Chapter 43
Steve confirmed he’s been called in on a raid and can’t meet me until later, so I quickly showered, changed back into my suit, and drove back into the city, my head fucking spinning. I meet Sam in a café around the corner from Drew’s office, and he looks fucking shook when I walk in. Totally spooked. I lower to the chair opposite him, wary, helping myself to the coffee he’s ordered. “What’s up?” I swear to God, if Dan’s not on a plane back to Australia and is still here causing shit, I can’t promise I won’t break the fucker’s legs. “Kate told me about your little visitor this morning.”
I sag in my seat. “Is that it? You want a debrief on the soap opera happening in my apartment this morning?” I roll my eyes, sighing loudly. So Ava’s told Kate. No surprises there. “Coral tried to pass off her unborn baby as mine, it didn’t work, the end.” I help myself to some water as Sam sits forward, hands on the table.
“Coral’s five weeks,” he says.
“According to Ava.”
“It’s definite?”
“Well, she’s no expert, Sam, but what I do know is the picture she saw definitely wasn’t of a four-month pregnancy.” And that’s all I care about. It’s not mine. Thank fuck.
“So we’re definitely talking weeks. Maybe five, maybe six?”
“Four, five, six,” I breathe, exasperated. Only Coral knows exactly how many weeks. “Is this leading somewhere?”
“How long ago was The Manor’s anniversary party?”
I frown, casting my mind back, trying to work back through the weeks. It’s hard when my brain is mush, thank you, Amalie. “Sam, I’m not exactly operating at full capacity at the moment.”
“Let me help you out.”
“Please.”
“It was five weeks ago.”
Pausing, taking some water, I look at him over the glass, not liking where I think this might be heading. I place my water down. “Mate, to be clear,” I say, my voice tight, “when Coral showed up at The Manor that night, I didn’t go anywhere fucking near her.” The outrage and anger catches up with me, and I stand, fuming. “What kind of arsehole do you think I am?” Should I be asking that?
“Sit down,” he snaps, reaching for my arm and yanking me back down into my seat. “For fuck’s sake, get a grip.”
“You get a grip! Sitting here accusing me of fucking behind my wife’s back.”
He hitches a brow. I don’t appreciate it. “I’m not accusing you of anything.”
“Then—”
“Shut up.”
I recoil.
“Do you remember Drew disappearing?”
“N—” I snap my mouth shut. “Yeah, he left early. Right after you three had finished whatever it was you did.” It’s me raising my brow now. I won’t ask. Don’t care. What’s the fucking point of this?
“I couldn’t get hold of him the next morning. So after I left The Manor, I stopped by his place, and what did I find?”
I do not have the energy or brain power to play this game. “I don’t know Sam, what did you find?”
“Coral.”
I shoot back in my chair. “Excuse me?”
“I found Coral slipping out of his front door.”
I stare at Sam, mouth open. “Five weeks ago,” I murmur, and he nods. “Fuck, that’s why he was being all weird. And you fucking knew!” I stand, again, outraged. Again.
“Sit the hell down.”
I do, plonking my arse in the seat. “Fuck,” I gasp.
“Yeah.” Sam laughs, nervous. “Fuck indeed.”
I rake a hand through my hair. I can’t believe this. “And she, the fucker, tried to pass it off as mine?”
“Fucked up, man. Really fucked up.”
“Wait,” I say, something coming to me. “You know Coral turned up at Lusso this morning because Ava told Kate?”
“Yes.”
“And does Kate know about you finding Coral sneaking out of Drew’s?”
He nods. “I had to tell someone, man.”
He looks panicked. He shouldn’t be. Ava knows it’s Drew’s baby. But she hasn’t called. I huff. Because she’s busy. With her job. “It’s fine,” I say. It’s one less thing for me to tell her, I suppose.
“Can we get to the more important matter?”
