Broke (12 page)

Mark cursed when Steve disconnected the call, but he had no time to waste so he tried his mum instead. She was out, so he went through the rest of the friends whose numbers were in his phone. And, finally, when there was absolutely nobody else left, he rang Jenny.

‘Oh, so you’ve remembered my number, have you?’ she said frostily when she heard his voice. ‘Aren’t I the lucky one?’

‘Don’t be like that, babe.’ Mark forced himself to sound contrite. ‘You don’t know what it’s been like since Amy came home. It’s been a nightmare. She’s been on my case day and night.’

‘Should have thought about that before you begged her to come back.’

‘I didn’t beg her. And it wasn’t even about her, I did it for—’

‘The kids,’ Jenny finished for him, a sarcastic edge to her voice. ‘Yes, I know how devoted you are to your kids, thank you.’

Already pissed off about having to creep to her again, Mark felt like telling her to fuck off. But she was his last hope, so he said, ‘I know you’re upset with me, but I genuinely haven’t had a chance to get away.’

‘Or pick up a phone?’

‘Don’t think I haven’t wanted to. You’ve been in my head day and night. You don’t know how hard it’s been, waking up and seeing
her
lying next to me of a morning when all I want is you.’

Jenny went quiet, and Mark wondered if she had cut him off.

‘Jenny?’ he said. ‘Are you still there?
Jenny?
’

‘I’m here.’ She sighed. ‘But I don’t want to talk over the phone. I want to see you.’

‘And I want to see you too,’ Mark purred. ‘But I can’t right now. I’m in a spot of bother and I need to get it sorted. You know that bloke you put me onto?’

‘What about him?’ Jenny asked warily.

‘I’m supposed to be paying him this week’s instalment in, like . . .’ Mark glanced at his watch and groaned. ‘Shit, I’ve only got twenty minutes left.’

‘You’d better get off the phone, then,’ said Jenny. ‘Call me when you’ve finished.’

‘I can’t pay him,’ Mark blurted out before she had a chance to hang up. ‘My money’s not gone into my account yet.’

‘Oh, I see.’ Jenny’s voice hardened. ‘So
that
’s why you rang, so you could tap me up again.’

Mark’s heart sank. He supposed he couldn’t blame her for cold-shouldering him after the way he’d messed her about, but if she wasn’t going to help there was no point continuing the conversation.

He put his thumb on the disconnect button, but just as he was about to press it, Jenny said, ‘All right, come round. I’ll have to go to the machine, but it’s not too far so I should be back by the time you get here.’

‘Can’t you bring it to me?’ Mark asked, reluctant to schlep all the way over to her place when he was already on borrowed time.

‘No,’ Jenny said firmly, determined not to let him think she was a complete pushover. ‘If you want it, you’ll have to come for it.’

‘Okay,’ Mark agreed. ‘I’ll be there in five. But I won’t be able to stay.’

Jenny murmured something that sounded suspiciously like ‘We’ll see’ before she hung up. Mark kissed his teeth in irritation and set off at a rapid stride.

Jenny knew that Mark was using her, and she wished that she was strong enough to tell him to get lost. But she desperately wanted to see him. It had been hell waiting for him to come round after his last visit, jumping up and running to the window every time she heard a noise and sleeping with her phone in her hand in case she missed a call. She had even gone to his house last week and walked up and down on the opposite side of the road in the hope of catching a glimpse of him. Her heart had almost stopped when Amy had pushed the buggy out onto the path, but it had positively shattered when Mark had come out and kissed the bitch.

That had almost destroyed her and she had gone home in bits, vowing never to talk to Mark again. But now, as she stood on the step watching him walk up the path towards her, her resolve crumbled.

‘Come in,’ she said quietly.

‘I can’t,’ said Mark, eyeing the money she was holding in her hand. ‘I’ve only got ten minutes.’

‘Considering how long it’s been, I think you can spare me one minute,’ Jenny insisted.

Mark gritted his teeth when she turned and walked up the stairs.

‘I’ve missed you,’ she said when he joined her in the living room.

‘Yeah, me too,’ Mark lied. ‘And I wish I could stay, but I really need to get going. So, if I can just . . .’

‘Why did you lie to me?’

‘What?’

‘You said it’s been a nightmare since Amy came back.’

‘It has.’

‘So how come you’re still kissing her like you love her?’

‘Am I fuck!’ Mark scoffed. ‘Who told you that?’

‘I
saw
you,’ said Jenny.

