Make Believe (26 page)

I take off my joggers and put my dressing gown on. My bath is ready. I grab a glass of wine on my way into the bathroom, but as I’m pouring it I hear a knock at the door.

“Someone’s forgotten her keys!” I shout loudly as I head towards the door knowing Mia would find that funny.

I swing open the door to greet her…but it isn’t her. I stand back and drop my glass to the floor. As it hits the floor the glass shatters everywhere.

Elliott stands there leaning against the door frame. I grab the door and try to push it shut, but he holds it open.

“I need to talk to you.”

“Go fuck yourself!”

“Jessica, I’m not going anywhere until you let me explain.”

“Well, you will be waiting a hell of a long time then. I’ll call the police if I have to,” I threaten.

“We both know you won’t do that. Just let me explain, please.”

I give up trying to push the door against him. He is far too strong and could easily move me out the way if he wanted to. God, how dare he come here and make demands on me? What an asshole. I’m so cross at him, but that doesn’t stop me pining for the Elliott I fell in love with. He is still as hot as hell, any women would be at a disadvantage.  I try to ignore the pull from my loins. This is one battle I need to win.

I walk off into the kitchen to get another glass of wine.  Once I’ve poured it, I go and sit on the sofa, ignoring him.

He shuts the door and sits in the chair opposite me.

“My God, Jess, you look awful.”

“Well, thank you. You can go now.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. You’ve lost weight. Your face looks so gaunt.”

“God, you’re so good with compliments. Thanks.”

“I’m worried about you, do you not get that?”

“If you’re that worried about me, may I suggest that you don’t go off and fuck your ex? That may help!”

He holds his head in his hands.

“Is there anything else as I’m rather busy?” I spit at him.

He lifts his head up and looks at me.

“It’s not what you think.”

I just roll my eyes to heaven.

“You mean you can’t even think of an excuse? Get the hell out of my house now!” I scream.

I stand up and walk towards the door. He grasps my hand and pulls me back. I stand rigid glaring at him.

“Get your fucking hands off me! You’ve lost the privilege of touching me.”

He lets go immediately.

He stands up.

“Jessica, I’m so sorry I’ve hurt you.  I love you.”

I laugh at him.

“Love me? Yes, of course you do. I like the way you show it. Nice!”

“Don’t be so sarcastic. You British and your fucking sarcasm!”

I return to the sofa and take a deep, long swig of my wine.

I look at Elliott.

“Is there really any point in you being here?  You broke my heart, Elliott! Ripped it out of my chest and held it in your hands! I can’t come back from that. I wouldn’t be able to trust you.”

He sits back down and looks at me, his expression lost.

“I never meant to hurt you. It was a set-up.”

“What was, her forcing you to kiss her or the emails that talked about how happy you were together now you were back fucking her? What?”

“What emails are you talking about?” He genuinely seems to have no idea.

I walk into my room, gather the emails and photo together, walk straight back into the living room and throw them at him.

“These.”

He looks at the photo and then puts it to one side; he then reads the emails, one after the other. It feels like ages before he speaks again.

He shakes his head.

“Right, one thing at a time. The photo is genuine, I can explain that. The day you were due back, Kirsten asked if we could go for a walk on the beach as she had enjoyed my company so much and knew that as soon as you were back I would be preoccupied. I couldn’t see anything wrong with that, so we went for a walk. It was quiet on the beach. The weather was overcast so not many people were down there. While we were standing watching the sea, Kirsten decides to tell me that she’s still in love with me and wants to try again.”

“Hang on. You’re supposed to be explaining this not justifying it! What next, you’re going to tell me her favourite position? This isn’t helping, Elliott!”

“Don’t be so stupid, Jess, let me finish. Where was I? Yes, she declared her love to me. I didn’t know what to say. I felt so embarrassed…I’ve moved on. I stood still and just continued looking at the sea. So to get my attention she walks directly in front of me and kisses me. I pushed her away immediately asking what the hell she’s doing. I told her that I was with you and she knew that and that I would never be able to be with her again, for one I’m in love with you and two she destroyed me the first time around. I would never let that happen again!”

I didn’t know what to say to him. My head was all over the place. He sounded genuine enough but he was a good actor, he could pull this off so easily!

“OK, say I swallow that load of bullshit. How do you explain the emails? They can’t lie.”

He runs his hand through his hair and brushes them down his face rubbing his unshaven chin.

“I don’t know anything about them honestly. I have never seen them before in my life. I can’t explain them because I didn’t write them.”

“And you really expect me to believe that? Seriously?”

He just looks at me and lifts his shoulders.

“Believe me, Jess, if I was lying I would have thought of a much better excuse than ‘I don’t know’? I really don’t know where they have come from. You have to believe me.”

He stands up, straightens his t-shirt and walks over to me. He kneels at the side of the sofa and reaches for one of my hands. He runs his other hand down the side of my face. I resist the urge to pull away. He looks directly into my eyes.

“Jessica, please believe me. I have had nothing sexual with Kirsten in the last two years. I never emailed her or anything like that. I don’t want to lose the most perfect thing that has happened to me in a very long time. Please, babe, if you’re honest with yourself, you want me as much as I want you…no, need you.”

It would be so easy to fall back into his arms regardless. But I need to know the truth. I need to know I can trust him.

This time I brush my fingers down his cheek.  “Elliott, I want to believe you, I really do, but it all seems so unreal. I get that Kirsten declared her love for you, she’s pretty much told me that herself. But the kiss looks real and the emails…how can you not know anything about them? Your accounts are password protected, aren’t they? And you check them regularly.

As the words fly out of my mouth, I remember the news at the airport.  “When did you’re stuff get hacked into?”

“Just before I picked you up.”

“Oh my God, I think Henry had something to do with this then and these?” I grab the emails.

“What? Henry? What are you talking about?”

“That’s how I knew about you and this. He came over to LA to tell me personally about you and hand me these details. He’s had you followed for a while.”

“What? Well, if that’s all he’s managed to get on me, his guy’s crap,” he smirks.

“Oh my God. After he had shown me these Mia and I left, and then we saw Henry getting into Hudson’s car.”

“Hudson? What, Henry and Hudson together?”

“Yep, I don’t know why I didn’t figure it out before.”

“That would explain a lot. Hudson’s behind it all. He wants us finished, Jessica. Our careers, relationship, the lot.
Shit, I need to call Simon. I’m not going to let those two bastards get away with this.” As Elliott goes to get up off the floor, he kneels and grasps my hand.

He looks directly into my eyes.

“Jessica, I love you so much. I don’t ever want to lose you or for you to be hurt by anyone ever again. You are my world, I don’t work without you. Would you please do me the honour of becoming my wife?

The END