Chapter Twenty-Four #2
After a couple of hours and five enormous glasses of wine, Jack decides he can’t watch anymore.
He walks over to our table and once I’ve clocked him, the volume of my over-excessive laughter turns up a notch.
I want to make it clear I’m enjoying myself, although Maddie isn’t finding our conversation quite so hilarious. She can see what I’m up to.
“Excuse me, Miss May. It’s time to leave.”
“I’m not ready.”
“Miss May, Mr Grant would like you to come home.”
I feel the heat of my blood as it runs through my veins. It gives me superpowers, and a strange sensation takes over. I am defiant and with that defiance comes an out-of-character action. I shout at the top of my voice, “IF HE WANTS ME, HE WILL HAVE TO COME AND GET ME HIMSELF!”
I’ve let the whole bar know how mad I am while poor Maddie tries to hide under the table.
I feel sorry for Jack as I refuse again to leave with him. Daniel will have a fit when he gets that call, but I’m passed caring. Five glasses of Dutch courage will do that for you, and my head is all fuzzy.
My eyes are playing up. I’m sure there’s a wine glass here somewhere. I notice Jack exit the bar. Excellent. Now I can concentrate on drinking myself into oblivion. It feels good.
Maddie reaches over the table and rubs my arm. “You can’t go on like this. Either talk to him or finish it. Getting drunk isn’t the answer.”
“That’s what he said to me once.” My sniffs turn to sobs. Uncontrollable, shoulder hunching, ugly ones. I could do with a tissue to wipe my running nose, and I bet I have black mascara tracks down my cheeks .
“No more wine, Hannah. Let’s get you cleaned up in the ladies.”
I sorrowfully nod while she helps me off my stool and leads me towards the loo.
It takes some serious concentration to put one foot in front of the other.
She is so thoughtful, wiping away my tears and telling me it will be all right.
Perhaps it’s the only thing she can do. I’m too drunk to absorb any words of wisdom.
I realise how packed this place is once we’re settled in new seats. It seemed to happen quickly, or maybe we were gone longer than I realised. Maddie heads to the bar and orders me coffee. What would I have done without her?
It’s been about an hour since Jack left and I’ve had a couple of coffees and some water. I can’t say I’m any better, if anything, I feel worse and my stomach wants to reject all the liquid lying on top of it. I ought to head home. I just don’t want to. I can’t face him.
“Maddie, can I stay with you tonight?”
She opens her mouth to answer as a stiff breeze catches our attention from the main doors.
“Holy shit!” I’m unable to move a single limb as my body freezes.
He walks over and literally chucks me over his shoulder in a fireman’s lift.
Hanging the wrong way up churns my insides.
I kick my legs and pummel his back with my fists.
“Put me down you stupid arse or I’ll puke! ”
Daniel locks his arm over my ankles so they’re tight against him, and I’m no longer able to move them.
“You told Jack I should come and get you myself, so here I am. You got what you wanted. You’re coming home!” he shouts over his shoulder.
I begin to cry again. It’s that horrible drunken ‘you don’t understand me’ cry. I know I sound pathetic and I probably look it, but it doesn’t stop me.
“It’s not my home. I don’t want to be with you anymore! I’m going to Maddie’s! Put me down! I don’t want you near me, you cheating bastard! ”
“Enough, Hannah!” His hold tightens around my legs and his body is tense.
Even in my drunken state, I’m aware I’ve pushed him too far.
I hang limply over his back and listen to him talk to Maddie.
I catch the name ‘Tabitha’ so he must be explaining himself.
Then I hear Maddie relay my wine intake and my crying fit.
I feel almost betrayed by her. Why is she not kicking him in the balls?
I don’t feel good. I hope I don’t vomit down his back.
My body buzzes from head to foot. I’m going to be sick…
no… no, I’m ok, just tired… If I close my eyes, will the spinning stop?
I need to sleep now… this is better… much better…
The beat of my banging head attacks me before I dare to open my eyes.
Someone must have walloped me with a hammer.
One eye opens first, to find Daniel sitting in the chair opposite my side of the bed.
He’s asleep. I blink and immediately flinch as the sun streams through the gap in the curtains.
A shot of pain drives through my pupils so I cower behind my pillow.
I rub my eye sockets before I tentatively squint, immediately wishing I hadn’t.
