Book Three - Fighting For You

Chapter 17

Hi guys! I think most of us are on holidays now so I hope you're all relaxing and recharging for the new year. I know I am! I'm hoping to get another chapter or two written or posted before I return to work. Fingers crossed. Here's the latest update. Enjoy!

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My mouth drops open and I stare at Nancy for what feels like an eternity. Did I just hear right? Jason left her? He wouldn’t do that. I know Jason and he wouldn’t just up and leave like that. Something had to have happened.

I collapse onto a couch and Nancy sits next to me. I watch as her hand instinctively rests on her belly and she rubs it gently. I’m not sure if she realises she’s doing it but I can’t help wondering what’s going through her mind.

“What happened?” I ask. I shake my head. “It’s not like Jason to just up and leave like that. What you two had was…phenomenal. It’s like Sam and I…you just connected.”

I can’t get my head around this. Something isn’t right.

“What are you implying, Emily?” Nancy demands, her face contorting into anger. “Are you saying it’s my fault?”

“Quite frankly, yes.” Oh god, I can’t believe I just said that. Steamrolling ahead though I add, “After the way you treated me the other day, I’d think you’re capable of anything. I’m not sure what’s happened to you, Nancy but you’re not the girl I went to school with. You’ve changed.”

Nancy’s eyes flash with anger. “How dare you!” Her hand comes up to slap me but I grab her wrist before she connects.

When we last argued, I admitted she was right. I had run away from my problems. She was still too harsh though and this time, this current situation, I’m certain it’s her fault. I probably shouldn’t have been so rude with what I said but I know Nancy and sometimes she just needs some tough love.

“Don’t you dare,” I say through gritted teeth. “You’re my best friend Nancy but I know you have a bad temper too. With being pregnant too…” I trail off and raise an eyebrow, telling her it’s logical. Her hormones have been all over the place.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Nancy sniffs, sticking her nose up snobbishly in the air. “I haven’t changed, it’s you who’s changed.”

I snort at this. “If I’ve changed it’s because I’m stressed. For your information, I’m facing attempted murder charges because Henry set me up. So yeah, perhaps I’ve changed but at least I’m not denying it.”

Nancy’s eyes widen in surprise at my confession but the look quickly passes. In the end she smirks and folds her arms across her chest.

“Why am I not surprised?” she quips. “You’ve cheated on Sam before I’m sure you’d do it again. Did you try and murder him because you were sick of him? Did you want the sympathy from a man because looking like a widow looks better than a murderer?”

I can’t believe what I’m hearing. She actually believes I’d do it? Who the hell is this person in front of me?

“Shut up,” I bite out, angry tears burning my eyes. “I would never hurt Sam. I told you, it was Henry. I know it was.”

She laughs sarcastically. “You always had a thing for Henry, it figures you’d do this. Blame anyone but yourself, that’s what you always do. You’re a hopeless case, you know that? I don’t even know why we were friends.”

Were? My heart constricts and I suddenly feel like I’m losing air. I know we argued before but I didn’t think we weren’t friends. We were just having a break. But now she’s talking in the past tense.