Battle Lines. (22 page)

“Don’t you dare eat that.” Harry told her. “How many times must I tell you? It’s bad enough that you are not the brightest bulb in the pack, I mean, I can overlook that.”

He huffed loudly as he threw down his napkin. “I can even overlook the fact that you’re not easy on the eye. But I cannot do a fat wife. If you insist on eating that you are going to become a vile hideous fat slobby pig. Oink.”

Too far, way too far. Amanda knew that long before Jake’s fist collided with Harry’s face.

Chapter 23.

Amanda jumped up from the table as Harry landed on the floor. Her mother chose that moment to come back into the room and she exclaimed in shock. Jake turned to Jackie then.

“Why don’t you and Mandy go into the kitchen and get some ice and I’ll take Alan into the parlour.”

“How dare you.” Amanda shouted at Jake. Rounding on him angrily. “That’s the second time you have hit him.” Amanda came round to crouch by Harry who was groaning and holding his face sprawled out on the floor.

“Ow.” Harry groaned loudly.

“What is wrong with you?” She snapped at Jake.

“Me?”

“Yes, you. Haven’t you learned to keep your hands to yourself. You big overgrown bully.” She said. She leaned down, putting her hand on Harry’s arm. “Are you okay?” she asked him. She felt bad now.

“Trust me if I gave in every time I wanted to lay my hands on someone. I probably would have been in prison for murder long before now.” Jake promised.

“Are you implying you would have killed me.”

“Who’s implying? I am telling you.” Jake said.

“Well see that’s just typical of you Jake, isn’t it? You need to learn to keep your hands to yourself. You… you…” She stopped, breathing hard as she looked up at him.

“Yes.” He said.

“You caveman.”

“Is that it? Is that the best you’ve got?” Jake goaded her. How she would like to slap him, good and hard right across his face. Her eyes narrowed. “We both know your hand will never make it.” He warned her.

“You are disgustingly vile. A monster. We will press charges.” She warned him.

Jake swore and came round to where she was still crouched over Harry. Reaching down he grabbed a hold of her arm and she winced as his fingers bit into her flesh as he pulled her to her feet and moved her away from Harry.

She struggled, moving her arm so that she could break free from his hold. It didn’t work and instead she found herself up close and personal with the thick expanse of his chest.

“You are this close.” He warned her in a softly spoken voice, but she could hear the seething anger.

“Too what?” She challenged him. Big mistake, she knew as soon as the words were out. He backed her up away from Harry further.

“Do you really want to go there? Really?” He asked her. She swallowed as she looked up at his face. His blue eyes looked almost black with anger. She mutely shook her head. “Wise move.” He let her go and stepped away from her.

“You shouldn’t have hit him.” She said as he turned away. She stopped, his back straightening as he turned back toward her. She shrank back.

“Go get the ice.” He told her. Then he turned around and reached down to grab a hold of Harry and picked him up off the floor as though Harry weighed no more than a cushion.

“Come on darling. Let’s get that ice.” Her mother put an arm around her shoulders and escorted her away. She wanted to argue but Jake threw her a look that had her turning and fleeing with her mother from the room without argument.

She watched her mother put some ice in a bag and then wrapped it in a tea towel. “Here, darling. Did you want to take it or shall I?”

“No mum, I should be the one.” And Amanda took it and headed out of the kitchen.

“Amanda.” She stopped at the door and turned back to her mother.

“It might be a good idea if you say nothing until things calm down.” She warned her.

“But Jake…” Her mother put up a hand to silence her.

“But Jake nothing. Amanda now is not the time to be so…”

“So… what?” She asked.

“Red headed.” Her mother said. Amanda opened her mouth ready to argue but then closed it again. She was probably right.

“Fine. I will try.” She turned. “But I am not promising.” She slung over her shoulder as she went out of the room to go into the parlour.

Stepping into the room she saw Jake’s back. He was sitting in his usual chair and Harry was sat on the couch where she had sat on that first day here.

Harry was hunched over, holding his face with his hand.

“Ow.” He moaned. “Did you have to hit me so hard.”

“I could have done it harder.” Jake warned him.

“Yeah I am sure you could. What were you thinking?” Harry complained.

“We went over this. What were you playing at? You should have stuck to the plan.” She heard Jake. Amanda felt something flip inside her and she stopped dead in her tracks. She felt sick.

“What were you playing at?” Harry said.

“Didn’t we go over this?”

“I know.”

“If you know, why didn’t you stick to the plan.”

“Cos… I don’t know.” He moaned.

