Chris had been
so mysterious on the phone that Friday evening in June it had been a glorious
day, which Sara had spent in the garden sunbathing. After tea she had lay in a warm bubble bath trying to think of
the right words to say.
She stepped
from the bath wrapping her bathrobe around her as she made her way to her room ‘What
to wear?’ she thought as she opened the wardrobe “Damn Chris for being so
mysterious” she said aloud she didn’t know whether to get dressed up or go
casual “You okay?” Kimberley inquired with a smile “Fine” retorted Sara as she
emptied her wardrobe.
She left about
half an hour later wearing a black dress with a short black cardigan the sun
still shone as she made her way along the street to Chris’s home. It looked deserted and she wandered if she’d
gotten the date right “Chris are you there?” she asked as she entered the
lounge “Surprise!” everyone shouted in unison she stopped dead “Wow…what a nice
surprise” was all she could muster Chris stepped forward “I know you wanted to
wait a while but I wanted our engagement to be official” he said she glanced at
his smiling expectantly then embraced him “Right you two that’s enough” laughed
Morven they parted and each went their separate ways.
Mark sat on the
sofa watching Ben and Sara trying hard not to stare at each other he wished Ben
had never confided in him as if he didn’t have his own problems to sort out
“Are you okay?” Jasmine whispered on seeing his frown “Fine…go and have fun…you
don’t have to sit next to me all night” she let out a deep sigh “Are you sure?”
he nodded “Well if it gets too much I’ll take you home” he sighed “I’m okay
just now” he assured as he eyed Amy who was deep in conversation with Liz.
As soon as she
entered the kitchen he reached up for his crutches struggled to his feet then
followed her intent in having it out there and then there was just the minimum
of light in the kitchen and Amy jumped about two foot in the air when he placed
a hand on her shoulder “God Mark you scared the hell out of me” she said he
looked at her “Are you okay?” she added “What do you think?” she looked away
and continued to fix herself a drink “I don’t want an argument Mark” she said
in a low tone. He hobbled nearer to her
“Oh don’t you…well I don’t want to wake up every night in a cold fucking sweat
but I do…I don’t want to close my eyes and see his face…but I do” Amy whirled
round on him eyes ablaze “And I don’t?
Jesus Mark you really are something else” she accused he blinked “You
weren’t the only one who suffered at his hands Mark…I had to sit there and
listen to all the ways he planned to kill you…And after he was finished with
you he was going to kill me!” Mark swallowed guiltily “Oh but don’t you worry
yourself Mark…you just take it out on me!” he stared at her “How the fuck did
you manage to get mixed up with the psychotic bastard anyway?” Amy drew in a
deep breath “I don’t know…we met one night he was okay at first but then he
changed” Mark let out a deep sigh “I’ll say he changed…so how come he had it in
for me?” she shrugged “I don’t know…he just got it into his head that you were
my boyfriend” Mark looked disbelieving “Just got it into his head? The only way he’d have gotten it into his
head is if you had told him” Amy’s eyes widened “I didn’t…I didn’t Mark” Mark
stood his ground “Then who did?” Amy shrugged in confusion “I…I don’t know” she
sobbed as she fled the room.
Morven stood in
the doorway staring in Mark’s direction “What?” he said she took a deep breath
“Wow Mark you certainly don’t pull your punches do you?” Mark hobbled round to
face her “Don’t you dare blame me for this…I didn’t ask to be almost killed” he
defended “No you didn’t…same as Amy didn’t ask to be put in that situation!”
Mark’s eyes narrowed “What are you talking about?” Morven drew in a deep breath
“Oh ask your girlfriend Mark!” she sniped as she marched away.
Amy had fled
upstairs and was now sitting on the bed having entered the first room she came
to “Amy come on it’s okay” consoled Morven “No it’s not…he blames me” Morven
came to sit next to her “Don’t let him get to you” she advised “I can’t help it
he takes it out on me any chance he gets” Morven placed an arm around her
shoulder “He’s just finding it hard to deal with…I mean the court case had just
ended…hopefully when the verdict comes in on Monday and the bastard gets sent
down then Mark can start to rebuild his life” Amy nodded as she recalled the
case she had been given a pretty hard time on cross examination but it was over
now “Come back down the stairs” Morven encouraged but she declined opting to
remain in the bedroom, for a while at least.
Ben sat
watching Sara who was sitting on Chris’s knee he shouldn’t have come. He knew that now but if he hadn’t made an
appearance then Chris would have suspected something was wrong. Who was he trying to kid something was
wrong! Chris was slobbering all over
Sara “I’m going to tell him everything!” he said to himself as he stared “BEN”
nudged Mark “What?” he snapped “You’re staring” whispered Mark Ben tore his
eyes from the happy couple to where Mark now sat “So I want to stare” he barked
“Ben calm down”
“No…I don’t want to calm down”
“BEN!” cried Mark as Chris past by on his way to the
kitchen.
“I’m going to have it out with her”
“Ben don’t” warned Mark catching his arm he pulled free and
stormed to the kitchen.
Mark struggled
to his feet and hobbled to the door but was too late to stop the
situation. “Tell me what?” Chris asked
looking from Ben to Sara “Nothing…Ben shut up!” shrieked Sara Ben took two
paces nearer “No…I wont shut it”
“Ben please not here” she begged
“What the fuck’s going on?”
“Tell him Sara…if you don’t I will”
“Someone better tell me!”
“It was nothing,” Sara muttered
Chris stared wide-eyed “What was nothing?”
“How can you say it was nothing…it meant something Sara?”
“No it didn’t Ben”
“What didn’t?” Chris demanded
“I’m sorry mate but me and Sara well we err”
Chris held his breath “You what?”
“We slept…”
“BEN!” Mark yelled
“Well he has a right to know Mark!” insisted Ben looking
regretfully back to where Chris stood “Sara and I slept together,” he confessed
“I’m sorry” he added as he took a few paces nearer Chris
looked crushed “What…Sara please tell me he’s lying” she bowed her head “I’m
sorry Chris” she said as she placed her arms around him but he pulled himself
free and slowly backed out of the room “Chris please” Sara called out after him
“Chris” Ben said Chris stopped dead then slowly turned round to face them both
“Don’t even speak to me Ben coz right now I’m this close to beating the crap
out of you” Ben averted his gaze as Chris marched from the kitchen “Chris
please…” Sara called after him “Sara”
Ben said her name “Why did you tell him?” she shrieked, “He had a right to
know” he retorted she slapped his face “Get out…get out of here Ben!” she
shouted “I think you should go mate,” advised Mark worriedly “What’s going on?”
Jas inquired “Nothing” snapped Sara
“Wow…I’ll go and fetch Morven” she offered Mark nodded as he
hobbled outside to speak to Ben.
Ben was sitting
on the summer seat when Mark reached him “Well what the hell did you hope to
achieve by doing that?” Ben shrugged “I don’t know…I had to do something Mark”
Mark rolled his eyes “But did you have to do it today of all days?” Ben
swallowed “I didn’t think…that’s not true I thought of nothing else since Chris
invited me” Mark placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder “Sara made her choice Ben…she’s
engaged to Chris” Ben stared at him “Don’t you think I don’t know that…You
didn’t see her in London…she was all set to finish with him…if he hadn’t gotten
that bloody ring then Sara wouldn’t feel she had to say yes!” Mark pouted,
“Don’t you think it’s not just a case of wishful thinking?” Ben blinked his
tears away “No…no it’s not Mark it can’t be” Mark filled with sympathy “Oh
mate…I’d no idea you felt this way…I just thought she was another one of your
flings” Ben shook his head “I love her Mark…I really love her” he confessed.