‘I fucking told you! Don’t ring him, don’t come here. I said John would do it!’ He waves his arms around like a deranged screwball. ‘Go and get in the fucking car.’
I hear a snigger escape Matt’s lips, and I whip my eyes around to him. He looks at me and I see a glint of sick satisfaction in his eyes. It tips me over the edge. I’m not standing here being screamed at, especially in front of my twat of an ex-boyfriend. I grab my box and steam out of my apartment, thanking all things holy that Jesse didn’t walk in a few seconds earlier.
‘We kissed.’ I hear Matt’s smug voice and then Jesse’s unmistakable fist in his face.
I could cry. Does Matt not know when to shut the fuck up? I hear Jesse’s thumping footsteps behind me as I walk out onto the street and see Kate and Sam – oh, and John too.
John’s leaning up against his Range Rover – wraparound sunglasses in place – looking as menacing as ever, but his face is completely impassive, while Kate is pacing besides her van with Sam standing to the side looking a bit concerned. Is it really necessary for everyone to be here? I give her a don’t stare as I approach her.
She takes the box from me. ‘Holy fucking shit, Ava.’ she whispers, throwing it in the back of her van.
‘Did you tell Sam I was here?’ I ask shortly.
‘No!’ she screeches. I believe her. She wouldn’t do that to me.
‘John!’ Jesse yells as he emerges from my building. ‘Put her stuff in the Rover.’ He shakes his recovering hand and a flash of concern twangs inside me. The bloody idiot. Couldn’t he have used his left hand? And then his referral to me registers.
Her?
‘Leave it John!’ I shout, halting John in his tracks. ‘I’m not going with him. Kate, come on.’ I start towards the passenger side of Kate’s van and when I get to the door, I look up and see Sam with his hand on Kate’s arm. She looks at Sam and he shakes his head faintly, then she looks back to me. I can see she is torn.
‘Get the bags, John!’ Jesse thunders down the steps.
‘Leave them!’ I shout.
I see John blow out an exasperated breath of air and look at Jesse for guidance, but he must decide that my wrath is the lesser of two evils because he starts transferring my things into the Range Rover. He can take my things. It doesn’t mean I’m going. I get in Kate’s van and throw myself back in the seat in total aggravation.
Within two seconds, the door is flung open. ‘Out!’ His voice is shaking with anger. I couldn’t give a toss.
I grab the handle to yank it shut, but he moves his body to block me. ‘Jesse. Just fuck off!’
‘Mouth!’
‘FUCK OFF!’ I scream. My throat is sore, my vocal cords pleading for some calmness. I’ve never shouted so much. I’m shaking, trembling with fury. How dare he? How dare he behave like this after everything I’ve been through with him.
‘Watch your fucking mouth!’ He leans in and grabs me.
I fight him off, but my strength compared to his is pathetic. He manhandles me out of Margo Junior and stands me with my back facing his front, while I persistently struggle to bat him away. He wraps an arm around my waist and lifts me clean from the ground, carrying me to his car while I kick and scream like a three year old.
‘Get off me!’
‘Shut your filthy mouth, Ava.’ he grates, which only assists in encouraging me to fight him some more.
I’m being manhandled in the middle of Notting Hill under the observation of my best mate, her boyfriend and John. I’m mortified! I can’t believe he has gone off the rails like this. I was handling it fine. I was on my way out, and then neurotic arse here rocked up and threw the shit right in the fan. I want to throw my head back and scream to the heavens.
I wriggle a little more and try and prize his arm from around my waist.
‘Stop making a scene, Ava.’ he warns.
Looking up, I see numerous bystanders halted in their daily business, all watching the dramatic happenings unfolding before their eyes. I give in with my struggle, but mainly because I’m thoroughly exhausted. I let him bundle me into his car, batting my arms at him when he tries to put the seatbelt on me.
He grabs my chin and tugs my face to his. ‘You had better stay fucking put!’ His green eyes are brimming with fury as I stare at him defiantly before pulling my face away. I sit in the warm, black leather trying to catch my breath.
I am not going to The Manor tomorrow night and I am going to the pub on Saturday. I’m also moving out of Lusso, not that I really moved in, although Jesse would completely disagree with that.
I see him walk back over to John, Kate and Sam. They’re talking, but I have no idea what about. Jesse’s head drops and I see Kate place a hand on his arm. It’s a reassuring gesture. She’s a fucking traitor! Why is he the one getting all of the sympathy and reassurance when I’m the one who’s just been abducted by a wild fucking maniac?
John shakes his head and clips the side of Jesse’s jaw with his knuckles, but Jesse pulls back from it harshly. I lip read John’s calm down and watch as Jesse walks away, throwing his arms in the air before yanking his dark blonde, disheveled hair in frustration. John shakes his head and this time I know he just said mother fucker.
Good! This is an indication that John agrees with me. Nasty qualities, I think John said. You don’t get much nastier than this. He’s completely lost the plot.
I look out of the passenger window when he climbs back in the car. I’m not talking to him. He’s gone too far this time. He starts the car and roars off down the road, flinging me back in my seat. His normal driving mood is frightening enough. I’m not looking forward to this journey.
‘How did you know I was here?’ I keep my eyes firmly on the view whizzing past my window.
I hear him wince as he takes a corner and out of my peripheral vision, I see him shake his hand. He’s upset it. ‘It doesn’t fucking matter.’
‘It does matter,’ I turn and look at his scowling profile. He’s still a handsome beast. ‘I was fine until you turned up.’ I accuse.
He whips his head around to face me. I meet his stare with the same fierceness he’s giving me. ‘I’m fucking infuriated with you. Did you kiss him?’
‘No!’ I shriek. ‘He tried and I beat him off. I was just leaving.’ My forehead muscles are aching from scowling so much.
I jump when he punches the steering wheel. ‘Don’t ever fucking tell me I’m possessive and over-the-top, do you hear me?’
‘You are stupidly possessive!’
‘Ava, in two days I’ve caught two men trying to get in your knickers. God knows about the times when I’ve not been there.’
‘Don’t be stupid,’ I scoff. ‘You’re imagining things.’ I’m fully aware that he’s not. He’s totally right, but what I want to know is why Mikael is suddenly interested in my relationship with Jesse. ‘How do you know Mikael?’
‘What?’ he snaps.
‘You heard me.’ I can tell by the disappearance of his bottom lip between his teeth that he’s thinking hard about this.
‘I bought the penthouse, Ava. How do you think I know him?’
‘He thought it was very interesting when I told him that we had been seeing each other for a month-ish. Why would he?’
His head whips around. ‘Why the fuck are you talking to him about us?’
‘I wasn’t, he asked the question and I answered! Why would he think it’s interesting, Jesse?’ I can feel myself losing control. I look away from him, trying to take some calming breaths.
‘That man wants you, trust me.’
‘Why?’ I shout, throwing my face in his direction again, but he refuses to look at me.
He punches the steering wheel again. ‘He wants to take you away from me.’
‘But why?’
‘He just fucking does!’ he roars.
I jump back in my seat, shocked and unsatisfied by his vague, furious answer. This conversation will get us nowhere. He needs to calm down and so do I. I’ll ask my questions when he’s not looking like he may put his fist through the window.