‘You what?’

‘On your doorstep, last Wednesday. She came out with the buggy, and you kissed her.’

Mark drew his head back and narrowed his eyes. ‘Have you been spying on me?’

‘
No
.’ Jenny blushed and folded her arms. ‘I went to see a friend round the corner and had to walk past yours on my way home.’

‘Jeezus!’ Mark spluttered, running his hands through his hair. ‘Are you stupid? Have you got any idea what Amy would have done if she’d seen you and put two and two together?’

‘Left you?’ Jenny was defiant.

‘Is that what you’re trying to do?’ Mark demanded. ‘After everything I said about my kids?’

‘It wasn’t the kids you were kissing, it was
her
.’

‘A peck on the cheek is
nothing
. And if it keeps her happy and stops her from taking off with the kids again, what’s wrong with that?’

‘Are you still sleeping with her?’

‘
What?
’

‘You heard me.’

‘Are you having a fucking laugh?’

‘No, I want to know,’ Jenny said firmly. ‘You said I was special, so I’ve got a right to ask. Or maybe I should just go and ask Amy? I’m sure
she
’d tell me the truth.’

‘You stay away from Amy,’ Mark warned her angrily. ‘And I’d better not catch you anywhere near my house again, neither.’

‘If you came round when you said you were going to, I wouldn’t have to come looking for you,’ Jenny retorted sulkily.

Mark had heard enough. She was acting like a jealous wife and it was freaking him out. ‘I’m out of here,’ he muttered, turning and heading for the door.

‘What time are you coming back?’ Jenny asked. ‘I’m thinking of getting a takeaway for dinner. Which do you prefer – Indian or Chinese?’

Mark spun round and gaped back at her in disbelief. ‘Are you for real?’

‘There’s no need to be nasty.’ Jenny gave him a hurt look. ‘
I
’m the one who should be angry after the way you’ve messed me around. All I want to know is what time you’re coming back so I’ll know when to order the food. What’s so bad about that?’

‘You seriously think I’m coming back after this?’ Mark was incredulous. ‘You’re not right in the head, you.’

Aware that she’d gone too far, Jenny ran after him when he started trotting down the stairs.

‘Mark, wait! I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have said anything about you and Amy, but I just get so jealous when I think about you and her together.’

‘She’s my wife,’ spat Mark, tugging his arm free when she grabbed it. ‘The mother of my kids.’

‘I know, and I’m sorry,’ Jenny said again, tears of desperation streaming from her eyes. ‘I just love you so much, and I don’t want to lose you. Here, take the money.’ She thrust out the notes that she was holding.

‘I don’t want it.’ Mark shoved her hand away. ‘It ain’t worth the hassle.’

‘Please,’ Jenny implored. ‘I swear I’ll never mention Amy again. And you
need
it. Len will kill you if you don’t pay him.
Please
. . . just take it.’

Mark wanted out of there so bad, but she was right, he did need the money. So he took a deep breath and, as if he was doing her a favour, said, ‘Okay, I’ll take it. But don’t you ever do anything like that again or we’re finished – for good.’

‘I won’t,’ Jenny promised.

‘I’ve got to go.’ Mark opened the door.

Jenny bit her lip and nodded. ‘Will – will you call me?’

‘If I can.’ He stepped out and pulled the door shut.

Jenny went back upstairs and watched through the net curtains as he ran down the road. When he’d disappeared from view, she turned to get a tissue out of the box on the coffee table. Pausing when she caught sight of the urn, she snarled, ‘What are you laughing at? At least mine still wants me. Yours couldn’t wait for you to
die
.’

Mark ran all the way to The Beehive, but as he turned the corner he saw the Vectra pulling out of the car park with Yates at the wheel and Keith, the moneylender’s big sidekick, in the passenger seat. He waved and shouted, but they didn’t see him. Guessing they were on their way to his house, he put his head down and legged it home.

Yates had been okay with him over the last few weeks, and Mark had felt like they were on their way to becoming mates when they bantered about the footie, even though Mark was a diehard red and Yates a committed blue. He hadn’t forgotten the warning that Yates had given him at the start about what would happen if he was late making payments, but he was hoping that the man would be lenient seeing as this was the first time. And at least he had the money, so it wasn’t like he was trying to get out of paying.

Relieved when he turned onto his road and saw that Yates’s car wasn’t there yet, Mark quickly let himself into the house and ran into the living room.

Amy was lying on the couch, reading a magazine. ‘What’s wrong with you?’ she asked when she heard how out of breath he was.

