She steps back and drops down to the lid of the toilet. ‘Holy shit!’
We exhale in unison. Then she speaks again. ‘Holy shit!’ Her eyes lock on a spot on the floor. ‘Holy. Fucking. Shit.’
‘You’re going to have to learn to control your potty mouth.’
She looks up at me and we both laugh but her face contorts and her laughter turns to tears. For the second time today, I find myself grabbing tissues for my best friend.
I hunker down in front of her, bracing myself with my hands on her knees. ‘It’s going to be fine. Really. You’ll be such a fabulous mummy.’
Her shoulders chug on a sob but she pulls back her tissue to reveal the slightest upturn of her lips. ‘You think so?’ She sniffs.
‘Are you kidding? A little red-haired girl in a pretty two-piece and tiny little princess heels, following you around for babyccinos. Iknowso.’
I wrap my arms around her and pull her into my chest until I feel her lungs return to steady breaths.
‘How about I make us a nice cup of tea?’ Taking the tissues from her hand, I dab away her running mascara.
She nods. ‘I’ll be out in a minute.’
I leave the bathroom smiling. I haven’t only convinced Amanda; I’ve also convinced myself that she can do this. She can be a great mum and Williams will stand by her; he’s a good man.
‘Gregory!’
His face is possibly paler than Amanda’s shocked, already fair, skin. His grey blazer and tie have been cast over a stool. His white shirt is unbuttoned so just a few rogue hairs are on display and his sleeves are rolled back up his forearms. The most animated part of him is a wild pair of eyes as he holds up an empty pregnancy-test box. My head is telling my mouth to speak but no words are forming. I want to tell him they aren’tmine but there’s a small devil on my shoulder wondering how he’ll react, wondering how he’d feel aboutforever.
‘What the fuck, Scarlett?’ His voice is a notch below shouting but his fury is obvious. I have my answer. A million thoughts race through my mind as my mouth opens and closes silently. He visits children in the paediatrics unit of a local hospital every quarter and he supports the children’s charity, Dreams. I’ve seen him with the children, happy, playful. His reaction isn’t about children; it’s about him being trapped with me.
‘You told me you were on the pill!’
‘I am on the pill.’
He throws the box on the breakfast bar and thrusts a hand into his hair. ‘You haven’t had a period since we’ve been together.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘You haven’t.’
‘Are you accusing me of something, Gregory? Because if you are, you’d better just come right out and fucking say it.’
‘Well, are you on the pill?’
‘Youarrogantarsehole. As if I’d try to get myself pregnant. That’s what you’re accusing me of, isn’t it? Trying to trap the billionaire! Well, news fucking flash, Gregory, I’m not trying to tie you into something you clearly don’t want. I don’t love you for your money and the way you’re behaving right now makes me wonder why I love you at all!’ I bite the inside of my gums and remember that we aren’t here alone. ‘Does the thought of forever with me really terrify you this much?’ My entire body trembles with anger and a shattering pain in my abdomen.
The toilet is flushed and the bathroom lock jiggled: Amanda’s warning. I stare at Gregory, unwilling to be the first to break.But his focus shifts over my shoulder as the bathroom door opens.
‘Amanda.’ His voice is barely audible. I watch the transformation as his jaw unlocks and his hands drop to his hips as he walks to the window.
‘Let’s take a rain check on the tea,’ Amanda says quietly, kissing me on the cheek.
‘Please, Amanda, stay,’ Gregory says, turning from the window, looking much more composed. ‘You don’t have to leave because of me.’
She smiles fleetingly at him and I love her for the effort, especially when his little performance has probably terrified her. ‘I have a few calls to make; I should be going.’
‘Williams won’t react like that, Amanda,’ I whisper, stroking her arm. ‘He won’t.’
She feigns a smile. ‘Thanks, for today, tonight, everything.’ She pulls me into a hug, then leaves.
‘Amanda,’ Gregory calls, grabbing his blazer from the breakfast bar, ‘let me take you home.’