“We went over everything.” Jake continued.

“Yes, we did, I know, keep it low key. Funny, she said the same thing.” Harry huffed.

“Then why didn’t you?” Jake asked him. Amanda’s heart tripped over itself unhappily in her chest. It beat painfully against her ribcage.

“Didn’t you promise that you wouldn’t hit me.” Harry moaned.

“Damn it Harry. You insulted her.” Jake ground the words out. “I already told you not to.”

“I know but… I’m sorry.”

“No. it’s my fault.” Jake sighed heavily.

“I got caught up in the moment.” Harry shrugged.

Harry. Jake had called him Harry and not Alan. Amanda’s breathing became shallow as she looked on at the scene playing out in front of her, unable to believe what she was hearing.

Jake knew, how long had he known. Long enough to have gotten paly with Harry. They were talking as though they had planned this evening amongst themselves, behind her back.

Amanda watched, numb, her eyes unable to focus on what she was seeing. Her brain racing a thousand thoughts a second. Suddenly Harry noticed her and jumped up from his seat.

“Boss.” He said his face going paler than white, looking almost grey. She turned from Harry to Jake as Jake eased himself out of the chair and he turned to look at her. She shook her head mutely. “I can explain.” Harry began and she took a step back.

“No, I think I should. I can withstand her temper. She’s libel to kill you Harry.” Jake was telling him.”

“Umm. Is that ice for me?” Harry asked. She stepped back again. The ice slipping from her hand. She heard it hit the floor as she looked from one to the other.

“How… what…” She had lost the ability to speak. She pointed a shaky finger at the two of them. “You planned this behind my back.” She accused them both.

She watched Harry as he shuffled uncomfortably but Jake was made of stronger stuff and stood his ground. She saw his jaw clench.

“You were the one that started this Mandy remember.” She turned to Harry.

“You went behind my back.” She accused, feeling hurt.

“Boss if you would just let me explain.” Harry tried.

“Explain.” She echoed and then she found her anger. “Explain. You are fired. Do you hear me. Get out.” She bellowed at him. Harry made to move.

“No Harry, stay where you are. You’re rehired.”

“You can’t do that.” She turned on Jake. “He is my employee.” She turned back to Harry. “You’re fired.” She said again.

“Harry, stay where you are.” Jake told him. “In fact, I want to offer you a job at Michelson Industries.”

“You would?” Harry asked.

“You wouldn’t dare.” Amanda said.

“I’ll pay you double what she has been paying you.” Jake told Harry.

“Double.”

“He’s my employee not yours.” She shouted.

“You fired him.” Amanda turned back to Harry.

“You’re rehired.” She told him.

“Double and an extra two weeks holiday each year.” Jake said.

“Why you…” Amanda stamped her foot. “Harry. I’ll, I’ll.” She tried to think of something.

“Triple pay, and an extra three weeks’ holiday.”  Harry bartered.

“I’ll match anything she offers you.” Jake said.

“I’ll double anything that he offers.” She said automatically.

“Done.” Harry said clapping his hands together and smiling. But then winced and touched his cheek.

“Harry take me home.” Harry made to move but Jake reached out a hand and grabbed Harry’s arm, stopping him in his tracks.

“Perhaps you need to learn to treat your employees better.” Jake informed her.

“Harry gets treated just fine.” She snapped.

“Well now that you mention it.” Harry said.

“Shut up Harry.” Jake and Amanda said in unison.

“Okay, this is me shutting up.” Harry replied.

“Harry.” Amanda admonished him.

“Is your offer still on the table?” Harry asked Jake.

“Yes, it is.”

“Harry.” Amanda snapped at him. “You…” She rounded angrily on Jake. “This is all your fault.”

“My fault.” Jake took a step toward her and she stepped back. “How is this my fault?”

“It just is.” She snapped.

“Need I remind you that you started this.”

“No you don’t. But you.” She pointed at him. “If you knew why didn’t you say anything.”

“I already told you that I wasn’t going to make it easy for you.”

“And you.” She turned on Harry again who shrank back.

“Boss, if you just…” But Amanda cut him off.

“You can’t explain this, you traitor.” She flung the word at him. Harry opened his mouth but Jake silenced him.

“You were the one that told the lie Mandy. I gave you every opportunity to end this stupid farce. But you refused, that bloody stubbornness of yours. I gave you hints.” His voice rose angrily. “I even dangled it under your damn nose. I Made it clear at the lake that I knew Harry had a black eye, how could I have possibly known that if I didn’t know that Harry was really Alan? And still you refused to come clean.”