“More important than some crazed bitch trying to trick me into believing she’s pregnant with my child when she’s actually pregnant with my best mate’s?” I gawk at Sam, suddenly catching his drift. “Drew,” I breathe. “Oh my God, he’s going to flip the fuck out.” He hates Coral. “Wait.” I hold up a halting hand. “I put her up in a hotel that night.”
Sam laughs. “Yeah. She didn’t sleep there.”
My head feels like it could pop. “What the hell was he thinking?”
“I don’t think he was thinking, Jesse. He must have been absolutely obliterated, because when I turned up in the morning, he couldn’t recall a thing. I asked about Coral. He looked at me like I was stupid.”
“She preyed on him,” I breathe. Fuck me, was this completely orchestrated to try and trap me? I wince for my best mate, seriously not looking forward to breaking any of this to him. “And our wedding,” I go on. Things are coming back to me. “Coral showed up, and suddenly Drew disappeared.” Every time I’ve asked him what’s up, he’s got arsey.
“He didn’t want to be anywhere near her.” Sam looks as disturbed as I’m feeling, and a silence falls as we both try to process this.
I’m struggling. I wouldn’t put much past Coral, but this? I’d like to say it’s beyond my comprehension, but... Lauren. I come over a little sweaty, my collar choking me, forcing me to tug at it. Lauren was ill. Violent. Erratic. And now I’m sitting here running back over all of my encounters with Coral trying to figure out of she’s in the same bracket because, Christ, I wouldn’t wish a Lauren on my worst enemy. I pause for thought. Maybe Van Der Haus. And definitely the fucker who’s tried to hurt Ava. It brings me back to Coral. Was it her? The drugs, the car. I shift on my seat, feeling extremely unnerved.
“We’ve got to tell him.” Sam breaks the silence and interrupts my thoughts, waving the waitress away when she comes to ask if we’d like anything else. Vodka?
“Of course we’ve got to tell him,” I say, downing my coffee. “I’m just not looking forward to it.” I stand. “Let’s get it over with.”
“Now?”
“Can you think of a better time?” I walk out of the café, texting Cook on my way.
Look into Coral Seymour
Cook will know Coral. In fact, I’m sure he’s been there. And then I wonder, thinking back to the whole messy scene outside The Manor when Ava showed up unexpectedly and discovered it wasn’t a hotel. Mike, his reaction, his delight. Right before I smashed his face in.
Look into Mike Seymour too
I’m leaving no stone unturned. “I can think of a better time, actually.” Sam joins me on the pavement, his cheeks ballooning. “When I’ve learned some self-defense.”
I huff, starting the walk to Drew’s office nearby, contemplating calling him. I’ve never been in Drew’s office. Never just turned up. He’ll know something’s up.
We arrive and stand on the pavement outside, looking through the glass at the desks, all with bodies sitting at them. “He might not even be here,” Sam says as I take the handle.
“He’ll be here.” He’s either at work or at The Manor, and he’s not at The Manor right now. Pushing my way in, I’m greeted with numerous sets of eyes when everyone looks up. I smile. “Is Drew around?”
A lady stands, coming out from behind her desk, looking between us. “Can I tell him who’s asking?”
“Jesse,” I say. “A friend. And Sam.”
Realization pops into her eyes, and she smiles. “Well, what a pleasure to finally meet you both.” Her hand comes toward me, and I shake before she offers it to Sam. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
I raise my brows, casting an interested look to Sam. “He talks about us?”
“All the time.”
“How sweet.”
“I’m Andrea.”
“Lovely to meet you, Andrea.” I crane my neck, trying to see past her. She’s a lovely lady, but we’re on an urgent mission. “So, where is he?”
“Give me a moment.” She wanders off, leaving us standing like two plums by the door, every single one of Drew’s employees—all women—staring at us, twiddling pens, straightening backs.
“Feeling scrutinized?” Sam asks quietly. “Fucking hell, I’m being mentally undressed.”
“Uncomfortable?” I laugh to myself. He’s used to being actually undressed. By various women, in one of the various rooms at The Manor.
Drew appears, suited, a massive fucking frown on his face. “What the hell are you two doing here?”
