Surrogate in Love - Richard Madden

Chapter 25: The Bitch Is Back

*Iris P.O.V*

I was awoken by a banging on the door. Richard was already on the set of his new movie and so only I was there to open the door. I made my way downstairs to the hallway while the banging persisted.

"Alright! No need to knock my door down!" I yelled. I opened the door and was more than surprised to find Jess on the other side.

"You think you're so special, don't you?" she slurred. I looked at the clock on the stand by the door. It was 10 am way too early to be slurring her words.

"Excuse me?" I questioned her. She leaned against the door frame for balance.

"You think you are so special with your perfect house, your perfect partner, your perfect fucking dog"

"Oi," I yelled at her "Don't you bring Blue into this" nobody insults my child. She moved forward and I had to put my hand on her shoulder to stop her from falling into me.

"Why do you get everything I wanted, I had. You see my own children more than me!" she started to weep. "I just wanted my perfect life, and we were on our way that. We had children on the way, we were engaged, we were happy in our big house and then it fell apart and then you had the children, and it was so hard, and I couldn't cope. You were there looking perfect with your stupid flat stomach, how was that possible you just had twins for god's sake!" she continued to cry, and I pulled her into my arms.

"I saw what you and Richard had, and I was jealous because we were meant to be that happy, but I hated the children and I started to hate tom. I couldn't cope" I rubbed her back.

"and that's when you turned to alcohol" I could smell it on her. In that moment and when I bumped into her a few weeks prior. I knew it but I was so mad at her in just ignored her. My guilt riddled me knowing now how she was. She lifted her head out of my chest and nodded slowly. She was finally admitting it all. But was it all to late? She had hurt so many people. Left the twins without a mother and Tom to deal with it all. She made me out to be a monster for wanting to help her and for nearly dying. I was confused but her showing up like that made everything make sense. She was struggling and she knew I was the only one who would actively listen to her without the door being shut in her face.

"You're depressed Jess and an alcoholic" she looked mortified to hear the words out loud. She knew this thing I could tell but I could also tell it hurt her to listen to them.

"I just want my family back; I want my life back and then ill be fine. Itll all go away when they forgive me. Tom will forgive me" she was almost mumbling to herself at this point. Itching at her hands anxiously I guessed she hadn't had a drink for a few hours, and it was starting to show.

"No, he won't" I said bluntly to her. "He won't just take you back like that because you think you've come to your senses. None of us will" she was mortified by what I was saying. Every time in the past when jess would go off on a tangent of partying and alcohol, we would all take her back in like nothing had happened but that couldn't happen this time. She didn't have children in the past, she wasn't a fiancé or a mother then she was still a teenager, a child it could almost be excused not anymore.

"but" I stopped her before she could try and make any excuses.

"If you really want to come back and be the mother and wife Tom and the Twins need then you have to prove yourself otherwise Tom wont even blink before he shuts the door in your face"

"I will. Ill change I'll prove it"

"You need to do more than just say it. You need help, real help. Rehab" a blank look came over her face. This was more than she bargained for. Jess had gotten away with being a liability for  way to long.

"I will. Will you help me?" she asked me. I nodded, of course, I would she was my best friend for so many years and while I had lost all the emotion, I had for her for a long time after the way she treated me I still cared about her I couldn't just leave her in the streets to die. I would never forgive myself.

"Where are you living? I asked her.

"Just a little flat outside of Kingston. I couldn't afford anything else when I quit the PR place" I nodded. I wouldn't allow her to guilt me. not now.

"Well write the address down and I will sort out rehab for you. ill come and pick you up when I find one best suited for you. I'll call you with the details and times" we headed towards the door as Harrison pulled into the driveway a look of anger on his face.

"Thank you, Ris, I really mean it thank you"

"You stop drinking now no excuses otherwise I wont be able to help you. no drugs either and no parties. You go straight or I kick you back to the curb and leave you there" she nodded the harsh truths hitting where it hurts

"Oh, and Jess" she turned back to me as she was walking out of the gate.

"You stop trying to contact Tom. It's not fair that you keep adding to his stress right now. Let him come to you" she just nodded and then carried on walking away.

"What the fuck was that" Harrison snarled.

"Come in, I've got a lot to tell you"

*******

"So, she's admitted everything and agreed to rehab?" Harrison asked.

"Yep, gave me her address so I'm going to set it all up, talk to Tom, and then get her into rehab may even have her back before the twins first birthday"

"And do you think Tom will take her back?" Harrison was convinced that he was done with her for good.

"Honestly, it'll need work, but I do. He's loved her since they were like 10. He's been with her through it all and she him so I think with a lot of work and both making changes to their lives I think it'll work" I was sure from all the times I sat with Tom whilst he cried about needing her back with them that he would take her back now if she asked him too. he had been resilient for so long ignoring her calls and banging on the door but if he saw her the way I had earlier then I really think he would have taken her back there and then.

"I just hope the twins are young enough to forget all of this that's going on" He whispered sipping his coffee.

"me too, me too"