‘Aaron’s a completely different kettle of fish. Surely you can see that.’ I couldn’t do this anymore. I downed the last gulp of my lager and stood up. ‘I’m leaving.’
‘I can stop you from seeing Aaron,’ she called as I headed for the snug exit.
I spun round and couldn’t help myself. ‘Why don’t you tell Aaron the truth and then see who he wants to spend time with?’
I stormed out of the pub, praying she wouldn’t follow me. I’d managed to stay fairly calm and had chosen my words very carefully to convey the truth without hurting Ingrid but I was so incensed with her right now that, if she pushed me any further, I was in danger of unleashing exactly what I thought of her and it wouldn’t be pretty.
24
TARA
Jed and I had planned to go out for a couple of drinks followed by a takeaway on Friday night. I was drying myself after a shower when my phone rang so I rushed into the bedroom to answer it.
‘Hi, Jed.’
‘Hi. I’m outside. Can I come in? I need to talk to you.’ I could hear the anguish in his voice and it sent my stomach into a spin cycle.
‘Give me a minute and I’ll be down.’
I dashed back into the bathroom, pulled on a satin bath robe, tying it round my waist as I rushed down the stairs. When I opened the door, I was shocked by what I saw. Still dressed in his work clothes, Jed’s hair was dishevelled as though he’d been raking his fingers through it for quite some time, his cheeks were red, and his eyes bloodshot.
‘Oh, my God! What’s happened?’
‘Ingrid demanded we talk and you’re not going to believe what she asked me to do. Raise the twins! Why would she askme that? I can’t even…’
I wrapped my arms around him and he clung onto me, his body tense.
‘Come upstairs, I’ll make you a drink and you can start from the beginning…’
‘No wonder you looked so frazzled when I answered the door,’ I said when Jed had finished telling me about his conversation with Ingrid and her out-of-the-blue proposal. ‘That’s shocking. I can’t believe the nerve of the woman.’
‘I’m fuming that she’d use the kids like that – like a bargaining chip. And I don’t get why she’d want to contemplate getting back with me. We’re not friends. We’d both hate it.’
‘She must be desperate.’ I gasped when I realised what I’d said. ‘I didn’t mean it like that.’
He stared at me, eyes wide, before bursting into laughter.
‘I genuinely didn’t mean it like that,’ I said, laughing along with him. ‘I just meant that sometimes desperate people do desperate things… and I’m not making it any better, am I?’
‘Should I take that shovel off you?’ he said, still laughing. ‘Don’t worry, I know exactly what you were trying to say but I’m glad you said it how you did because I needed to laugh. I feel a lot better for that.’
‘Glad to be of service.’
He sipped on his tea. ‘One thing it has got me wondering about is whether I should meet the twins. Not with a view to becoming their dad, of course, but they are related to my girls and I’d hate for them to grow up as strangers. It was awful seeing the girls pulling away from Aaron. Or would it be weird for me to meet them?’
‘I don’t think it’d be weird at all. As you say, they’re half-siblings to Erin and Lucy. Whether Ingrid will let you see them is another matter. I think that’s one you’re going to have to let play out over time. The important relationship for you is Aaron. Did she say how she’ll stop you seeing him?’
‘No, but I’m sure she’ll find a way. Ingrid can be really spiteful when she wants to be.’
‘I’m sorry you had all that to deal with tonight. It sounds tough.’
‘It was, but at least I’ve got you. I’m sorry I’ve messed up our night out.’
‘It’s fine. We can still get a takeaway later.’ I gave him a gentle smile. ‘You look more relaxed than you were downstairs, but you’re still tense. I think there was some massage oil in a set of smellies my mum gave me for Christmas. Would you like me to give your shoulders a rub?’
‘That would be amazing.’
‘Give me a minute to find it.’
