Just Tell Me (The Justice Series) (15 page)

Libby didn’t know what to make of this side of her oldest friend, throughout the years of friendship, she had always been the one with the dramas and the love life.  Nicole had a series of dull relationships, trying to change
dickheads into her dream men, she was completely blinkered. Libby couldn’t believe she had managed to seduce Daniel MacIntyre, punching way above her weight. She loved Nicole but she preferred the meek and mild version, the one that made her look exciting and interesting not this one, full of passion and drama.

It was out of character and she didn’t know how to deal with it but they were best friends, and she would be there fo
r her no matter what happened. She had helped Anna through her relationship crisis and she would do the same for Nicole, she wondered in the back of her mind if they would be there for her when she needed them. She had Dave waiting for her to go home and she shuddered involuntarily. Hardly a Daniel MacIntyre.

“Nicole I will be here for you, your parents are always going to be too and you’re not alone
, you have people who love you to bits”. She stroked her hair, moving it away from her tear stained face. “I do think Daniel should know the truth though; imagine if it was you, look at Anna it’s like the roles are reversed, you have spoken to her enough about her life, and how she thought Edward was with that girl Debbie”

Nicole thought this through, “
What you mean if he had left me that note and run away from me?  I would have bloody killed him! Well I certainly wouldn’t have made a program about it. He’s crazy!” However she looked at it, the same thought ran through her head. Would she have wanted to know the truth after all these months?  She really didn’t know. 

They laid on the bed for a while and Libby told her about her own relationship, adding as much drama as she could to her story but she couldn’t even c
ome close to the drama of her friend.  Libby told her a more interesting version that the truth about her love life, and they were soon laughing together. Her friend left her and she opened her laptop to check Facebook.  Paul, her friend from university had messaged her.

“
Nicole did you see Daniel on TV?  He’s hot!  Felt so sorry for him, did you hear him say your name at the end? What you going to do?  Message me back!”

She smiled, Paul was such a gossip, just like when they were at university together. 
They had grown closer again over the last few months. He had promised he wouldn’t tell a soul about her pregnancy, she would hate it if it got out into the gossip columns without Daniel knowing.  

“
Oh God I just don’t know.  What have I done?  He is a total dick going on that program though I wish I could contact him.   Feel like I made a major mistake now walking away from him x”

She resolved not to watch anymore Single and Loaded and over the few weeks she concentrated on the l
ittle life growing inside her. Her tummy was growing alarmingly fast and she was starting to feel tired, her last day at work came and went by and she spent the first week of her maternity leave laying in bed, watching TV and shopping online for baby items. She couldn’t believe how much it actually cost, once she had bought the cot, the pushchair, the baby monitor and all the other associates peripherals.

Nicole
was feeling much happier in the last few weeks.  She had chance to calm down after seeing Daniel on the screen and was starting to believe in herself again. It had been the right decision, he wouldn’t have wanted a baby so soon, not with someone like her. If she told herself that often enough it would start to be true.

Chapter 14

Nicole - February 14
th

Nicole woke up early, her bed felt uncomfortable and she m
oved her legs slowly onto the floor.  She hadn’t slept well, her back was aching and her belly was so huge she could hardly roll over without straining and she had to use her arms to lift herself up.  It was her due date and Valentines Day. 
Bloody typical
she wouldn’t be seeing any romance tonight or anytime soon.  She hunted for clothes that fitted her and winced as a jolt of pain stabbed in her back as she waddled downstairs for breakfast.

Her mum was sa
t at the table “Hello love” she smiled at her daughter “How are you feeling?”

“
My back’s hurting mum” Nicole sat at the table and her mum made her some tea and put some bread in the toaster. They sat and ate breakfast, her mum was reading the paper and Nicole felt uneasy. “I’m going to take my breakfast in the lounge” she steadily carried it through. Once laid on the sofa she tried to move into a comfortable position, put the television on and stared at a program about property auctions.  

Nicole knew the daytime television routine by now and she decided
she would stay on the sofa, find a film on Sky to watch and try to relax.  She thumbed through the listings not really watching anything and noticed her dad had recorded Single and Loaded. Every episode was there for her. She chose an episode at random and pressed play, watching Daniel sipping wine in a hot tub, while a group of desperate girls attempted to work out what he was thinking. Her heart lurched, his expression told her he wasn’t impressed. She turned it off as one of the girls was chosen to join him in the tub, jealously and regret washed over her and she wished she hadn’t seen that and pressed delete on the entire episode. 

Why was her dad keeping this rubbish? She winced as her back
twinged in pain, this time it was stronger and sent a ripple in her stomach.  Her little baby kicked in protest and she sat up, knocking her toast onto the floor.

