Taking Care Of Leah (22 page)

“No, I know. Shit, Ty, I’m sorry.”

“You’re only looking out for him. I get that. But he’s supposed to be an adult.” Silence filled the phone line until Ty said, “I’ll dig out Lance’s number. Those two have been pretty tight recently, maybe he’ll be able to help out.”

“Thanks, Ty. I’d appreciate that.”

“I’ll text you later.”

“Okay. Thanks. Bye.”

Ty hung up and turned round to see Leah leaning against the doorframe.

“Married and kids, huh?”

“Morning,” he said, squeezing past her and heading to the kitchen.

“Is this a long-term plan?” She followed him, continuing to tease him. “Am I involved? Or do you have your sights set somewhere higher?” They walked into the kitchen and Leah pulled herself up to sit on the counter. He raised a disapproving eyebrow, which she ignored. “Perhaps”—she gripped the edge of the surface and swung her legs—“you’ve decided you want someone more willing.”

“For God’s sake, Leah, how many times?” he said, sounding irritated. “I love you.” He shifted between her legs. “If all you wanted to do was shag missionary style, then that’s what we’d do. Christ, if you wanted to abstain, it would be fucking hard but I’d do it.” It came out as a torrential rant, one he had no control over. All she could do was sit and stare at him as he continued. “And yes, those plans do include you. One day, if you’ll have me, I want to marry you and have kids with you.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

It had been three days since he’d mentioned marriage and babies. The hallway was still filled with her boxes, but Maggie’s spare room was now well and truly a nursery. Neil had told her that she was always welcome if things didn’t work out. She didn’t dare tell either of them about the semi-proposal. She’d told Yvonne, though, and Rainie. Both women had instantly demanded a coffee, so she’d arranged to meet them both at the same time, preferring to not have to repeat herself until the whole of Bristol knew.

“You’re not, are you?” Yvonne asked, and Rainie almost spat out her coffee.

“No,” Leah said. “I’m not.”

Rainie giggled. After the introductions had been made, Yvonne had immediately spread her wings and swooped Rainie under them. She’d already offered her a personal training session and a makeover after Rainie had commented on Yvonne’s lithe figure and outfit that suited her better than it would any mannequin.

“Thank God for that.” She leaned back with her usual dramatic flair. “So what about, you know…?”

“Lance’s said that Jerry can crash at his,” Rainie offered before picking up her mug and sipping at it.

“What about you and Lance?” Leah asked, desperate for a change in conversation.

“I’m not sure he’s really my type.”

“Crap in bed, eh?” Yvonne smirked.

“The complete opposite, but he was a rebound. They never last long, do they?” She looked up at Leah and gave her a sympathetic smile. “And after everything that happened at the party… Glad I avoided that one.”

“How long before you’re back at school?

“Two weeks. Fourteen whole days before heading back to the classroom.”

“Don’t sound too enthusiastic.”

“Meetings. Training. Planning. And teenagers.” Leah sighed. “Thousands of the bloody creatures. Trust me, you have it easy.”

“Ha!” Yvonne blurted out. “You think getting overweight women with absolutely no self-esteem, no confidence and no willpower to get fit and healthy is easy? And don’t even get me started on the men! I swear half of them only hire a personal trainer so they can watch my arse wiggle.” She shuffled in her seat and Rainie laughed. “Got any plans for your final days of freedom?”

“Making the most of the sun,” Rainie said.

“And starting your new program,” Yvonne reminded her.

“And diet.”

“Leah? Sex, I bet. Lots of kinky sex.” She shot her a wink. “Who needs exercising when you’ve got a Ty, huh?”

Rainie giggled. “He’s certainly something. Are you going to be flashing an engagement ring around the school next term? Has he told his aunt yet?”

“Aunt?” Yvonne inquired.

“Mrs. Hilary Davis,” Leah said, bypassing the mention of kinky sex. She would tell Yvonne, but not while Rainie was around. “The head teacher. She’s his aunt.”

“Oh, wow. Are you still going to have a job when it comes out that you’re shagging the head’s nephew?”

“Of course she will,” Rainie jumped in. “Leah is the best English teacher we have!”

“I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration,” Leah said in a soft voice.

“No, it’s not. Have you seen the exam results of this year yet?”

“I’ve been preoccupied.”