We both smile like chumps. “Missing your face, my man,” Sam chimes, and I roll my eyes.
“Your office is that way?” I ask, indicating to the door as I pass him, his confused face following me.
“Come on in,” he muses.
I take a seat at his desk, pushing the other chair out for Sam, gazing around. “Fucking hell, it’s a pristine as you.” Not one thing out of place, his desk an organized surface, with one posh pen in the pen pot and one file to the side.
“What’s going on?” he asks, lowering cautiously to his huge leather chair, eyes bouncing between us.
Fuck, where do I start? “I had a situation this morning.”
“A situation? What?”
Sam’s shrinking in his seat, happy to let me take the lead. A million words are rolling around in my head—bitch, pregnant, liar, trapped—but I’m struggling to know where to start. “Sam told me about the night of the anniversary party.”
Drew’s instantly hostile, glaring at Sam. “You’ve been gossiping? I told you to keep your fat mouth shut.”
“It wasn’t like that,” Sam says, a little high-pitched.
“Then what was it like?”
“He told me out of necessity.”
“I hardly even fucking remember,” Drew hisses, jaw rolling, eyes icy. “It was a grave mistake, and to be clear, I don’t particularly like the woman.”
A grave mistake? Oh, he has no idea.
“I know she’s been an issue for you,” he goes on, raking a hand through his hair. “And to be honest, I’ve never been so drunk in my life. I can’t believe I went there, even when I was pretty much unconscious.” Poor guy is sweating. Jesus Christ, I need to just get it out there. This is painful. “I’m sorry if you feel like I’ve?—”
“She’s pregnant.”
Drew’s whole body jumps in his seat, like he’s received a physical punch. “What?” His eyes move from me to Sam, then back again, back and forth, as we remain in our chairs, unmoving, unspeaking, and expressionless. A smile breaks the corner of his mouth, slowly stretching across his face. “You’re fucking with me.” He breathes out, sagging in his chair. “Fucking hell, you cunt. You had me there.”
I press my lips together, slowly shaking my head, as Drew’s smile fades.
“We’re not joking, mate,” Sam says quietly. “Jesse’s seen the scan picture. It all lines up to the night of the anniversary party.”
Drew stares across at us, lost, and I see him mentally calculating the timeframe in his mind. Then he frowns. “How come you’ve seen the scan picture?”
Ah. I shift in my chair, all kinds of uneasy, and Sam must see my struggle because he speaks up so I don’t have to. “Coral showed up at Jesse and Ava’s place this morning. She told Jesse the baby was his.”
“What?” Drew blurts. “Wait. Is it?”
I glare at him in disbelief, and he notes my reaction, lucky for him, and backs down. “No, it isn’t,” I confirm for the sake of it. “It’s been months since I went there.”
“Coral told Ava she was four months pregnant,” Sam pipes in, his hand resting on my forearm, a signal to cool it. “Obviously to place Jesse in the frame. Ava only realized she was bullshitting when she looked at the scan picture. There were details missing, and the fetus is like... smaller than a peanut or something.” He shrugs. “Coral couldn’t double down because Ava showed her a scan picture of the twins.”
“Fuck,” Drew breathes.
“And all of this has left me wondering if maybe Coral could be responsible for drugging Ava and running her off the road,” I add.
“Christ, are you telling me my baby momma is an A-rated psycho?” He stands and starts to walk circles around his office, and Sam looks at me nervously, seeing me fighting to absorb the sting. Drew stops. Looks at me. “Sorry, mate, I wasn’t thinking.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Fuck!” He punches the filing cabinet, his hair coming out of place, and for the first time in a long time, I see Drew Davies looking something less than perfect. “I fucking hate her. I hated her before this, and now I fucking hate her more.” He kicks the filing cabinet. “The lying, deceitful bitch.” Dumping his arse in a chair, he drops his head in his hands. “What the fuck am I going to do?”
