Page 48 of Don't You Want Me, Baby?

‘Didn’t take you long to move on, did it?’ Realisation hit him like a truck. ‘Were you cheating on Amber?’

‘No, of course not, I?—’

‘No bullshit,’ Tyler snarled. ‘For once in your miserable life, be a man.’

The snivelling little weasel in his grasp sagged in defeat once he realised Tyler had him well and truly pinned down.

‘She’s my investor.’ He sighed. ‘She took a shine to me.’ His voice dipped to a half whisper, and Tyler released him, nodding down the corridor. When they were out of earshot, Bradley spilled his guts.

‘She liked me, and at first, it was just flirting. She knew I was with Amber, but I might have played things down a little. To make myself seem more available. It just kind of snowballed after that, Iguess. I got in too deep, but then I couldn’t pull out. Her father agreed to fund me, and I can’t survive without it. She knew Amber’s plans for the Arms. It was her that went to her father about the place. I couldn’t get out of it. I was stuck.’

‘Huh. You’re a bigger piece of shit than I thought,’ Tyler growled.

He flushed, another nod of his head. ‘I wanted to tell Amber the truth, but I couldn’t do it. I care about her, Amber I mean. I wanted her; she made me better. I just can’t lose everything.’

Tyler’s head was exploding. ‘But why string her along? Are you crazy? You don’t think this will hurt her?’ He jabbed him in the chest. ‘Hebblestone is a small place. She’ll find out, and you’ve humiliated her enough! Why not just break it off? Stop the deal? Be a fucking grown up for once?’

He winced. ‘I’d lose the lot. I’m so close, Tyler, to getting everything.’

Tyler shook his head. ‘I should knock you out right here, right now. You are the worst, Sloane. I thought you were a wanker before, but this?’ He ran his fingers through his hair. ‘You’re messing with people’s lives! Amber and I—’ He stopped himself.

‘Amber and you, what?’ Bradley retorted, puffing out his chest. ‘Oh, come on, Ty. Don’t tell me you didn’t come here to force me to pull out. For her. I saw how you used to look at her when we were together. You practically peed all over her that day I came to talk. Marking your territory, caveman? That’s why you’re really here, right? To be her saviour?’

‘I came here to tell you to pull out, yeah.’ Tyler’s voice was so deep, it shook the corridors. ‘Amber and I, whatever we are, is nothing to do with you. I would never treat her like this. Back out of the Arms, let her have her dream. You fucked this up. It’s time to make it right.’

He started to walk away, but turned back at the last minute. ‘Oh, and Bradley?’

Bradley was looking like a pathetic wretch now, in his poncy robe. ‘Yeah?’ he whimpered.

‘Come near the Slug, or Amber, and I’ll end you. She doesn’t need to know about you cheating. Ever.’

Brad winced. ‘Yeah, well she might find out anyway. I… er… sort of got engaged.’

Tyler’s lip curled. ‘You deserve each other. I hope her money and her father make you very happy.’ His jaw was clenched so tight, he thought it would crack his face in two. ‘Then you need to tell her herself, Bradley. I mean it. She deserves to hear it from you. Tell her, and then leave her the hell alone.’

When he got downstairs into the street, he punched the wall. Felt the skin on his knuckles split as he wished it was Bradley’s face. Pulling out his phone, he dialled the agency. Left a voicemail telling them he wasn’t taking the London job. Then he hailed a cab and headed home. He needed a drink, and he knew that, when all this came out, he was going to be needed here in Hebblestone. Amber would need him.By her side, if I get my way.Whether she let him be there or not, he wasn’t going anywhere. When Bradley dropped the bomb, he’d be right there to shield her from the damage, as much as he could.

18

Almost two weeks had passed since the cocktail night, and things were awful. All the good things were in place, but everything else was utterly grim. The sperm she’d ordered was sitting in her fridge. When it arrived, it had set her off wailing. She only had a small window of time to use it, but she didn’t feel the urge to do it straight away. So much for the big plan she’d chosen over Tyler.Spermsicle over soulmate. Well done, Fitzpatrick.

He hadn’t given her his notice, Ben hadn’t mentioned London, so she knew he hadn’t told him about it. Her business plan was all done. She was ready for her meeting with the bank. Her planning application was in. She was good, aside from the fact she couldn’t stop crying for longer than five minutes when she was alone in the flat. She was holding it together at work but, whenever she was in a room with Tyler for longer than a minute, she could feel herself falling apart. She kept having to run off and hide in her office so he wouldn’t see her cry. She could feel his eyes on her whenever he was in the same room, and she couldn’t handle it. The worst thing was, Bradley had started calling again. Asking her to meet him. She’d let the calls go to voicemail. He said he needed to talk. Denisehad told her that his planning application had been withdrawn. It didn’t change her hating his guts. She had nothing to say to the man. The irony of him calling when all she wanted was Tyler felt like a cruel twist of fate. The second she’d kissed Tyler, Bradley was in her past. She just wished he’d stay there.

After avoiding his calls for a few days, he didn’t let up. When she got a text from him threatening to come to the Slug, she decided to just bite the bullet. It was a quiet night behind the bar. The village hall was having a forties-style tea dance night to raise funds for the church roof, and most of her regulars were down there, tripping the light fantastic. Sharon was standing at the end of the bar with Matt, her construction worker guy who was ‘just a friend with benefits’. From the way they were laughing together, and the way he was looking at her, Amber knew he was anything but. The way he looked at Shazza reminded her of how Tyler had gazed at her that morning when they’d woken up together, and it broke her heart all over again. She needed to do something. She needed to clear the decks, once and for all. Get rid of Bradley for good. Otherwise, she’d just be stuck. Hiding from him, from Tyler. While she couldn’t do anything about one, she could shut the books on the other. If only to avoid staring at the frozen sperm in her fridge and bursting into tears.

‘I’m going out,’ she announced, making Sharon turn and give her an odd look.

‘Where? Now?’

‘Yeah.’ She grabbed her purse, her keys. ‘I won’t be long.’

Sharon shot her a ‘say more’ look. She’d been interrogating her for days, asking what had happened between her and Tyler. Amber had blown her off on the details, just saying that they’d had a fight. Sharon hadn’t been convinced, and she was looking at her as if she wanted to strap her down and perform a polygraph right now.Amber sighed. ‘I’m going to Sloane’s. To see Bradley. He cancelled the bid for the Arms, but he still won’t stop calling.’

Sharon pulled a face. ‘Well, he’s still a dick but at least he dropped out. Go,’ she urged. ‘I’ll cover things here. I’ll have a drink waiting when you get back.’

Amber nodded, opening the drawer where she usually stashed her phone. ‘Crap, my phone’s on charge upstairs.’

Sharon practically bundled her to the door. ‘You don’t need it; I’ve got the bar.’ She passed her the keys to her car. ‘Take my car, you’ll be back before you know it.’ She yanked her in for a hug. ‘I love you, mate. Go tell him off, one last time.’

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