“We’ve moved six places up the board! Hilary would be an idiot to fire you over something so trivial. Not that it is trivial! Especially if he’s talking marriage and kids… Oh, you know what I mean.”

“Yes.” Leah smiled. “I know.”

“Well, I’d better go,” Rainie excused herself, finishing her coffee. “I’ve got so much to do. I will see you before we go back, won’t I?” Leah nodded. “Good. And, Yvonne, it was lovely to meet you properly. I’ll call you tomorrow to arrange a date for my first session.”

“You better had,” Yvonne warned. They waited until Rainie had shut the door behind her. “So dish.”

“What?”

“You’ve been sitting on something, and it’s got nothing to do with weddings and babies.”

Leah sucked on her bottom lip. “The other night…”

“Yes?”

“We went to Kiss-Kiss and got invited to use the VIP lounge by the manager, Candice.”

“Candice as in the woman at the party? As in Ty’s ex?”

Leah gave a nonchalant shrug. “They weren’t really a couple, I don’t think.”

“Potatoes, potahtoes. Spill it.”

“I think… I don’t know. I don’t know what to think. I got the feeling that there was more to it.”

“You don’t think he’s cheating, do you?”

“No! I don’t know… Shit. No, I just… I got the impression that there was more to it. That maybe she—Candice—wanted Ty. Or more. Maybe they used to share women too? I don’t know. I’m probably imagining things. She was just very… Full of herself. Perhaps they…” She shook her head. “Nothing. It was nothing.”

“Oh, shit, Leah. I’m going to assume you haven’t told him about Kyle then?”

“Not everything. Bits and pieces.”

“You need to tell him. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Yvonne arched an eyebrow. “Leah, sweetie, you are either into that lifestyle or you’re not. I get that he’s teaching you all sorts of new things, introducing you to exciting experiences…” Her eyes widened, emphasizing her words. “But getting other people involved is not something you need.” She reached over the table and grabbed Leah’s hands. “He promised you that what he and Jerry used to get up to was in the past. He promised that it would just be the two of you.”

“He’s not breaking promises—”

“That’s exactly what he’s doing if he’s trying to get other people involved.” She let go and fell back into her chair. “Talk to him. Tell him about Kyle. If he really loves you, he’ll understand.”

“He’s not trying to do anything like that,” Leah argued. “It’s all in my head, I know it is. It’s just all so intense, and maybe it’s bringing things back. You know, Kyle and stuff…” She trailed her sentence as her thoughts tumbled around. She didn’t really know what had gone on between Ty and Candice. They’d had a heated discussion, and left abruptly. It could have been anything and nothing.

“You have to tell him,” Yvonne said again. “You have to be honest with him. Even if it is all in your head, it’s there for a reason.”

She knew Yvonne was right.

“I’ll talk to him. Tonight,” she promised.

* * * *

“You’re very quiet,” Ty said around a mouthful of spaghetti. Leah picked up a slice of garlic bread and began to pull it apart. He gave her a concerned look. “Should I be worried?”

Leah popped a piece of bread into her mouth and chewed—anything to avoid talking to him. He waited until she swallowed and urged her to speak. She closed her eyes, remembering her promise to Yvonne.

“I need to be honest with you.”

“That’s all I want—”

“About my past. Specifically my ex, Kyle. You know he wasn’t a particularly nice person, but I didn’t tell you everything.”

“Whatever it is, just spit it out.”

“He…” She wasn’t sure how to say it. Words stuck to her tongue like toffee, molding around her teeth and gluing her mouth shut. “He was into the same sort of stuff as you.” It was the only way she could explain it. “He liked it a certain way. But we didn’t have a safe word. It was his way or no way. And he liked other people involved, but that wasn’t something I was willing to try.” She looked up at him. “So when Kyle started making those suggestions…” It was difficult to gage his reaction. His stony expression remained steadfast, his grip on his fork no tighter than it had been before. “When I said no, he started cheating on me. We fell apart and I left him. Then when I moved out, he started to follow me around. He’d send me texts and emails demanding I go back to him. He even turned up at the school I worked in, and started harassing me when I was out with friends. That’s why I came down here.”

Ty put his fork down and pushed his plate forward. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“I tried. But it’s not easy, admitting that I’m some pathetic prude compared to you.”

“You’re not.” He shook his head fiercely. “You’re anything but. You should have said something before now. I would never have put any of that pressure on you to do anything you don’t want. Jeez, what you must think of me, of all men!”

