Page 46 of The Temp

‘Ouch,’ Tom groans, and I notice that my nails are digging into his flesh. I let go. ‘I was going to mute it,’ Tom clarifies, rubbing the imprint of my half-moon fingernails on his skin. ‘Go on then,’ Tom says coldly, throwing a glance at the 1950s style sunburst clock on the wall. ‘Say what you’ve got to say. It’s getting late. I’m tired. I want to be in a fit state to do my eye examination in the morning.’

I fill my lungs with his cognacy breath and look at the glass in his hand. ‘I could do with some of that.’

Tom hands me the drink. ‘Knock yourself out.’

I take a gulp, ignoring the cough syrup taste as the liquid burns my mouth and slithers down my throat. ‘Thanks.’

Tom rubs his eyes with his fists tiredly, then rests his forearms on his thighs, legs wide apart and looks up at me. ‘Well?’ He glances at the clock again. ‘I haven’t got all night.’

I clear my throat. ‘I was unfaithful to you. I slept with Liam.’

Chapter 44

‘It was just the once, not long after we met,’ I say as Tom continues to glare at me. ‘In hindsight, it was a stupid thing to do, but I was missing him – everyone kept telling me to stop pining for him, to concentrate on my future. I wish I’d listened.’ I pause, waiting for a reaction. Tom tugs at the loose skin of his thumbnail with his index finger. He can’t even bear to look at me. I plough on. ‘Liam begged me to go back to him, promised marriage, children. I felt wanted, special, my life would be complete. I went back to his – stayed the night. It was the weekend you were at that Stag do in Manchester.’

Tom nods, ‘Toby’s. That didn’t last long.’ No, it didn’t. They divorced six months later.

‘I regretted it immediately, and that’s when I realised I was no longer in love with him. I told Liam I’d met someone else. Someone kinder, stronger, stable.’ Tom gives me a watery smile. I inch closer. I can feel his body heat. ‘Liam seemed to take it in his stride.’ I don’t mention that he got out of bed, hopped into his jeans and slammed the door behind him so hard that I thought the entire building was going to collapse. ‘I doubt very much he meant all those things he said to me before we got into bed.’ Tom grimaces, takes a glug from his glass. ‘I’m sorry, Tom, I shouldn’t have done that to you, but it was early days. We hardly knew each other. I thought we were a fling. How was I to know we’d end up getting married?’ I comb a hand through my hair.

‘Anyway, I never heard from Liam again, until he looked me up online. I don’t even know why I responded to his stupid message. I think I was just being nosey. Wanted to find out how his life had panned out. Show off about mine.’ I laugh sourly. ‘He hasn’t aged well. But then he was into all sorts.’ I stare at the A4 envelope, wishing I had x-ray eyes. ‘I thought he might’ve mellowed over the years. People do, don’t they?’ I muse. ‘He certainly seemed like he had, from the messages, I mean.’

Tom follows my eyes to the A4 envelope but says nothing. ‘I honestly believed Liam wanted a friendly catch up. But, of course, he had an ulterior motive, which didn’t come to light until I told him we couldn’t continue messaging because you weren’t okay with it.’ I look at the glass in Tom’s hand. If he grips it any tighter I’m sure it’ll smash.

‘Then the truth came out. Liam had been stalking me online for quite some time and found out I had a fifteen-year-old daughter.’ I inhale deeply, shake my head. I feel so ashamed. ‘He did a bit of maths and asked me if she was his. He never was good at arithmetic.’ I smile sadly. ‘I told him Georgia was your child, that he got his dates wrong.’ I roll my eyes but Tom doesn’t flinch. ‘Anyway, he wouldn’t have it – threatened to get his solicitor onto me if I didn’t agree to a paternity test.’

‘And did you?’

‘That’s when we met up at the cafe – he showed me the kit with the instructions. I promised I’d do it and send it off, then text him the results – he refused, didn’t trust me, wanted to meet Georgia, get a sample of her hair, or something.’ Tom stiffens. ‘It never happened,’ I say firmly. ‘I’d never do that to our daughter.’ My eyes widen. ‘Or to you,’ I add hastily. Tom knocks back the last dregs from his glass, places it on the coffee table, and lets out a painful breath through his nostrils. ‘In the end, he agreed to let me do it.’ I close my eyes. ‘Provided he watched.’

‘Watched?’ Tom leaps to the edge of his seat, hand balled on his knee.

I should stop now but I can’t. I’ve got to tell him everything. ‘I dropped Georgia off at school, as usual. Just before she got out, I told her I needed a cheek swab for a new Covid variant.’ Tom looks at me, eyes full of curiosity, or is it shock? I can’t be certain.

‘Liam parked up behind us and watched me do it.’ I pause, swallow, ‘I put it in the phial and once she was out of sight, I shot out, rounded the car, and handed it to him, with strict instructions to never, ever contact me again.’

‘And he was all right with that, was he?’

I shrug. ‘The agreement was, if the results were negative, he’d leave me alone.’

‘Pathetic wanker,’ Tom mutters.

‘I toyed with the idea of binning the test, but I couldn’t take the risk of him taking action – putting Georgia through it – dragging her through the courts. It wasn’t worth it. This is an important school year for her. I couldn’t…I didn’t…’

‘Okay, okay, I get it.’ Tom picks up his glass, realises it’s empty and puts it down again. ‘Did he get the result he wanted?’

‘Obviously not. I haven’t heard from him.’ I snort, give him a sideward glance. ‘Georgia is a Harris, Tom, through and through. You’ve got to believe me. Liam is not her father.’

‘And you’re a hundred-per-cent sure of that, are you? I don’t answer. Is anyone one hundred percent certain of anything? ‘Thought not.’

‘No, wait, I…’

‘And it was just a one-night-stand sixteen years ago?’ Tom interjects.

‘Yes. As soon as I...’

‘No affair?’

‘I swear on Georgia’s life.’

---