he loved me.
From over Ryan’s shoulder I saw Chris standing there. “Courtney, are you all right?”
“Will you fucking disappear?” Ryan roared at him.
“I’m not going anywhere until I know that Courtney’s all right.”
“Like you give a shit,” I croaked.
“More than he does!” Chris threw at us. It was a red rag to Ryan who grabbed him by the collar. I couldn’t help the scream that emerged from my throat.
“Ryan, stop it!”
“You fucking cretin. You do not get to do this to me twice, and you definitely do not get to do this to Courtney.”
I tried to prise his hand from Chris’ throat. “Ryan, let him go.”
“Why?” he demanded, his eyes lasering into mine. “You were happy, we were happy, and he ruined it for fucking nothing!”
Chris was turning purple. “Ryan, please,” I begged.
Ryan threw him to one side in disgust, only for Chris to land at Melissa’s feet. “God, why are you acting like such a caveman? Stop upsetting Courtney—I mean, look at her poor face.”
“You know what? You can just shut up,” I snapped. “This is all your fault. If your cunt wasn’t the M25 for every bloke in South Africa to use, none of us would be here.”
I looked around at all three of them and gave a nasal snort of disgust. “If I ever see any of you in the next millennium, we’re going to have problems. Like you won’t have heads on your neck problems. Yeah?”
I pushed past Melissa so hard she fell over and cracked her bony arse on the floor. I vaguely saw Jay and Andie together in an alcove recreating 9½ Weeks . I didn’t want to think about how far up Andie’s dress his hand was, or that the top had slipped down under her breasts. It made me smile until I felt tears threatening to spill down my cheeks. Hold it together, please, woman, just for a little bit . I saw Summer and Iain by the exit and I couldn’t help myself; a sound came from me I didn’t at all recognise. But the horror in Summer’s face told me she understood immediately.
“Iain, get a taxi, now!” She curled her arms around me as I collapsed on her. “Courtney?”
“He used me!” I cried. Summer held me tighter, cradling me to her. Her body tensed immediately. “Leave her alone,” she warned, and I knew she was addressing Ryan.
Iain was inside the cab as Summer all but dragged me inside. “Court, please, you need to understand.”
“She doesn’t need to do anything but be away from you.” Summer directed him so sharply he almost stopped.
Summer put me in the cab and turned to him. “I’m not telling you again—back off.”
She sat next to me and Iain said impatiently to the driver, “Use the force, man, and let’s go!”
Ryan slammed his hand against the window in frustration, and for some reason, I stopped crying right about then.
Chapter Nine
“We’ll drop you home,” Summer insisted.
I looked through the Dior clutch and realised that it was three in the morning, and my keys, my own house keys were in Ryan’s flat. My parents were visiting family in Leeds as well. No telling if my brothers were at home. I’d have to go to Ryan’s and get my stuff.
“You’ll have to drop me at Knightsbridge.”
“Bad idea,” Summer announced immediately. “Stay with me.”
“I still can’t get home. Even my mobile is at his place. Just drop me there and I’ll get home myself.”
Summer looked as if she was about to argue with me, but Iain put a hand across her lap. “Stop it,” he murmured. “Okay, little mate, we’ll wait for you.”
“No, seriously, go. I’ll be fine—I know all the cab drivers in this area now. I’ll get a discount for being foxy.”
“Call us when you get home.”
I opened the door to Ryan’s flat and collected most of my things. I stripped off the dress in favour of a denim miniskirt and t-shirt, stuffing it and all the crap I had managed to leave here in the last month into a bag. I was a girl who knew how to move in. I could hear my mobile
From over Ryan’s shoulder I saw Chris standing there. “Courtney, are you all right?”
“Will you fucking disappear?” Ryan roared at him.
“I’m not going anywhere until I know that Courtney’s all right.”
“Like you give a shit,” I croaked.
“More than he does!” Chris threw at us. It was a red rag to Ryan who grabbed him by the collar. I couldn’t help the scream that emerged from my throat.
“Ryan, stop it!”
“You fucking cretin. You do not get to do this to me twice, and you definitely do not get to do this to Courtney.”
I tried to prise his hand from Chris’ throat. “Ryan, let him go.”
“Why?” he demanded, his eyes lasering into mine. “You were happy, we were happy, and he ruined it for fucking nothing!”
Chris was turning purple. “Ryan, please,” I begged.
Ryan threw him to one side in disgust, only for Chris to land at Melissa’s feet. “God, why are you acting like such a caveman? Stop upsetting Courtney—I mean, look at her poor face.”
“You know what? You can just shut up,” I snapped. “This is all your fault. If your cunt wasn’t the M25 for every bloke in South Africa to use, none of us would be here.”
I looked around at all three of them and gave a nasal snort of disgust. “If I ever see any of you in the next millennium, we’re going to have problems. Like you won’t have heads on your neck problems. Yeah?”
I pushed past Melissa so hard she fell over and cracked her bony arse on the floor. I vaguely saw Jay and Andie together in an alcove recreating 9½ Weeks . I didn’t want to think about how far up Andie’s dress his hand was, or that the top had slipped down under her breasts. It made me smile until I felt tears threatening to spill down my cheeks. Hold it together, please, woman, just for a little bit . I saw Summer and Iain by the exit and I couldn’t help myself; a sound came from me I didn’t at all recognise. But the horror in Summer’s face told me she understood immediately.
“Iain, get a taxi, now!” She curled her arms around me as I collapsed on her. “Courtney?”
“He used me!” I cried. Summer held me tighter, cradling me to her. Her body tensed immediately. “Leave her alone,” she warned, and I knew she was addressing Ryan.
Iain was inside the cab as Summer all but dragged me inside. “Court, please, you need to understand.”
“She doesn’t need to do anything but be away from you.” Summer directed him so sharply he almost stopped.
Summer put me in the cab and turned to him. “I’m not telling you again—back off.”
She sat next to me and Iain said impatiently to the driver, “Use the force, man, and let’s go!”
Ryan slammed his hand against the window in frustration, and for some reason, I stopped crying right about then.
Chapter Nine
“We’ll drop you home,” Summer insisted.
I looked through the Dior clutch and realised that it was three in the morning, and my keys, my own house keys were in Ryan’s flat. My parents were visiting family in Leeds as well. No telling if my brothers were at home. I’d have to go to Ryan’s and get my stuff.
“You’ll have to drop me at Knightsbridge.”
“Bad idea,” Summer announced immediately. “Stay with me.”
“I still can’t get home. Even my mobile is at his place. Just drop me there and I’ll get home myself.”
Summer looked as if she was about to argue with me, but Iain put a hand across her lap. “Stop it,” he murmured. “Okay, little mate, we’ll wait for you.”
“No, seriously, go. I’ll be fine—I know all the cab drivers in this area now. I’ll get a discount for being foxy.”
“Call us when you get home.”
I opened the door to Ryan’s flat and collected most of my things. I stripped off the dress in favour of a denim miniskirt and t-shirt, stuffing it and all the crap I had managed to leave here in the last month into a bag. I was a girl who knew how to move in. I could hear my mobile
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