“How… how long.” She rounded on Harry, ignoring Jake.

“Well.”

“How long.” She shouted.

“When I came back to pick up my car. My keys had fallen when Jake hit me and when I turned up in the cab to pick it up Jake was already sitting in the passenger seat going through the glove box.” Harry admitted.

He had known since then, all that time. Amanda couldn’t breathe. She had to get out of here. She was seriously in danger of actually fainting. She turned on her heel and headed for the front door.

“Mandy.” Jake’s voice came from behind her. She knew he was following her. She could hear him. No she couldn’t let him catch her. She had to get away.

She picked up speed and wrenched open the door and spilled out into the dark outside. “Mandy.” Jake’s angry voice barked at her.

Tears blurred her vision now but she kept going. Down the path and onto the street. She ran as fast as her legs and high heels could take her.

She had to get away, she just had to. “Mandy.” Jake was still pursuing her. She ran out into the road to cross over. She heard the squeal of tyres and she heard Jake’s desperate voice but luckily she did not feel the impact as the car hit her. She just welcomed the nothingness that claimed her.

Chapter 24.

Jake ran an agitated hand through his already dishevelled hair and sighed deeply. He was getting seriously impatient now. How much longer was it going to be?

He had been sitting on this chair with Harry on one side and his mother on the other for what seemed like forever, though in reality it had been no more than twenty minutes or so.

After the last hour of utter hell, they were now sitting waiting for the doctor to come and tell them how Amanda was.

He closed his eyes to try and blot out the memories of the past hour. From the memory of watching that car hit her. The image of Amanda unconscious in the road. Her limbs at unnatural angles. He shuddered and he made a tortured noise as he rubbed a hand over his face.

He felt Jackie’s hand on his shoulder and he looked across at her. He took in the strained lines on her face and he reached out a hand to comfort her.

“It wasn’t your fault.” Jackie told him and he shook his head immediately.

“Yes it was.”

“No it wasn’t.” She said more firmly.

“Jackie’s right.” Harry said from his other side and Jake sighed.

“It wasn’t yours either.” Jake told Harry.

“More my fault than yours. I should have just come clean and told her. I wanted to, it’s the reason I spent so much time out of the office. I knew I would blab at some point.” Harry rubbed the back of his neck.

“It wasn’t your fault either. That daughter of mine.” Jackie stopped.

“Mum…” Jake said, immediately getting ready to defend Amanda.

“No, no. Don’t you dare defend her. She started this. She shouldn’t have done it.” Jackie told them.

There was no point in arguing, Jake knew. Jackie was right but still, he should have ended it. Instead like an idiot he had decided to try and beat her at her own game.

And why? Because he thought that if he pushed her she would run away again and it would be another ten years before she came back, or worse, she never came back.

He had lost her once, he wasn’t about to let it happen again. He had been so afraid that he would push her further away that he had allowed himself to make a stupid decision.

He moved around in his chair, he hated sitting here. He wanted to be in there with Amanda. He looked at the closed door. What was going on in there? Was she okay? Please let her be okay.

After the ambulance had been called and Amanda had been bundled inside ready for the trip to the hospital. Jake had got Harry to drive his car and Jackie to the hospital and he had ridden in the ambulance wanting to stay with Amanda.

She had not woken, not once. Either at the roadside or in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. The paramedic had tried to reassure him that that wasn’t necessarily a bad sign but Jake had felt that sick feeling in his gut. Why wasn’t she waking up?

Once at the hospital the doctors had crowded round her and he had been ushered out of the room. He had put up a fight but he had been outnumbered and he had been threatened with calling security to have him removed. So reluctantly Jake had gone outside into the corridor. Harry and Jackie had arrived a few minutes later and now they were sitting waiting for news. And, it was killing him.

Finally, the door opened and a doctor came through before closing the door behind him and he made his way to where they sat.

All three looked up at him expectantly. He was a young man with blonde hair that spiked all over the place.

“Well.” Jake barked impatiently.

“Jake.” Jackie warned softly.

“Sorry.” He sighed. “How is she? Is she going to be okay?”

The doctor pulled up a chair and sat down before looking at them.

“She looks a little worse for wear but, she is going to be fine. She has some mean looking bruising and some superficial abrasions.”

“Thank god.” Harry breathed a sigh of relief that was mirrored by Jake and Jackie.

“She has a mild concussion but there are no bones broken and no internal bleeding. She will need a little time to recuperate but she will be fine.”

“Is she awake?” Jackie asked him.

“She was.” The doctor grimaced.

