Famously Yours - Sequel to A Famous Affair

Famously Yours chapter 5

"Now, do you want to tell me what the hell that was all about?" Lydia doesn't take her eyes off the road, but her angry tone cuts through the atmosphere in the car like a sharp knife.

"I had better call Jonny." I try to deflect her question. I'm still too churned up and emotional to talk about Shawn.

"I think you bloody well should, darling. He's worried sick. Why didn't you answer your bloody phone, Jessica?" She throws me a disapproving sideways glance.

"It was impossible to answer my phone," I mumble.

"Why?" Lydia almost yells.

"Things got a little heated at times, I just couldn't answer my phone." I nervously fiddle with my bag strap.

"Is that how you got that on your face, did Shawn hit you?"

"It was an accident, Lydia." I swallow hard, as the lie sits lodged somewhere inside of my throat.

"Did he hit you, Jessica?" she asks in less of a harsh way, but her persistence to hear the truth throws me off guard. When I told Shawn that I would lie about the fact he had hit me, it all seemed so simple back then. Now however, with Lydia's words drenched in suspicion, it now seems anything but simple.

"I'm guessing, from your obvious silence, that's a big fat fucking yes!" Lydia's anger spills out of her taut mouth, as she keeps her eyes firmly on the road ahead.

I look down at my bag strap, now tangled around my twisting fingers. I cannot bear for her to think of Shawn as a monster. I need to repair the damage of my silence . . . and quick! "It wasn't like that at all, Lydia. Yes, things did get ugly at first. Shawn grabbed me. I tripped over the strap of my bag on the floor and hit my cheek on the hallway table. Shawn didn't hurt me intentionally. We have laid a lot of things to rest today. Facing him has been one of the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I'm absolutely exhausted . . . please don't turn this into something it's not," I plead with Lydia, resting my head on the headrest of the car seat with my eyes closed.

Shit! If Lydia is this worked up. I dread to think what Jonny must be like. My anxiety twists and turns in the pit of my stomach as the thought of lying to Jonny hounds me mercilessly. The oppressive silence is only broken by Lydia's gentle, now placated voice. "As long as you are okay, darling."

I reach for her hand on the gear stick, giving it a grateful squeeze. "I am, Lydia. Thank you for caring so much."

She warmly smiles while still focusing on the road ahead. "I'm just trying to be a good friend, my darling."

"I know you are." I return her affection, looking down at my mobile phone. "I had better call Jonny," I quietly say.

Lydia agreeably nods as I nervously tap in his number. So nervous in fact, that I misdial and tut profusely under my breath because I have to start all over again. His phone literally rings once before he answers."Jessica, are you okay?" His voice is laced with total fear.

"I'm fine. I'm so sorry that I worried you." My heart pounds inside of my chest.

"Shit! Why didn't you answer any of my calls?" The panic in his voice quickly gives way to annoyance.

"I couldn't. Things got a little emotional Jonny, it was difficult to answer your calls," I sigh loudly into the phone.

"How emotional?"

"Very," I reply without elaborating.

I can almost hear Jonny's cogs turning inside of his head. He detects my exhaustion. He's now thinking about how to proceed with this conversation. "Are you sure you're alright?" he gently asks.