9. Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Jake
T he cottage pie is nearly done and the kitchen is filled with the smell of bubbling mince and baked potato. I’m just sprinkling extra cheese on top when I hear Hannah padding down the hallway. She appears in the doorway, hair damp and a bit wild from the shower, wearing her oversized jumper and those fluffy socks she claims are essential. She gives me a look like she’s caught me in the act.
“You know, one of these days I’ll actually cook dinner for you ,” she says, folding her arms as she leans against the doorframe smirking.
“Promises, promises,” I say, giving her side-eye as I shove the dish back in the oven. “You’ve been saying that for years, yet here we are.”
She lets out a laugh, shaking her head. “Alright, fine. You like showing off too much to let me near the kitchen.”
“Oi, just because I like cooking doesn’t mean I don’t like a break every now and then,” I say, grabbing a bottle of lemonade from the fridge. “Wouldn’t mind trying this mythical ‘Hannah’s cooking’ you keep mentioning.”
“It exists!” she insists, rolling her eyes. “But then you pull out the cottage pie or that curry you made last week and I just—”
“Admit you’d miss it if I stopped,” I say, pouring her a glass and handing it to her. She takes it with a little smile, her fingers brushing mine in a way that makes me feel like maybe cooking for her every week isn’t such a bad deal after all.
“You’re smug, you know that?” she says, taking a sip.
“And you love it.” I grin, taking a sip of my own.
“Yeah, yeah,” she mutters, but her face softens and she moves a bit closer. She reaches out, straightening my shirt in an unnecessary way, her fingers lingering.
“Trying to keep me presentable?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
“Someone’s got to,” she says, giving me a playful nudge with her hip.
The oven timer dings and I turn, pulling the pie out with a bit of a flourish. I set it on the table and we both settle down. She closes her eyes as we dig in, making an exaggeratedly blissful face that has me laughing.
“I get it, you love it,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“It’s bloody brilliant, alright?” she replies through a mouthful, giving me a look. “If you ever get tired of me at least feed me before you leave me.”
I shake my head. “You know that’s never going to happen. I stay as long as you want me.”
She falls quiet for a moment, giving me a look I can’t quite place, then clears her throat and takes another bite. We eat in easy silence, enjoying the food and the moment until I remember what’s been on my mind all day.
“So… how’s everything with the baby? What did the doctor say?” I ask casually, though my heart skips a beat as I say it. I wish I could have gone with her. I have yet to hear the girl’s heartbeat. I’ve sat in the waiting room a few times but as a “friend” it just never felt right for me to ask to be there. And today I had clients booked so Ols drove her to the doctor and waited for her.
She gives me a soft smile. “Good. All the scans have been alright so far and the midwife reckons everything’s on track. Just feels like I don’t have a clue what I’m doing sometimes.”
“Hey, you’re gonna be brilliant,” I say, giving her a nudge. “The princess is lucky to have you.”
“Jake, do you want to come to the next appointment? You don’t have to if you don’t want—”
“I would love to,” I quickly interrupt her. She studies me before asking softly:
“Why didn’t you say something?”
“I didn’t want to make you feel like you had to.”
“I want you there,” she sighs and places her hand on mine. “It’s nice to know I’m not in this alone.”
“You know you’re not.” I’ve told her a hundred times already and I’ll tell her another thousand times if that’s what it takes.
We finish up, and then head over to the sofa in the living room, mugs of tea in hand. I flick on the TV and find QI. She settles in close to me and soon we’re both chuckling at the ridiculous trivia and clever digs from the panel.
After a few minutes she turns to look at me with a serious expression.
“Jake… I don’t get it.”
“What’s that?”
“We have been dating for literally like three and a bit weeks. In a few weeks there’ll be a baby and you’re not even the father. Most men would run for the hills. Why are you still here? Why do you love me?”
I look at her, caught off guard. Her eyes have that softness in them, a mix of fear and sadness, like she’s already bracing for something she thinks I’m about to say. I take a deep breath, letting the question settle in the air between us.
