyone seen my bag?’ she demanded. ‘You can’t miss it. It’s a Chloe Paddington.’ Well, it was a very good imitation of it anyway. When she got nothing but blank looks she said desperately, ‘You must know what a Chloe Paddington bag looks like! It has a padlock for goodness’ sake!’
‘Where did you leave it?’ Michael Jackson enquired, while Annie Lennox asked in rather shocked tones, ‘You have a Chloe Paddington bag? Bloody hell, how much do they pay receptionists?’
Brooke was feeling quite desperate. She knew she’d left it somewhere around here…
‘Are you okay?’ It was Danny, the very last person she’d wanted to see.
‘No,’ she snapped. ‘I’m not okay. I’m fed up and I’m going home.’
‘Home? But you’re booked into the hotel tonight.’
‘I know, but so what?’
‘Well, how are you getting home? Have you booked a taxi?’
Brooke remembered that she had Danny’s phone in the pocket of her trousers and was suddenly worried that he’d realise that and ask for it back. ‘Lee’s taking me,’ she said hurriedly. ‘I have to go.’
‘Lee?’ Danny grabbed her arm. ‘You’re not seriously getting in a car with him, after what you said earlier?’
‘It’s just a lift, Danny, that’s all.’
He looked deeply concerned, which at any other time would have warmed her heart. ‘What’s wrong, Brooke? Has someone said something or hurt you in some way?’
‘No! It’s okay, I’m fine. I just need to go home. Oh! Where the hell is my bag? Sod it! I’ll go without it.’
‘But wait, you’ll need your keys and—’
But Brooke couldn’t take the risk of Lee leaving without her. She fled through the doors and into the car park.
At least the Subaru Impreza was hard to miss. Brooke wasn’t really one for car makes but she recognised the bright blue saloon with the yellow flash easily enough. Now, where was that moron?
Lee swaggered out of the hotel at last, his eyes bright and laughing as he caught sight of her standing by the car.
He clapped his hands in glee then sniffed several times. ‘Ready to go?’
‘Yes.’ Brooke eyed him doubtfully. ‘Have you been drinking?’
‘Me?’ He gave her an indignant look. ‘Not touched a drop. I’ve been on coke all night, darling. Ask anyone.’ He laughed as if he’d said something hilarious and got into the car, then reached over and opened the passenger door.
Brooke, who’d been about to get into the back seat, hesitated, but then she heard Danny shouting her name and panic overrode common sense.
He’d probably remembered she had his phone, but she needed it.
She wanted to show the photograph to Kirsty.
Besides, she didn’t want Danny to see it.
It would break his heart. Once she’d had it out with her bitch of a cousin she’d delete it.
No man should have to see his wife in that situation.
She dived into the passenger seat and Lee started the car.
‘Woohoo! Let’s go!’ he whooped.
The car rolled forward and, as it did, Danny leapt into the back seat.
‘What the hell are you doing in here?’ Lee demanded.
‘She’s not going anywhere without me,’ Danny said firmly.
‘No! You need to get out,’ Brooke screeched. ‘Go!’
Lee only seemed to hear the word ‘go’, because he put his foot down on the accelerator and the car sped off down the drive and out of the hotel grounds, on its way to where destiny awaited.