Free Underneath by Andie M. Long Page B

step trying to take in what he’s saying to me. How am I supposed to know who to believe? Did she stab him? Is he twisting things to get me on his side with Tyler? Maybe that’s what was happening now. I’m at a loss for what to do and what to say. I put my head in my hands feeling like it’s about to explode. Then I think about what Monique said to me about Bettina’s constant questioning and I feel my mouth go dry.
    I lift my head back up. ‘What is it exactly you want me to do? Do you want Tyler? Is that why you’re here?’
    ‘I love my kid, course I want him back, but that isn’t why I’m here. When she walked out she told me I’d pay for what I’d done to her, and believe me I have – I am. She’s doing everything in her power to make sure my contact with Tyler is as brief as possible. If she had her way I wouldn’t see him at all. But that wasn’t all she said and I thought you needed to know, now you’re hanging round with her.’
    There’s a pause. ‘Go on then, what else did she say?’
    ‘She said she was going to destroy you, slowly, one part of your life at a time, until you knew how she felt.’
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 7
     
    When he’s left I get in the car and sit there for a few minutes, thoughts whirr through my head. There’s no way I’m going to go to the car boot now so I drive to my favourite coffee shop and let out a silent prayer that my favourite sofa will be free, even on a busy Saturday afternoon. By a miracle it is. I toy with ordering a hit of espresso before deciding I’m shaky enough already, so I stick with a large decaf black coffee. I sink down into the sofa’s cosy depths, close my eyes and think of everything I’ve been told over the last few days. Is it really possible that Bettina is out to get me? She doesn’t seem crazy and yet how do I know what crazy looks like? Why would she be obsessed with me over one incident that happened when we were younger? How can I not believe it when my best friend and Danny have both warned me? My breathing feels ragged and unsteady and I feel the first tingling of a panic attack, something I haven’t had for years. My heart starts racing and I begin to feel sick. I have an overwhelming urge to rush home. I remember my training and push through it, breathing steadily and remember that it’s the fast breathing that causes the dizziness, while the stomach churning is caused by adrenaline. It takes a few moments but I feel my heartbeat calm down and relax enough to take a sip of my coffee. I need to decide how to handle this information, but I just can’t take it all in. Danny seemed okay, but then I’ve only seen him for ten minutes out of the last God knows how many years. If Bettina’s telling the truth then he’s trying to destroy her, and what better way to do it than to turn her only friend against her? On the other hand Mon only has my best interests at heart, so she has no reason to lie. I make a decision to keep my distance from Bettina for a while. It’ll be difficult with the kids and the fair, but I think it’s the best course of action for now. I think of when I’ll next need to see her. If I ask Tanya to get Joe from school again on Monday, then I can turn up as late as possible on Tuesday. I can sit with Seb at the fair meeting, and she can’t really take offence at that seeing as it’s her fault we’re doing the sponge stocks together. I figure I just need a couple of days to assess the situation and get my head around things. In fact that’s an idea, I’ll have a day off from everyone; Monday I’ll have another day to myself at home. I need some time alone, to work through my foggy brain. I take my phone out of my bag and text Mon.
    Soz can’t meet u Monday, something came up.
    A few minutes later I get a text back asking if everything is okay.
    Yes, just busy, sold lots eBay. Catch up FB soon.
    When she replies to say that’s okay, I feel relieved. I reckon we’d have spent Monday