There’s an endless number of towels on the carpet and a bucket next to my side.
Every muscle in my body aches as I try to sit up.
My head is too heavy to balance on my neck and I duck sharply as the pain sweeps across the inside of my brain.
Daniel wakes with a jolt and is by my side quicker than I can comprehend. “Hannah, do you want to be sick again?”
“Again. You mean I’ve already…”
“Very. Do you want to go to the bathroom?”
“No, no, I’m okay. I just need a minute.”
I bring my legs up, wrap my arms around them and lean my forehead on top of my knees. I close my eyes as the realisation hits. I was as drunk as a skunk. Oh shit! What the hell did I do last night ?
Daniel places his arm around me, pulling me to his side. I must smell of vomit, although I can’t smell it myself.
“Hannah, do you remember anything from your night out?”
“Uh huh.” I’m getting flashbacks. There was a lot of wine. Shouting at Jack and crying in the loo to Maddie. Oh shit, Maddie! I lift my head from my knees abruptly. God, the pain! “Where’s Maddie?”
“Don’t worry. We dropped her off on the way home.”
I shake my head and put the palm of my hands on either side to hold it in place.
“Can I get you anything? Some water?”
“An axe to cut my damn head off. I don’t need it anymore.” I hear his nervous laugh. “But failing that, I’ll take some painkillers if you have them, please.”
He walks to the bathroom, the crack of the cabinet door signals it is open before he shouts, “We’re out of Panadol.”
“There’s some in my handbag. Can you find it?”
“Yeah, got it.”
The sound of Daniels footsteps making their way to the kitchen and the tap running, the water splashing against the sink—why is everything so loud today?
I attempt to stand as I have to go to the loo and there’s no way around it, getting out of bed is my only option.
I walk into the bathroom and bend over, holding my head in my hands in the hope it will help.
When I come out, Daniel is perched on the end of the bed.
“How are you?”
I try to smile as I crawl back under the duvet. “I’m sure you can see exactly how I am. Tell me the truth, how sick was I last night?”
His lips purse together. “You threw up in the bathroom quite a lot.”
“Oh, I thought with the bucket by the bed and the towels…”
“A precaution. I was worried you might be sick and choke.”
Of course, Lou. The same thing happened to her. A drug overdose granted, but she was still out of it and so was I. He must have been worried sick. I feel horrible for putting him through the same nightmare again.
“I’m sorry, Daniel. I didn’t mean to do that to you. Thank you for looking after me.”
His fingers tug through his hair. “I’ve been awake most of the night, in case you needed me.”
“Thank you.” I force myself upright as he hands over my bag.
I reach in to get the Panadol, and it’s then I feel the folded piece of paper I’d printed out yesterday.
My fingers freeze at the realisation of what this was all about.
He is why I’m in this state. I take a deep breath and pull the paper from my bag and hand it to him.
“Do you want to tell me what this is?”
His face says it all while he unfolds the evidence. He already knows what it is. I see his Adam’s apple rise and fall in his throat.
“Fuck, Hannah. This is not what it looks like.”
A combination of tears and laughter overflow from deep inside me. “Of course, Daniel. It never bloody is. Is this another of your rebounds? Just one more ex-lover crawling out of the woodwork? Except this woman is more than that. An old flame rekindled going by the headline.”
My nails dig into the skin on my palms. I want to scream my arse off at him, but the pain in my head prevents me from doing so.
Daniel’s frustration is palpable as his sizeable frame rises in front of me.
His shoulders straighten and his chin lifts in a no-nonsense, ‘try me’ position.
I hear his teeth grind together and his jaw visibly twitches.
He can see I’m shaking as my hurt and anger increases, but it doesn’t stop his firm words.
“No, Hannah, I’m not having this. You will listen to me.
” He climbs onto the bed and sits back on his knees before grabbing both my arms, holding them tight.
He tries to catch my eye, but I won’t bite.
I am hurt and the last thing I want is to glimpse those hypnotising hazel eyes.
He shakes me only slightly as if to jolt my thoughts back to the here and now.
When I still refuse to look at him, he lifts my chin so I have no choice.
He’s determined to look me in the eye, even if I refuse to do the same.
“You will listen to me, Hannah. I did not go to that club with Tabitha. I went with Joe and a few of the team from Jamieson’s.”