‘Yeah, is everything OK?’ Val repeats. ‘Good question, El. I’ve got one for you. Is your co-star fucking you too, or is that just something between him and Tori?’ I feel all my blood rush to my legs. Eleanor opens her mouth, but Val won’t let her speak. ‘I’m sure it’s all just staying in character, right?’
‘Val, go and sleep it off.’ How can she stay so calm? Maybe she’s wiser than me and knows that things can only go downhill if you respond to his provocations. ‘You’re steaming.’
‘So how do you justify it to yourself?’ Val turns back to me. ‘Is it for the role you wanted but weren’t good enough for? Inspiration for the script? Is he good, at least? Come on, tell me about it, or are you too frigid even for that?’
‘Val . . .’ My voice is trembling. ‘It was a kiss, OK? One kiss, and nothing else. It happened this afternoon and that’s why I wanted to talk to you. Because I’m afraid I can’t do this any more.’
‘Wow.’ Val’s voice is dangerously quiet and way scarier than when he was yelling just now. I can’t breathe. He laughs quietly. ‘So it’s true. You were lying to me.’
‘I didn’t mean—’
‘And I asked you so often, but you denied it. So what are we going to do now, Tori?’ His eyes bore through me.
‘I’m sorry, Val.’ My voice is shaking with suppressed panic. I really wish he’d get mad, scream, swear at me, but he’s doing the exact opposite and it’s terrifying. ‘I didn’t intend it to happen, you have to believe me.’
‘Do I? Do I have to believe anything you say? Maybe I should have believed my gut. What do you reckon?’
‘Val, stop it,’ I beg quietly.
‘Stop what? Stop what, huh?’ He takes a rapid step towards me. As I instinctively step back and feel the wall at my back, my heart starts racing. He’s so close to me that I can’t move. I can feel his breath on my lips and his hand on my shoulder. ‘Look me in the fucking eye!’
I do so, and I’m afraid of this man. It’s the worst feeling in the entire world, but I don’t dare disobey him. He’s taller than me, stronger, he’s pressing me into the cold stone and my mind stands still.
He leans down until his lips are by my right ear.
‘Get tae fuck, Victoria Belhaven-Wynford!’ he hisses. I shut my eyes, I can’t breathe. ‘And take your shitey wee pal with you.’
He lets go of me. I turn away at once, even though I feel like I might collapse in front of him. My legs start to move.Please don’t let him follow me.I want to shut my ears as I walk away from him. He’s hurling insults after me, words I’ll never forget. I walk. I want rid of the feeling of his hands on my body. But it clings. I can feel him, smell him, taste him, the whole way down the dark corridor to the stairs. I feel so sick that I want to stop and curl up, but I have to get out of here. I need to get somewhere safe. I need to get to Sinclair. He’s all I can think of. Nothing else helps.
‘Tori?’
I freeze as I take in the figure coming downstairs towards me. And then I go weak at the knees as I recognize him. I only realize I’m crying as Sinclair comes closer. I see the pain in his anxious face. I can’t move as he gently strokes my face with the back of his hand.
‘Fuck,’ he mutters, balling it into a fist. A deep frown engraves itself between his eyebrows as I flinch. ‘Hey,’ he says, instantly much calmer. ‘Look at me. Look at me, Tori.’ He takes my face in both hands as I don’t pull away. ‘Breathe,’ he whispers.
My heart is pounding in my throat. It just won’t settle. But I force myself to do as he says. Breathe. Shut my eyes as Sinclair rests his forehead against mine. Anything to forget we’re still here in this dark passageway.He’s here, you’re safe. Nothing happened. Nothing happened at all.So why is my whole body shaking and why won’t it stop?
Sinclair sounds like he’s deliberately keeping his voice calm as he now pulls away slightly. ‘What did he do?’
‘Nothing.’ I shake my head. Because Val didn’t actually do anything. It was only words. Words I deserved. I’m the one who messed up. OK, he held onto me and wouldn’t let go, even though I asked him to. It’s like I can still feel the weight of his hand on my shoulder.
‘What did he do, Tori?’ Sinclair repeats, more emphatically this time. It’s no longer my best friend facing me now. I’ve never heard him like that. His voice is quiet but it’s shaking with suppressed emotion. If I didn’t know him so well, I’d most probably be scared of him. He looks past me, and his body tenses again. ‘Is he still down there?’
‘Sinclair, no, come on . . .’ I try to grab his wrist but he pulls away. I want to boak as he runs down the rest of the stairs.
Everything seems to happen in slow motion yet incredibly fast. I follow him, I call his name. I run faster. I try to pull himback. Val’s still in the passage. Cillian and a few others are with him.
They nod slightly towards us. Val turns around. At the exact moment that Sinclair’s fist connects with his face.
SINCLAIR
I’ve never been a fighter. I remember that the second Valentine Ward hits the deck in front of me and the rest of the upper sixth stare at me like I’ve lost my mind. They’re probably not far wrong.
I couldn’t care less. All I feel is the seething rage in my belly and the painful throbbing of my right hand. Shit, why did nobody ever tell me how much it hurts to punch someone in the chin?
There’s silence for about three seconds, and then all hell breaks loose. Tori grabs my arm and tries to pull me away. Valentine sits up. His nose is bleeding. I might have broken it, but he’s the fucking rugby captain, I don’t think he’s that fussed. But there’s a spark of something in his eyes that’s bordering on madness. Fuck, is he drunk? Looks like it.
For a moment, we face each other, breathing heavily, then Val’s fist shoots out. Somebody screams – Tori, I think. The others roar. I duck in time. The blood is pounding in my ears. Eleanor pulls Tori back as she tries to step between us.
