Beneath This Man(28)

'No,' He smirks, 'Nothing permanent, anyway.'

Oh, I can imagine. I'm about to lecture him on being a player when my mobile starts dancing around the table and Temper Trap's Sweet Disposition blares from the ringer. I smile. Is he trying to be funny? And while I'm grateful he has changed the track assigned to his number, I really do need to have a word about his telephone manners.

It's just gone one o'clock. I thought he would be longer than this, but maybe he's still at The Manor and just checking in on me.

'Hey, I love that track!' Dan exclaims. 'Let it ring.' He starts singing along to it.

I laugh. 'I just need to take this.' I leave the table with my phone and Dan with a furrowed brow. I know he's going to be suspicious that I'm removing myself from his presence to take this call. I'll say it was Kate.

I walk out into the sunshine. 'Hey.' I say cheerfully.

'Where the f*ck are you?' he bellows down the phone.

I pull it away to save my eardrums. Oh, overreaction. 'I'm with my brother, calm down.'

'Calm down?' he yells. 'I get home and you've ran out!'

'Stop f*cking shouting!' Is this really necessary? The man is impossible. I never said I was going to be waiting around for him. Jesus Christ, I'm hurling towards the ground after being abruptly tossed off of Central Jesse Cloud Nine.

'Watch your f*cking mouth.' he yells.

I look up to the sky in despair. 'I've not ran out. I've come to meet my brother. He's back from Australia.' I state calmly. 'I was supposed to see him yesterday, but I got a little caught up elsewhere.' I didn't aim for sarcasm, but it comes naturally.

'I apologise for inconveniencing you.' he hisses.

'Excuse me?' I'm stunned by his hostility.

'How long will you be?' His tone hasn't changed; he still sounds like a pig. I might just go to Kate's now. I'm not prepared to have strips ripped off me for seeing my brother.

'I said I would spend the day with him.'

'Day!' he shouts. 'Why didn't you tell me?'

Why? Because I knew he would trample it! 'Your phone interrupted me and you were sidetracked with problems at The Manor.' I spit.

It goes quiet down the phone, but I can still hear his laboured breathing. I can imagine he's been running around his penthouse in a frenzy searching every room. Oh hell, this is going to be hard work. That corner I thought we had turned has just been trampled.

'Where are you?' His voice has softened slightly, but he's clearly still unhappy about my undisclosed outing.

'I'm at a cafe.'

'Where?'

There is not a chance in hell I'm telling him that. He'll turn up, I know it, and then I will be left explaining to Dan who he is and where he came from. 'It doesn't matter where. I'll be back at yours later.'

'Come back to me, Ava.' It's definitely a demand.

I drop my shoulders. 'I will.'

A silence spreads between us and I'm very abruptly reminded of the small part of Jesse that sends me crazy. Did I really wish this back?

'Ava?'

'I'm here.'

'I love you.' he says softly, but it's strained. I know he wants to rant and probably haul me back to Lusso, but he can't do that if he can't locate me.

'I know you do, Jesse.' I hang up and exhale an exhausted breath. I'm beginning to wish I didn't know about Jesse's alcohol issue - the issue that everyone else seems to be brushing off as no consequence, whatsoever. I, on the other hand, am now worrying myself stupid that I will push him to have another gorging session. I've always been an advocate of knowledge is power, but at the moment I'm favouring ignorance is bliss. Then, I could just hang up and think he's an unreasonable control freak and be content to let him stew. But now I know, I've hung up and I'm worried that I've just dangled the proverbial bottle of vodka under his nose.

'Is everything okay?'

I turn and see Dan approaching with my bag over his shoulder. I give a small smile. 'Fine.'

'I settled the bill. Here.' He hands me my bag.

'Thanks.'

'Are you all right?' He frowns.

No, I'm bloody not. The stretched truth is stretching my patience. 'Yeah, fine.' I plaster on a cheery face. 'So, what do you want to do?'

'Tussauds?' he asks with a big smile.