“For you to stop pissing me off.” He openly sneered before lunging across the table so that his face was in hers, his breath causing her to withdraw and turn away. “That’s better,” he said triumphantly as he recognised her fear and unease. “I’ve got a kid,” he announced to a stunned Steph.
She knew from Lindsay’s sister about the school secretary and the baby but the way he had dropped it into the conversation with no build up, remorse and certainly no apology that the child had been conceived when they were supposedly in a faithful relationship. She reminded herself that the mother of this baby had not been the first. Thinking of that and the obvious comparison between Jon and Simon as cheating partners made fresh tears fill her eyes.
“Fucking grow up, Steph!” he snapped, sensing her tears were hurt from his infidelity. “Maybe if you’d been more accommodating I wouldn’t have looked elsewhere. She wants to pass the kid off as her husband’s but that ain’t happening. We can still make this work. We get back together and get my kid. Work has been difficult, so with your wages and legal contacts, it will all work out for the best.”
Steph was staring agog at the man opposite. It would work out for the best! Not for her. He had once been the person she thought was who and what she deserved, but not anymore, not if he was the last man on earth. Her thoughts were broken when a man, another diner approached, carrying drinks and as he turned to his friend and laughed, the tiniest amount of his beer spilt near Simon who was immediately on his feet clearly preparing to fight.
“Sorry mate,” the other man said but Steph knew that wouldn’t carry any weight, not with Simon, it never had before, well not for her.
“I am not your mate and if you were sorry you wouldn’t have been laughing at me.”
Steph could see her former boyfriend’s hands balling into fists.
“I really wasn’t,” the other man protested as his friend intervened and confirmed that their laughter was nothing to do with Simon and that they didn’t want any trouble.
Steph could feel panic and bile rising within her and wished Lindsay would hurry back as she’d been gone ages.
“Simon,” Steph said, getting to her feet, attempting to calm things down, but the reality was that she only ever fuelled Simon’s bad moods.
“What?” he roared, already turning to face her with absolute fury contorting his features. “This is all your fault. What are you even doing here? Well, I think I know the answer to that one, sitting in a bar alone, clearly looking for a quick hook-up.”
With his accusation ringing in her ears and fear coursing through her veins that this was only going to end one way, Steph tried to get through his anger. “Simon, please, not here,” she pleaded and hated herself for not telling him to fuck off and screaming blue murder when he fully turned on her which she knew was only seconds away.
Briefly, he turned to the two men who still stood there witnessing her humiliation. “Fuck off, both of you.”
One of them looked across at Steph. “You okay, love?”
Before Steph could answer, Simon was lunging for the man with Steph reaching forward to pull his arm back which is when she ended up flying through the air. Simon had drawn his arm back to punch the man but as she had gone with him the full force of his elbow made contact with her face, specifically her cheek. By the time her back hit the floor, Lindsay had returned and was on the floor next to her while Simon stood over them.
“Come on, we’re going,” he told Steph who was crying and incapable of speaking.
“Fuck off!” Lindsay screeched up at him as she hugged Steph harder. “She is going nowhere with you ever again.”
Steph winced as he bent down, afraid he was either going to drag her out of the bar or turn on her friend.
“Go on. I dare you,” Lindsay goaded. “Cause I will tell you one thing if you do, I will call the police and press charges. I amnot Steph and I will not allow you to bully and assault me and get off scot free. So, your choice . . .”
“This isn’t over,” he spat at Steph but thankfully left.
“I still can’t believeI’m in A & E again,” Steph muttered.
“Yes and it’s all down to Simon, again,” Lindsay scowled. “I’ll go and see if Charlie’s arrived yet. I told him where I’d parked your car so once you’re sorted one of us will drive it.”
Steph watched her friend leave and wondered if she could tell her she was all done when she returned, but figured Lindsay would see through that so she supposed she would have to sit and wait until she was given the all clear.
After three hours and another round of protests, Steph was tucked up in bed with Lindsay who had insisted that she was staying with her as she had suffered another concussion at Simon’s hands. The medical staff had been great, although they clearly had her marked down as some kind of victim now. They’d even given her leaflets on domestic abuse and the details of a couple of victim support helplines.
Sixteen
The smell of cooked bacon wafted into the bedroom and woke Steph. Slowly getting up she winced as her face throbbed. A glance in the bathroom mirror explained just why she was in pain.
“Bloody hell,” she muttered as she gently skimmed a thumb across the bruise on her cheek that wasn’t as big or as dark as it had threatened to be the night before but was still painful.
With a growl from her belly, Steph realised that she hadn’t eaten properly for over a week and hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast the previous day. She was grateful that Lindsay had got food on the go, food her friend must have been out for.
“Morning. I’m starving,” Steph said as she exited her bedroom and made her way towards the kitchen.
“Good.”