“Why am I still here?” I repeat, running a hand through my hair as I think about how to put it into words. “Hanny-bee… I don’t know how else to say it, but there isn’t anywhere else I’d want to be.”
She looks down, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her jumper. “But it doesn’t make sense. You didn’t sign up for all this—this whole thing with the baby, with… well, me. It’s messy and I don’t want to drag you into it just because—”
“Just because what?” I interrupt, moving a bit closer to her. “Just because things are complicated? Because it’s not the ‘perfect timing’ or whatever? Look, none of that matters to me, alright? I’m here because… I love you. All of you. And that includes our little princess.”
She blinks, taking it in, but her face is still full of worry. “But Jake, you know it’s not your baby. It’ll never be—”
“I know that,” I say gently, taking her hand in mine. “And that doesn’t change anything for me. I don’t need a claim to this kid. Just because I’m not… not the biological father, doesn’t mean I can’t love her too. Doesn’t mean I can’t be here for both of you.”
She looks at me, searching my face like she’s trying to find a catch but there isn’t one. “You’re not afraid? That one day… I don’t know that this won’t feel enough for you?”
“You’ve been enough for me since the day we met,” I say, my voice coming out softer than expected. “I’ve loved you since way before any of this happened. I’m not running for the hills because I don’t want to be anywhere else. I want to be right here, with you, with this little girl, through all of it.”
She lets out a shaky breath and I feel her fingers tighten around mine. “You know,” she whispers, “I’ve spent so long wondering if I was doing the right thing, if I’d be enough for this kid on my own… I didn’t expect you to be so… sure.”
“Good thing you don’t have to do it on your own then, yeah?” I say, brushing a strand of hair from her face, letting my hand linger on her cheek. She leans into my touch, her eyes closing for a moment, and when she opens them I can see that sadness melting away, replaced with something that looks a lot more like hope.
“Jake…” she starts, but I close the gap and kiss her softly, letting her know without words that she doesn’t need to explain anymore. When we pull back she’s smiling, a little shy but still full of that warmth I’ve loved from the start.
“Come here,” I say, pulling her close to me on the sofa. We settle back into our spot, her head resting on my shoulder, her hand in mine. QI’s still playing in the background but it’s just noise now, a steady hum that fills the room. My mind is with Hannah and our little girl. She’ll be ours, mine and hers, as long as she wants me. And I won’t let anyone take this from me.
“I won’t be long Hanny-bee,” I tell her as I cross the road towards the car park.
“I could just walk home?” she suggests from the other end of the line.
“No!”
“Jake, it’s been three weeks since the man gave me the business card. You can’t act as my bodyguard for the rest of our lives.” I know she’s right but I don’t trust the peace yet. The police said they’d spoken with him and warned him to stay away from me. But all it takes is one unguarded moment and Grant could get a chance to get to her.
“I know, but I’d feel better if I pick you up. Don’t make me call Ols on you,” I push back. Oliver has been the best big brother ever. Whenever I can’t be there to protect her he drops anything and makes sure he watches over her. I get that an independent person like Hannah doesn’t like it but in this case I won’t budge.
“What about your safety?” she argues back.
“I’m in public. I just picked up some sausage rolls for you and I’m heading to the car now.”
“From Cherry Pie?” I know her. She loves everything from the Cherry Pie bakery, but nothing more than the sausage rolls.
“Of course.”
“Oh my hero. I shall wait like a good girl for you to pick me up,” she giggles.
“Five minutes,” I promise her before hanging up.
As I get closer to my car I see something that rips me right out of my thoughts. An envelope, stark white against the windscreen. I feel my stomach drop, a sour taste rising in my throat. No one ever leaves me notes and my first thought is something’s wrong with the car, maybe a parking fine or complaint. But when I get close enough to see the handwriting scrawled across it my gut twists into knots.
It’s my name, written out in sharp, heavy strokes. This can’t be a fine.
I feel my fists clench instinctively and my jaw tightens. Every single piece of advice I’ve been given floods my mind—don’t engage, don’t call, let the police handle it—but that all flies out the window the second I open the envelope and see his name.
