Free Underneath by Andie M. Long Page A

him at school I don’t know.’
    ‘Like I said, it was a misunderstanding.’
    ‘Bet’s mother said, but I’ve got a right to know what’s going on. He’s my son too.’
    ‘Yes, and I don’t mean to be funny,’ I state, ‘but I don’t think Bettina would like you round here. I know you have visitation rights over Tyler, but that’s just at the weekend isn’t it? She was so frightened yesterday—’
    ‘That’s what I want to talk to ya about. I wanna know what she’s been saying about me, which is probably a load of crap. I can tell with how her mother talks to me that she doesn’t exactly get the truth.’ Danny runs his hands through his hair, his face looks pained.
    ‘Look, I’m trying to be a friend to her, so I don’t want to know the ins and outs of your marriage. I’d rather not be involved.’
    ‘Well, you see, that’s the problem,’ says Danny. ‘Like it or not you are involved.’
    My forehead creases. ‘How?’
    ‘Why did she say she came back to Sheffield?’
    ‘To be near her mum.’
    ‘Well she’s lying. She came to Sheffield for you.’ He points his finger at me.
    ‘What on earth are you talking about?’ I’m starting to get exasperated and check my watch. If he doesn’t go soon it won’t be worth me going to the car boot, and I really need more stock now I’ve sold so much stuff.
    ‘Has Bettina told you she was having some problems? Had to see a psychiatrist?’
    I look at him and remain silent. I’m divulging nothing. I look back at my house. Niall and Joe haven’t noticed that I’m still here. I wonder how long I’d lay dead for before they discovered me, probably not until the evening meal didn’t turn up, or maybe not if they gorged on chocolate and bits from the fridge. Perhaps it might get to Monday morning when they had no clean shirts for school and work. I think I must be accidentally putting on Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak rather than my jacket when I leave the house.
    ‘Lauren, listen to me. Just hear me out and then I’ll be getting off.’
    I look back at him. ‘I’m listening.’
    ‘When Bettina left our school she was mad at you. She thought you’d dissed her, left her to the clutches of Jodie and the gang. Her mother pulled her out of school after they’d waited for her one night and threatened to do things to her with a broom they’d had in their hands. I saw them and broke it up, but it was the final straw for her mother. Bet was grateful to me and showed me in more ways than one; that’s how she ended up pregnant,’ he looks at me, smiling, but he doesn’t find it reflected back.
    I fold my arms around myself. ‘And?’
    ‘One time when we were talking about school days, she was having a right go about you. I stuck up for you, saying that I’d always thought you were alright and that it wasn’t you who’d bullied her anyway. She went mad, accusing me of fancying you and saying I was only with her because I was forced to be. She developed a bit of an obsession about you, saying you’d let her down and that all this was your fault, that you were ruining her marriage.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘I know. I told her she was being ridiculous. We tried for another baby and got our Tyler. She calmed down for a bit after that.’ He sighs. ‘A couple of years ago I had an affair, first of a few to be honest. I don’t attempt to say it’s okay, but she weren’t right when she found out. Alicia had blonde wavy hair and Bet went ballistic. Said I had it bad for you and was shagging your lookalike. She threw a hot drink over me; I had to go to hospital. I thought that was just temper until the crazy bitch stabbed me in the hand.’ He wipes a drip of sweat from his forehead with his t-shirt sleeve. ‘I got the police involved and she had to go to counselling for a while. She came through it though, said she was fine and then the next minute she’s left and come back to Sheffield and taken Tyler away from me.’
    I go and sit on the front