He's After Me

Chapter THIRTY-FIVE



Livi jumps up, her face all bright and shiny. ‘That’ll be Jem!’

‘Who’s Jem?’ asks Dad, just as I’m registering, how come she knows he’s coming round?

‘Anna’s boyfriend,’ explains Mum.

‘I thought his name was James?’ says Dad, bewildered, and my heart sinks. Then Zoe leaps to her feet.

‘I’m going!’ she announces angrily.

‘I’ll see you out!’

‘Don’t bother!’ she snaps at me and rushes out of the door.

Mum and Dad stare at each other in surprise. ‘What’s up with her?’ I hear Dad ask as I chase after her.

In the hallway, Zoe bangs straight into Jem.

‘Whoa!’ he says, laughing, and steps from one side to the other, his arms wide, blocking her way. ‘What’s the rush?’

‘Piss off!’ she snarls and pushes him in the chest so hard he staggers as she barges past him, straight out through the front door.

Livi’s jaw drops open.

‘Zoe, wait!’ I shout.

‘Leave me alone!’

‘Zoe! I need to explain!’

‘Let her go,’ jeers Jem. ‘She’s nuts.’

Zoe comes to a halt and turns around, metres from the house, her face contorted with fury. She thrusts her arm out, pointing at Jem who is now standing beside me.

‘And you are SCUM!’ she yells and I hear Livi gasp.

Jem’s lip curls and he saunters down the step towards her but she stands her ground. ‘And YOU!’ She turns her accusing finger towards me. ‘You are the biggest loser I have ever met in my life.’

‘What is wrong with her?’ asks Livi, grabbing my arm.

‘You involved me in all this, you bitch! You made me your alibi, and all the time you were scheming, planning …’

‘Zoe! I didn’t know—’

‘Don’t give me that! I believed you! I thought it was him! I thought he was the weird one! But you’re just as bad …’

‘What’s going on out here?’ Dad’s strong hands grasp my shoulders and move me to one side and he stands at the top of the step. ‘What’s all this about, Zoe?’

‘Ask your freaking daughter!’

‘Come inside and we can talk about it.’

‘She’s mad!’ says Jem, a sneer on his face.

‘I’m not mad, you are!’ screams Zoe. ‘And you!’ She points at me again, beside herself with rage. ‘You’re twisted! You’re worse than him … You’d screw over your own father to keep him happy …’

‘Don’t listen to her,’ says Jem quickly. ‘She’s a psycho!’

‘I’m not the psycho! You’re the one who breaks into places. You’re the one who steals. You’re the one who trashes people’s homes.’

‘Oh God!’ Behind me I hear Mum catch her breath.

Tears stream down my face.

‘It wasn’t like that!’ I whisper as my legs give way and I stumble. An arm comes round my waist to support me. Dad’s.

‘Bitch!’ Jem advances on Zoe, his face ugly with rage.

Mum brushes past me and wraps her in her arms and Zoe collapses against her, crying.

‘How could you?’ says Mum, metres from him. ‘We trusted you! I trusted you with my daughter!’

Jem’s face changes. It’s open now, wide with affronted innocence. He spreads his hands wide, appealing to her. ‘It’s all lies,’ he says. ‘She’s one mad cow! I’ve never even been inside your husband’s flat.’

You can tell from her face she’s nonplussed. She doesn’t know what to think. Too late, I realize what a plausible liar Jem is.

But then Dad says, ‘Who mentioned my flat?’

Silence.

Jem, realizing he’s given the game away, lets out a small bark of derision. ‘Is that what all this is about?’ he says. ‘Lighten up, man. We only stayed there a few nights.’

‘Just go,’ Dad says to him bleakly. ‘Before I call the police.’

Jem’s expression changes. It’s crafty now, taunting.

‘You know what, man?’ Now it’s his turn to point the finger, only he does it in a crude, one-fingered salute. ‘You’ve got nothing on me. I didn’t break into your flat. Your precious daughter invited me in!’

‘Go now!’ yells Dad. ‘Before I change my mind. If I find you anywhere near my daughter again, I’ll break your bloody neck!’

Jem backs away, cursing, then swaggers off down the road, yelling threats and expletives back at us.

Zoe throws her arms around me and my sobs turn to wails.

Someone else is crying too.

Livi is standing at the gate, watching Jem disappear, and the tears are streaming down her cheeks.





He always knew it would be her that came between them. Her and her big gob.

Fat cow. He could’ve carried this off it hadn’t been for her.