Page 51 of Love Me Till Wednesday

‘Because it all got a bit nuts in Germany. Some girl was obsessed with Pete. She was convinced I was the one stopping them from being together. She even sent me death threats. That’s why there were so many photos of me and Phil together. He was protecting me. The tabloids got the wrong end of the stick as usual.’

Nick gulped. ‘So if it’s not Phil, who is Jim’s father then?’ he asked, though he had a pretty good idea what the answer was going to be now.

‘You, of course. Can't you see how much he looks like you?’

Nick felt faint again. He sat on the sofa and put his head in his hands. He had a son? With Lisa?

Lisa was silent.

He looked at her. She had her arms folded now. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ he asked.

‘I didn’t get a chance. I found out after you left for the States without saying a word. Your big break in Hollywood was obviously more important to you than me. I was gutted.’

‘Only when I thought you wanted nothing to do with me. Mel said you never wanted to see me again. She told me to pick up the things I’d left at your flat and not come back. I didn’t even bother unpacking the case I took to Greece. I got the Tube to Heathrow and bought a one-way ticket to LA.’

It was Lisa’s turn to look bewildered now. ‘So Mel convinced you that I’d left you. But she told me that you’d left me.’

What had Lisa just said? ‘I hadn’t left you. Why would she say that?’

‘I’ve no idea. It makes no sense.’ She leaned back on the sofa and looked at the ceiling.

‘Are you sure she said I’d left you?’ Nick asked.

‘Of course, I’m sure. I cried all night. I couldn’t understand why you didn’t have the decency to tell me. One minute, we were planning on moving in together, and the next, you’d found someone new.’

‘I knew she didn’t like me, but I didn’t realise she hated me that much,’ Nick said. But that didn’t explain why Lisa wasn’t around when he got back to London. ‘Why had you disappeared?’

‘I’d gone back to Birmingham for my parents’ silver wedding party. It was just a long weekend.‘

‘So if I hadn’t come back early, you would’ve been there?’

‘Yeah.’ Lisa looked stunned.

‘Bloody hell.’

‘How could Mel do that? And why didn’t she fess up when I told her I was pregnant with your child a few weeks later?’

29

Lisa and Nick sat in silence. Lisa was confused. Why would Mel do that? Lisa had always known that Mel wasn’t much of a Nick fan, but to let her bring up his child alone without giving Nick the chance to be part of their lives was unforgivable.

There was a knock at the door, then Suki stuck her head into the room. ‘I’m sorry to interrupt, but the crew are getting antsy. Is there any chance you could get back in the studio again? They want to be out by 8.30 ideally, and you’ve got that Australian online interview at 9.30.’

Nick turned to Lisa. ‘The sooner we’re done here, the sooner we can talk properly.’

She nodded.

Nick smiled at her. ‘Let’s do it.’

‘I need to say something to Jim,’ Lisa said as Nick got up to leave.

‘Tell him …’ He hesitated. ‘Just say I’d love to talk to him.’

Nick followed Suki down the corridor while Lisa dived into the Stars’ dressing room. Everyone looked at her expectantly.

‘He knows now,’ she said to Jim.

‘And?’

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