Second Chance - Jane Green [137]
‘But that’s different,’ she explodes.
‘How?’ he says softly. ‘Because we’re friends? Because I’m Tom’s brother? How is Marcus kissing Saffron different from you kissing me? Oh Holly.’ He sighs, looking intently at her, sorrow in his eyes as he shakes his head sadly. ‘I don’t think you’re ready for this. I don’t think you know what you want, do you?’
As she raises her eyes to look at Will, she knows that he is right. She is not ready for this, but not for what Will is talking about. Not that she’s not ready to let Marcus go.
She’s not ready for a relationship. She’s not ready for Will. For anyone.
She is furious, but not with Marcus. With Saffron. Saffron who is supposed to be her friend, who has no reason to seduce Marcus. And she isn’t buying the drunk card. What Saffron did tonight showed Holly that their friendship is a house of cards. It’s a friendship based on a shared history, on the past, not on what is today.
As Holly sighs and looks at Will, she knows it’s time to go, to leave this house and get on to whatever her new life will be.
Upstairs, Anna gently pulls Saffron’s mobile phone out of her bag, tiptoes down the stairs and walks to the end of the driveway. She taps on the screen of the Treo, pulling up the address book, and she scrolls through until she finds it. P.
The phone is picked up on the first ring.
‘Pearce? I am so very sorry to bother you. This is Anna Johanssen, I am a friend of Saffron’s. I would not be calling if this were not urgent, but she is drinking again, big time, and none of us know what to do. We need your help, and I do not know who else to call.’
‘Give me your number, Anna,’ says the voice that Anna knows so well, the voice of one of the most famous men in the world. ‘I’ll get back to you in twenty minutes.’
Anna clicks off the phone and goes back to the house where the others are. She doesn’t know if she’s done the right thing, but she doesn’t have a choice. They really are out of their depth here, and calling Pearce seems the only thing left to do.
Holly goes upstairs slowly, her feet feeling almost as heavy as her heart. Everything about her life has changed, and it’s a terrible feeling to be this vulnerable, to not have a clue where you will end up, nor even, it seems, who your friends are.
She checks on the children, then gets undressed, switching off the light and climbing gratefully into bed, longing to forget everything, even for a while, in her sleep. Then her door creaks open.
‘I can’t, Will,’ she whispers, irritated that even after their chat earlier he presumes she still wants him in her bed. ‘I’m sorry but I just can’t.’
‘It’s not Will,’ slurs Saffron, sliding over to the bed and half sitting, half falling onto the pillows.
Holly groans. The very last person she wants to see. ‘Go to bed, Saffron.’ She sighs. ‘Just go. Please. I’ve got nothing to say to you.’
‘Oh Holly,’ Saffron pouts, still clearly drunk as a skunk. ‘Don’t you see, darling? I did it on purpose. Your pompous awful husband can’t accuse you of anything now. You caught him kissing another woman! How could you ever trust him again? Never mind what Marcus comes up with, you caught him with someone else – what’s the judge going to think about that?’
‘What?’ Holly sits up and switches on the light. There is a drunken, triumphant smile on Saffron’s face. ‘You mean you did this for me?’
‘Course!’ Saffron giggles. ‘You don’t seriously think I fancied him, do you? Yuck yuck yuck!’ She starts sputtering all over the duvet as Holly’s mouth falls open.
‘You’re crazy,’ Holly says, not knowing what else to say. ‘I can’t believe you seduced him.’
‘Yup.’ Saffron grins in delight. ‘I’ve known men like Marcus before and he would wipe the floor with you. Can’t do much now, though. I know it was only a kiss, but how do you know he hasn’t done this countless times? How could you possibly stay married to a man who does this?’
‘But, Saffron, if this went to court I’d have to name you.’
‘As if my reputation could get any worse. Fuck it.’ Saff flings her arms in the