“Was?” Jake asked.

“Yes, was. I am afraid we had to sedate her.” The doctor told them.

“Why?” Jake asked.

“Oh no, it’s okay.” The doctor assured him immediately. “She tried getting up off the bed and when we tried to keep her there, she became hysterical.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Jackie complained, though everyone could hear the relief in her voice.

“She started lashing out at us. Almost fell of the bed twice. So, she was sedated for our safety and her own.”  Yes, that sounded like Amanda, Jake thought. And, even in the dire situation he found his lip curling into a small smile. Stubborn to the bitter end.

“Can we see her?” Jake asked. And the doctor nodded.

“She won’t be awake for a while yet.” He warned them as he got up from the chair. “But that’s only the sedation and nothing more. She is fine.”

Jake stood and shook the doctor’s hand and thanked him before he ushered Jackie into the room where Amanda lay unmoving in bed.

And so, a few minutes later found Jake sitting close to Amanda holding her still hand in his. His thumb stroking the back of her hand gently as he looked at the grey pallor of her face.

Jackie had sat herself on the other side, where she was rubbing Amanda’s arm and Harry stood at the foot of the bed. His hands in the pockets of his trousers as he looked at his boss lying in the bed and feeling like the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

“I am sorry.” He said quietly.

“Harry this isn’t your fault.” Jake said.

“It’s not yours either.” Jackie told him firmly.

“I shouldn’t have continued the charade. I should have just told her that I knew and have done with it.” Jake said.

“If Amanda hadn’t of done it in the first place. Then none of this would have happened.” Jackie pointed out.

“Yes but…”

“Yes but nothing Jake. She’s a grown woman, I don’t know what goes through her head sometimes.” Jackie sighed.

“I do.” Jake said quietly. He knew only too well what went through her head. Jake got up. “Are you okay here until I get back.” He asked Jackie and she nodded her head. With a movement of his head Jake motioned to Harry and Harry followed him out.

“She’s gonna be okay.” Harry told Jake as soon as they were out in the corridor.

“Yeah…”

“It will all work out.” Harry tried again. Though he felt that perhaps he was trying to convince himself more than he was trying to reassure Jake. Either way it wasn’t working. Jake did not look reassured and he did not feel convinced.

“There’s no point you staying here. I’ll drop you off home.”

“I don’t mind.” Harry told Jake.

“Do you think you can keep things ticking over at work for a while?”

“Of course.” Harry said.

“I’ll send someone over from the office to help you with anything you need.” Jake told him. “If there’s anything particular you need let me know.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll go by Mandy’s after I drop you off and pick up some clothes for her. She’ll come home when she’s released.”

“To yours?” Harry asked and Jake stopped and turned to Harry.

“Home.” He said again.

“What about…?” Harry stopped.

“I’ll get a couple of people in tomorrow and they can clear all her stuff out. Then I will swing by the estate agents and hand in the keys once it’s all done.” Jake told him.

“Oh, are you sure you want to do that?”

“Yes I am sure.”

“Well, I mean she’s gonna be really angry.” Harry warned him.

“I can handle her.” Jake told him.

“I’m sure you can. But… well… perhaps you might want to wait till she’s a little better.” Harry shrugged.

“No, she’s coming home.”

“It won’t hurt to wait a day or two, you know talk to her about it first.”

“It will achieve absolutely nothing. You know what she is like.”

“Yeah.” Harry complained.

“Do you know what her problem is?”

“Is that a trick question.” Harry asked Jake and Jake laughed.

“You’re right. My life isn’t long enough to list everything.” Jake admitted and it was Harry’s turn to laugh.

“I know it isn’t much, but, well… she made that place her home.” He shrugged.

“I know Harry. On both counts. But I have made up my mind. She is coming home. It’s where she belongs. Where she has always belonged.”

“She’s gonna be mad.” Harry warned him as they crossed the car park to Jake’s car and Harry heard Jake laugh as he pressed the button on his fob to unlock the car.

“Is there ever a time when she isn’t?” He asked Harry.

“Good point.” Harry grimaced and lowered himself into the passenger seat. “We should have said something. I wanted to.”

“I know.” Jake sighed as he started the engine. “I just…”

“It’ll work out.” Harry said though he didn’t sound convinced.

“This is Mandy we are talking about.” Jake reminded him.

“True. But… she can’t stay mad forever… Right?” Harry asked.

“Again, this is Mandy we are talking about.”

“Yeah, you’re right. We are totally done for.” Harry said as Jake drove the car out of the car park and headed towards Harry’s home.