‘Nothing.’ Mark pressed his nose up against the window.

‘Well, who are you looking for?’ Amy wanted to know. ‘Is someone after you? What have you done?’

‘
Nothing
,’ Mark repeated irritably. ‘Where are the kids?’

‘Bobby’s asleep, and Cass is playing with her dolls. Why?’

‘Take them out.’ Mark reached for her hand and pulled her to her feet.

‘I can’t wake Bobby up, he’ll have a fit,’ Amy protested. ‘Anyway, I don’t want to go out. I’ll be starting dinner in a minute.’

‘Get some chips and go to the park.’ Mark pushed her towards the door.

‘Stop it,’ she complained, standing her ground and putting her hands on her hips. ‘What’s going on, Mark? And don’t say nothing, ’cos I can always tell when you’re lying.’ Suspicion in her eyes now, she said, ‘Is it a girl? You haven’t been messing around, have you?’

‘What?
No!
’ Mark reached out and stroked her hair. ‘Course not. Don’t be stupid. I love
you
.’

‘Well, what is it then?’ Amy jerked her head away. ‘You might as well tell me, ’cos I’m not going anywhere till I know.’

‘All right, I might be in a bit of trouble,’ Mark admitted, glancing out of the window again. ‘I owe a bloke some money, and I was supposed to pay him at five, but I didn’t make it so I think he’s on his way over.’

‘You’ve been borrowing money?’ Amy was shocked.

‘It was before the dole got sorted,’ Mark told her. ‘When you left me and took the kids to your mum’s. I didn’t tell you ’cos I didn’t want you to worry. I’ll explain later, but you’ve got to take the kids out before he gets here.’

‘Why?’ Amy was struggling to take it all in. ‘What’s going to happen?’

‘Hopefully nothing,’ said Mark. ‘But he said he’d come and break something if I didn’t pay on time, and I was late today.’

‘You’re telling me some bloke thinks he’s coming into
my
house, and I’m just supposed to stand here and let him smash it up?’ Amy’s confusion changed to indignation. ‘I don’t
think
so!’

‘What are you doing?’ Mark asked when she pushed past him and reached for the phone.

‘Calling the police.’

‘
No!
’ He lurched towards her and snatched the receiver out of her hand. ‘You’ll make everything ten times worse.’

Yates’s car pulled up outside. Mark spotted it and groaned.

‘Is that him?’ Amy demanded, glaring out at Yates when he stepped out of the car. ‘Right, I’ll soon set him straight.’

‘Stay here!’ Mark ordered, his legs starting to shake when Keith got out as well. ‘I’ll deal with this.’

‘No way,’ Amy said huffily. ‘I’m gonna tell him to get lost.’

Mark physically blocked her path and shoved her back into the room. ‘I said
I
’ll deal with it. Now stay there.’

Yates rapped on the front door. Mark took a deep breath and pulled the money out of his pocket. Then, smiling, he opened up.

‘All right, mate? Bet you’ve been cursing me, haven’t you? I’ve got your money, but you were leaving when I got to the pub and you didn’t hear me shouting after you so I had to run all the way back.’

‘Tough.’ Yates barged past him. ‘I told you what’d happen if you made me come round for it.’

Flattened against the wall when Keith squeezed past, Mark followed as they strolled into the living room.

‘Just let me explain, Len. It’s not my fault I was late. One of the kids was sick, and Amy was at her mum’s, so I had to wait for her to get back before I could come out.’

Yates turned and grabbed his face, digging his fingernails hard into his cheeks. ‘You were warned, and you took the piss, so now you’re gonna be punished.’

‘Get your hands off him!’ Amy yelled. ‘And get out of my house or I’m going to call the police.’

Before she could move to carry out her threat, Keith spotted the phone on the table beside the window and yanked the lead out of the socket.

‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’ Amy demanded. ‘How dare you!’

‘Feisty, your missus, ain’t she?’ Yates grinned at Mark.

‘Amy, shut up,’ Mark spluttered, his lips puckering from the pressure of Yates’s grip. ‘I told you I’d deal with this. Go upstairs.’

Scared now, Amy began to edge towards the door. But Keith grabbed her and pulled her back.

‘Not so fast, sweetheart. We want you where we can see you.’

‘Please don’t do this,’ Mark croaked. ‘I’ve got your money, and I swear I’ll never be late again. But this has got nothing to do with Amy, so please don’t hurt her.’