“Mum” she shouted through to the kitchen, and he
r mum ran through.

“
Whatever’s the matter” she asked concern in her voice. 

Nicole started crying “S
omething’s wrong” she bent over in pain as the first contraction hit her in a wave. Her mum rang the hospital and they told her she had to wait until the contractions were about five minutes apart.

“Oh
God I can’t do this” she screamed as another wave of pain hit her “Please, take me to hospital now”. Her mum quickly rang her dad, who halfway through a customer’s sandwich dropped the knife and ran to his car. Nicole had her overnight bag ready with all sorts of strange items such as nipple cream and she had no idea what that was for, but she was sure she would find out very soon.

“Only 5% of people give birth on their due date” she was feeling a bit hysterical “I’m not ready for a baby, oh my
God!!”  She grabbed her mum and squeezed her arm, staring manically into her eyes. 

“Just breathe through it Nicole, come on you will be fine”. 

Her dad pulled up outside the house and burst in through the front door “Come on” there was panic in his eyes as they all bundled into the Ford Fiesta, Nicole squeezed into the back she didn’t bother with her seat belt.

“It doesn’t matter, the police would understand” her dad weaved
manically through the traffic. It was past lunchtime by the time Nicole was sent up to the delivery suite, her contractions were strong but she was only 3cm dilated, the midwife studied her notes. 

Nicole was high on gas and air and was sure everyone reading her notes was noticing the lack of the
fathers name on her paperwork.
The nurses weren’t even bothered about me
she thought as paranoia took over her mind, the strong drugs rushed through her veins stopping the pain. She passed out for a moment her mind took her to images of Daniel from the hot tub. He was sitting laughing and drinking wine while she was giving birth to his baby
the fucking bastard
.  Her irrational anger pulled her back into reality and saw her parents faces, washed with anxiety.

“Nicole you’re not progressing
” her mother told her calmly, “They want you to sign for a caesarean”.  Nicole was crying as she signed the form, another wave of painful contractions took her breathe away and she felt herself falling again as she passed out on the way to theatre. 

She woke a few hours later, in a light blue room. The curtains were draw
n around her and she felt cold. She tried to sit up but couldn’t and shouted out “Hello?”
where was her baby? Where was everyone?  What had happened?
  She could see the window through a crack in the curtain just like the last time she was in hospital and she felt the panic rise. It was dark outside, she tried to sit up again but felt so sore, she looked under the sheets.  Her belly was still there, big and swollen and she rubbed her hand down it, it was soft and flabby now and a plaster covered her lower abdomen. 

The curtain drew
back and she saw her parents “What happened?” she asked feeling hysterical “Where’s my baby?” 

Her mum reassured her “H
e’s fine Nicole, he’s just here” Her dad wheeled in a little crib, she could see through the clear plastic and she saw her son, curled up asleep on a blanket, he had a head of dark hair, still wet and mattered from the birth and he was dressed in a little blue baby grow. 

“
Oh my God” she uttered as her mum picked him up and handed him into her arms. He started to stir “I can’t believe it, hello” she stroked her sons face and he opened his eyes, she had read that all babies eyes were blue but this little baby had the brightest blue eyes, “He looks like his father doesn’t he?” she looked at her dad “I guess you were right” she looked down at Daniel’s baby.

“
It’s George, George Daniel Shaw” she said as her son open his mouth and screamed at her.  

Daniel - February 14
th

Daniel had
arrived at his office early, the winter sun shone through the window. Its dull light filtered into his office and he looked through the glass to the city below.  Rain clouds were rolling in from the sea and he knew it would take over the strip of light blue sky, it had been frosty too.  He had driven his car carefully through the country lanes on his way to the city this morning. Daniel was preferring to drive than use his driver, especially as he loved his car, he had even thought of buying some leather driving gloves so he could spend a moment putting them on before setting off. 
I’m getting middle aged
he smiled to himself. 

Something had changed him, he wasn’t the same person he had been a year ago.  He knew in his heart
it was the brief time he had spent with Nicole but he couldn’t fully admit it. No alcohol in over two weeks, he was drinking litres of water a day and feeling great, He had watched some of the Single and Loaded as it was broadcast but he turned it off after the first episode, embarrassed about his television debut. 