Leah stood up and started to clear the table.

“Leave that,” he said, but she ignored him, scraping the plates into the bin before putting them in the dishwasher. Ty stood up. “I said leave it.” He took her hands in his, tugging her closer to him, forcing her to look at him. “I am so, so sorry.” Using the pad of his thumb, he wiped away a single, solitary tear that spilled from the corner of her eye. “No wonder you’ve been quiet these past few days.” He wrapped his arms around her and she soaked in the warmth that penetrated his T-shirt.

She relaxed into him, pressing her cheek into his chest, nuzzling under his chin. Embracing him, she felt the weight lift off her shoulders and dissolve into the air. Leah closed her eyes. It would have been perfect had the front door not been thrown open at that exact moment.

Chapter Thirty-Six

A heavy thud echoed down the hall into the kitchen, startling them both. Ty released his hold on Leah and marched to the front door. Leah stayed in the kitchen. She didn’t have to strain to hear the conversation that ensued.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” It was Ty’s voice that boomed around the house, followed by a crash. The sound of glass or pottery shattering made Leah jump and she started to tread carefully to the door. She peered around the frame to see Ty, every muscle taut, as he thrust his arm forward. “Calm the fuck down!” he yelled. Leah took another step forward. His hand was gripping at the neckline of Jerry’s T-shirt, holding him against the wall.

“This is entirely your fault,” Jerry spat, turning to face Leah. “And that little bitch’s. If she hadn’t moved in, none of this would have happened.”

Ty slammed him into the wall again. “No. This is
your
fault. Nobody screwed your life up. Take some fucking responsibility.”

Leah grabbed the phone.

“Oh yeah, that’s right.” Jerry laughed. “Call the police. Let them come to your rescue again.” He faced Ty. “Three months ago you would never have let a woman come between us.” He stabbed a finger into Ty’s chest. Ty responded, slamming him into the wall once more. A picture fell from its place, landing on the floor with a clatter, the frame splintering.

“Call Craig,” Ty said to Leah.

Leah nodded, retreating into the kitchen. She grabbed Ty’s phone from the kitchen sideboard and scrolled for the number, waiting for it to ring.

“H-hi,” she stuttered. “It’s Leah Beauchamp. You need to come over to Ty’s. Now. It’s Jerry. He’s gone berserk!” She stabbed the red phone icon and put it back on the counter before creeping back to the hallway.

Ty dropped Jerry to the floor. “This is your only chance to get out.” His voice was cool and calm, with no hint of aggression. “I would suggest you take it.”

“You’re a fucking pussy.”

“And you’re just fucked. You need help.”

Jerry leaped at Ty. Both men crashed into the stairs, with Jerry landing on top. Fists clenched, he pummeled Ty’s face, ribs and arms. Leah squeezed her eyes shut, hiding in the kitchen. She listened to the sounds of the fight bounce off the walls.

One yelling at the other. Bone smashing into bone. Grunts as a fist, elbow, or knee found its spot. She took the phone from its receiver and dialed nine-nine-nine. She didn’t care about the consequences. She cared about Ty.

Pain shot through Ty’s fingers as he gripped Jerry’s T-shirt, holding him steady and in place. “Calm. The fuck. Down!” he shouted, using his knees to pin Jerry’s legs down and his free arm to grip his wrists above his head. Adrenaline surged through his veins, giving him a strength he’d never felt before. He lifted Jerry off the ground before dropping his head to the carpet. “What did you take?”

Jerry’s eyes were wild and frightening, black pupils dilated until they almost filled his irises. He struggled beneath Ty, a knee wriggling free and connecting with Ty’s crotch. He felt it in his belly, the instant swell and heat searing over his groin, but he had to stay in control. If he loosened his grip… It didn’t bear thinking about.

“Where is Craig?” he asked himself, tightening his hand around Jerry’s thick wrists above his head.

Sirens blared.

Someone grabbed his arms, yanking them behind his back, hauling him off Jerry’s body.

He looked toward the kitchen and saw her. Leah’s face, filled with fear. She was shouting something, but all he could hear was the sound of his own blood as it pumped through his ears. The hall became a blur of faces and dark uniforms.

“Ty?” He heard the voice but couldn’t place it. “Ty? Shit. Are you okay? Ty? Can you hear me?”