Sam and I remain silent, because that I don’t have the answer to. Drew’s never talked about having kids. Christ, he’s never even talked about settling down. He’s a fuck and work machine. Women serve only one purpose. To relax. And Coral is probably the furthest away from relaxed a man can get. “We’re here for you, mate,” I say as he emerges from hiding in his hands and flops back in his chair on a tired exhale. He takes a moment. A few breaths. Stares at his mobile. “I haven’t got her number.” Then he looks at me.
I huff at the irony and text it to him. “Listen, she won’t know you know.”
He huffs. “Oh, she’ll know I know.” His teeth grit. “When I bellow down the phone at her.”
“We’ll give you a moment,” I say, not wanting to hear this conversation.
Sam stands with me, and we leave Drew to make the call. “It went better than I expected,” Sam says quietly as we walk through the desks, all eyes back on us.
“What, because he punched the filing cabinet and not one of us?” I pull the door open and step out onto the street, checking the time. A message from John lands, telling me he’s just dropped Ava off for an appointment at Lansdowne Crescent. That’s where I followed Ava to on the Tuesday after she left me. So it was sticky Ruth Quinn’s home. He’s waiting outside. Good man. “I’m just checking in with Ava,” I say, dialing her.
“Jesse,” she answers, whispering. “I’m in a meeting. Can I call you back?”
In a meeting. With that testing client. “I’m having Ava withdrawals. Are you having Jesse withdrawals?”
“Is there a cure?” Her playful tone is a balm to my pounding headache.
“Yes,” I murmur. “It’s called constant contact. What time are you finishing work?” When do I get to lose myself in her and forget the shitty world I’m dealing with?
“I’m not sure,” she says, and I frown. “I have a meeting at two with Patrick.”
“Oh good. You’re finally going to see through on your promise to talk with him.”
“Yes.” She sounds thrilled. Whatever. I bet it won’t be as awkward as the conversation Drew is having with Coral right now. Speaking of which, I wait for her to mention the breaking news. She doesn’t.
“Well,” I say, looking at my watch. “It won’t take that long, will it?”
“No, probably not, but it doesn’t matter because John will be waiting for me, won’t he?”
I smile. “He will.” And you’ll never know how grateful I am that you’re not making a big deal about it. “How are my babies, lady?”
“Our babies are fine,” she says, widening my smile. It’s all I need. Ava and my babies. But... is it? I shy away from the mental image of Mum’s face during our encounter. Shy away from the pain. But it’s getting harder to evade it. Amalie’s words are a constant buzz in my brain. “Jesse,” Ava says, back to whispering. “I need to get back. I’ll see you later.”
“What am I supposed to do until later?” Steve’s on a raid, unable to answer any questions, and Drew’s in a full-blown meltdown. Maybe Sam and I can take him for some lunch. If he still has an appetite.
“Go for a run.”
“I already did that. Maybe I’ll go shopping.”
“Yes, go shopping,” she chirps. “I love you.”
“I know.”
“Bye.” She hangs up, and I breathe out, looking over my shoulder. Sam’s on the phone, probably filling Kate in on the events of this morning. I’m still surprised Ava hasn’t mentioned Coral and Drew. I can only conclude that she’s just relieved Drew’s been nailed and not me. Although it could have turned out very differently.
Drew appears at the door of his office, looking like he’s been to war. I expect the filing cabinet has taken a beating again. I can relate. Coral brought that kind of urge out in me too. “I need a drink,” he barks, stuffing his hands in his pockets and marching past. “I’m going to The Manor.”
The Manor. His sanctuary.
Drink.
Escape.
I wince. Again, I can relate. Fuck, he didn’t ask for this. Poor fucker. Sam hangs up to Kate and looks at me, and I shrug, heading for my car, Sam to his.
And this will be my afternoon. Watching over my friend while he gets wasted and drowns in his sorrows.
I’m here for him. But I will be monitoring the levels of consumption. And yet I know I don’t have to. Drew’s got way more self-control than I had.
Except, of course, for when he let Coral into his bed.
What a fucking mess.