The girls leave quietly and I watch as Gabe glares at Nina; I take a step towards him and without even taking his eyes from her, he reaches out for my hand, and rightly or wrongly, I feel a little surge of triumph by his actions. He’s shaking and breathing a little too fast, he pulls me slightly behind him and I kiss his shoulder. He takes a deep breath.
“Nina, I really don’t want to blue with you over this, but you really need to get your head around the fact that Lauren and I are together and we are staying together, next to Ava, she’s the most important thing in my life, as soon as her divorce comes through, we will get married and like Lauren told you at the hospital, Ava will be part of our wedding and will remain part of our lives, she’s not trying to take your place but she will continue building on the relationship they already have. I know you don’t like it but I am over the fucking moon that the two women I love most in the world get on so well, Ava is lucky to have Lauren in her life, you should be grateful that Lauren loves Ava the way that she does and I really don’t see what your issue is. You and me have been over for a long, long time and in all honesty, there never really was a you and me, we didn’t know each other or really have a relationship back then and apart from the fact that we share a daughter, that’s pretty much the way it is now. You’re married to Dean now Nina, you have two children together and I have never, ever interfered in your relationship with him so why you are behaving like this and being like this towards Lauren is beyond me, but I will tell you this now, so listen good. Ava is and will remain part of my life, if you make any more threats to stop me seeing her, I will go to court for full access and I will go back on our original arrangement and take this house back, I don’t want to make threats like that but I am fucking over you and your attitude. Are we clear?”
Nina looks from me to him and then, strangely down at my engagement ring.
“You bought her a ring” It’s a statement, not a question.
“Yes, I bought her a ring.”
Her? I do have a name… and helloooo, I’m standing right here. I bite my lip and manage not to say the words out loud.
“You never bought me a ring.”
“We were never engaged, we got married because you threatened to take my child away from me, I didn’t love you Nina, I’ve never loved you, I cared for you and looked after you because you were carrying my child, I’ve let you live, rent free in my house so that you can continue caring for my child and live a comfortable lifestyle, I pay Ava’s school fees and give you more than enough money to buy her what she needs each month, but all you have ever done is talk to me like shit and threaten to stop me seeing her and it stops, here and now it stops, otherwise I will take this to court, are we clear?
I have never heard Gabe speak so harshly, except about my husband, his whole demeanour is so unlike the Gabe that I know and love, he’s coming across as cold, callous even and I feel a little bit sorry for her now as I watch her shoulders slump in defeat. Then she raises her chin and I just know she hasn’t quite give up yet.
“Yeah, we’re clear Gabe. Just don’t blame me when Ava is left in tears when the wedding doesn’t happen, coz mark my words, you will fuck things up before then, you always do, you won’t be happy with just one woman, especially not a short, chubby, old one. You won’t be able to keep it in your pants. You haven’t changed, there’s nothing that will make you change.”
Oh you cheeky cow, I lick my lips as my brain races to think of a comeback, I move slightly towards her but Gabe gives my hand a little squeeze. He tilts his head back and then stretches it from side to side, the way a fighter would before going into battle. Go get that bitch tiger!
“See that little statement just goes to show how little you know me Nina. I’ve fucked about all these years because I had no reason not to. Women have thrown themselves at me since I was fifteen and I’ve let them, I like sex, what can I say? But that’s all it’s ever been, sex, mindless, no strings attached fucking, and then I met this woman here.”