He really didn’t want to replay the events of the program and was starting t
o regret the whole experience. Twelve hungry women all falling over themselves to gain his affections, most of them just wanted the fame, money and a ticket to an easy life. The quiet Michelle was his winner in the end, she was nice enough but then he had to take her out while the TV crew filmed it and he hated every minute, especially when he lent over to kiss her for the cameras. She had looked at him expectantly as he gave her a quick dry kiss on the lips, even asked for his number. He remembered pushing her away as she tried to touch his leg under the table and then a couple of days later she had confessed all in Hot Magazine

“
Single and Loaded? Not in the bedroom department”

H
e skimmed through the article.  He was also disgusted to see that the blonde girl he had almost slept with had also got her fifteen minutes of fame, going into graphic detail about his flop in the bedroom. The growing speculation of his sexuality had gathered media attention, Daniel was shocked, going from a womanising sexual icon to dysfunctional homosexual in a matter of months. Goes to show how fickle the media was, he wondered if Nicole had read this latest article. He had hoped she would have tried to contact him after the program had aired, and was disappointed as each day ended and nothing.
Stop thinking about her.
He wasn’t too concerned about this latest mini drama to unfold, he was just grateful his parents didn’t get it delivered with their Sunday papers.  

Daniel sat back down and stretched his arms above his head, h
e needed some excitement today. It was Valentines Day, he had to go out and do something tonight, something the wild womanising Daniel MacIntyre would do. He picked up the phone and dialled Alex.

S
he answered after a few rings “Hey hun, what’s up” Daniel smiled, he loved this woman. They had become close since filming Single and Loaded and he had even invited her to his flat in London when they were both working down there. They shared wine and gossip, she listened when Daniel had too much to drink and poured his heart out. 

Alex
saw how fucked up his mind could get, he told her about his unloved childhood, his inability to be normal and how he just wanted someone to share his life with. He still cringed at that one, hoping she didn’t think he was meaning her, although apart from Nicole she was probably the only other woman he would want to be with. Alex had split up from her partner a couple of months before, just after Christmas and Daniel was there for her. He took her out for dinner and listened while she ranted about women, he tended to agree with most of it.   

“So what are you doing tonight you old romant
ic?” he teased her on the phone, laughter in his voice.

“Ready meal for
one” she replied and he smiled. Yeah right. 

“What about you?  I’m sure you will have a choice of which supermode
l you will be wining and dining.” 

Daniel pursed his lips “No they asked me but I decided I wanted to take you out instead.  You up for a night out?  We can go f
or dinner and then” he paused “We can go dancing”.

Alex giggled “I
t’s a date, pick me up at seven we can have cocktails and we can try and remember what it was like to be 25 again”, she put the phone down and Daniel smiled again, he loved Alex. She was fun to be with and he was pleased he had met such a good friend. 

He f
ired a few more emails and decided to leave the office early for some well deserved pampering. It was a night for the driver he decided, and managed to book him, picking Alex up on the way into the city. He had booked a table at Le Moranne, a tiny French restaurant in the heart of Edinburgh. They sat in the bar and ordered cocktails as they were given the Valentines menu to look at. His mouth watered as he read through the list of starters, course country pates, warm goat’s cheese or shellfish.  He would get the steak with blue cheese for his main course. Nicole passed through his mind and he pushed her away.  She would love it here.

It would be lost on Alex but he wanted to e
at well. Alex thought of food only as fuel, and didn’t seem to take any delight in what she ate or chose. She would rather talk, her fork stabbing about in the air wildly, as she explained something complicated to Daniel across the table. Daniel found it disconcerting and often reached over to steal whatever it was she was slowly butchering.  

As she sat in front of him now, he looked at her dark long hair
, cut into a severe fringe at the front. Her eyes were heavy with eyeliner, reinforcing their striking green colour. She had taken to wearing a short black cape and it hung over her shoulders while she picked at her dinner, she seemed reluctant to take it off.

“Are you cold Alex?”  Daniel pointed over with his glass.

“No, it’s part of my look” she rolled her eyes and looked at him as though he knew nothing about fashion. She lent over and whispered “Wait till I tell you where we are going dancing” her green eyes twinkled with mischief.

Daniel knew that look, and took a drink of his cocktail his eyes smiled back at his friend;
he had only known her a few months but they had become close. Her enthusiasm was infectious
.  It was a good job one of still had it
.  He tried not to think of Nicole, Alex had given him good advice “Don’t keep taking the plaster off Daniel, or it will never heal” and he kept reminding himself. 

He was banned from using the N word wit
h her when she confessed she was sick of hearing her name after months of the same story. He had been hurt, she was clearly a messed up bitch and not worth the pain, he had to move on with his life. He raised his glass to Alex and they clinked, just as they had the first day they met “To love” they both said together and started laughing.

Alex raised her glass
again “To lack of love” she said with melancholy “And a stinking hangover tomorrow”. She smiled back at her friend and drank the contents of her glass.

They finished their meal and
Daniel drained his espresso. His head spun as he tried to focus on the paying the bill. He was feeling the effects of the cocktails and wine they had drunk, he started to think he should go home rather than going to a club.