Call me
07512 345 876
Grant
I barely register hitting the buttons on my phone before it’s ringing, the sound piercing the tense silence around me. It’s answered after a couple of rings and his voice comes through with a slick, almost amused tone that instantly sets my blood boiling.
“Hello?”
“It’s Jake,” I hiss through my clenched teeth.
“Tsk tsk tsk, Jake. Not nice that you ignored my little invitation.”
“What the fuck do you want?” I bite out, gripping the phone so tight it’s a wonder it doesn’t snap. “How did you even find my car?”
A low chuckle. “To be honest I’d kind of forgotten about your ugly mug. But here I am, minding my own business on a little weekend break with the missus, and who should I spot? You. I promised you that one day I’d find you and I didn’t even need to look for you. You didn’t hide very well!”
“If you don’t stay away from me I’ll call the police again!” It’s all I can say. In this moment I feel helpless.
“Did you really think sending the rozzers after me would scare me off? You don’t want me anywhere near you, fine. Not a problem. Doesn’t mean I can’t get to you.” Panic rises in me. He has one of his men following me. I look around but I can’t see anyone.
It was one thing when I knew who to look out for but now we have no idea who’s after us.
“Stay away from me. And stay away from Hannah,” I spit, feeling every muscle in my body go rigid. “You come anywhere near her and I swear—”
He cuts me off, his voice dropping to a colder, darker tone. “Or what, Jake? What do you think you’ll do? You should have stayed out of all of this back then. I wouldn’t have wasted years in the nick and your brother would still be alive.”
When he mentions Sean the word hits me like a brick, right where it hurts.
“What do you want from me?”
“You cost me years and you cost me a lot of money. I don’t forgive and I don’t forget. Now I’m here to take what’s most important to you. And guess my surprise when I saw I get two for one, your bird and an ankle biter. If you’re a good boy I’ll wait until she’s popped the baby and just take the missus.”
“Don’t you dare bring her into this. She’s got nothing to do with it. You don’t get to—”
“Oh, but she has everything to do with it,” he snaps, his voice sharp and venomous now. “You took from me and now I’m taking from you.”
“It’s because of you that my brother is dead. You’ve done enough. Don’t even think about trying to worm your way into our life now.”
“Still not made peace with the fact that your stupidity killed your brother?” he sneers. “Tell me, does she know who you really are? Does she know that you have blood on your hands? Maybe I should enlighten her.”
My pulse thunders in my ears, and for a split second, I picture driving over to wherever he is and shutting him up myself. “You come near her, even once, and it’ll be the last thing you ever do, Grant. That’s a promise.”
“Oh, I’m counting on it,” he says, his voice almost cheerful now. “See you soon, Jake.” The line goes dead and I stand frozen in the car park.
My stomach churns, a sick, cold wave rolling up my throat. Before I can stop it I’m hunched over the bushes, emptying whatever’s left in me. I cling to the edge of the car, knuckles white, as my stomach heaves again. Each ragged breath claws through me, every nerve wired with fear. I spit, wiping my mouth on my sleeve, my heart hammering against my ribs.
I fumble for my phone, hands shaking as I punch in the number. It rings, the sound sharp in the tense quiet, and then a voice answers, low and steady. I force myself to speak, words tumbling out—Grant’s note, the threats, the way he knows exactly how to worm his way into my life, the threat against Hannah.
The officer listens and tries to reassure me. They’ll put a patrol around Hannah’s work, another by the cottage. He reminds me to keep watch and not to engage with Grant. If he gets in touch the officer wants me to call them.
“Let us handle it,” he warns me. His words should calm me down but my pulse is still racing.
The line goes dead and I drop the phone onto the passenger seat, sliding myself behind the steering wheel. I grip it, fingers digging in as I stare straight ahead, breathing in, breathing out, until I can’t feel the tremor in my hands anymore.
Grant might think he’s got the upper hand but I won’t let him get to her and if it’s the last thing I do.