place. It made it easy to whizz through and sign the lot of them. I dumped it in plain view on the kitchen worktop, and wandered around the house for the last time.
So many memories, most of them shit. It was difficult to feel any remorse at leaving, even taking into account the massive loss of capital.
I threw my clothes in a holdall, the ones I’d need, the picture of my dad, too. I bagged up toiletries and essential paperwork, my laptop as well. The rest could wait.
I took time for one more task before I packed the car. I logged into Twitter and Facebook, ignoring the billion notifications.
One simple status update said it all.
#SupportGemma.
This time I didn’t stop at Steve’s to switch cars. My route was straight, determined. I nearly took out three huddled journalists as I swung the Range into Gemma’s yard. The headlights lit up their wide eyes, like ghosts, and I laughed at their horror, laughing harder at their scrabble to grab their camera gear. They snapped away as I slung my holdall over my shoulder, flashes lighting up the yard. I even gave them a wave as I pressed the intercom. No answer.
I stepped back to check the windows. The lights were on upstairs, I caught a flash of red curls by the kitchen sink, but they didn’t seem to linger.
“Gemma!”
She didn’t hear me, but the journalists did. They were already on their phones, spreading the news no doubt. I scrabbled around for a stone. It made one hell of a bang as it hit the window. Gemma’s face pressed to the glass, and I could see she was angry, even in the shadows. I waved, a proper football wave, arms above my head as she stared down into the yard. She pushed open the window with a creak.
“Jason?!”
She darted away and a buzz sounded, followed by the clicking of the lock. I gave the journalists one last smile before I left them outside, and it was a winner.
***
Chapter Twenty Three
Gemma
I was in a daze, a crazy, ridiculous daze. I shot through the flat, arriving at the door in a blink and swinging the door wide, to watch my dirty bad stranger coming up the staircase. He had a smile, a huge smile, and a huge fucking holdall. Oh my God.
“Jason? I thought you were...”
This time there was no fence between us. He dropped his bag to the floor, taking my face in his hands as I stared up at him. His hands were cold against my burning cheeks.
“Change of plan, Gemma,” he said with a glint in eyes that were dark and brooding. “I’m yours, dirty girl. If you want me, that is.”
“You’re staying?!” Butterflies cartwheeled in my stomach. My breath hitched.
He took my hands, squeezed them gently. “If you’ll have me. I know you’re not keen on the domestic shit.”
“What about the house? And April?”
“I signed the house over. And I don’t give a shit about April. She’s screwed me for long enough. I’m out.”
I couldn’t stop grinning. “You’re free? Really free?”
“Really. And it feels so good, Gemma. I feel good … lighter. No more burdens.”
“But the press? Imagine what they’ll do when this gets out.”
“I know what they’ll do, Gemma, and they’ll have my blessing.”
His eyes, so dark, so knowing; and that smile so confident, as if he was savouring a personal victory. “What do you mean, Jason? Don’t you care?”
“More than ever.” He stepped back to the landing and stared down into the dark yard, and when he shouted to the paparazzi and invited them up, my legs started shaking. He came back inside and pressed the buzzer to let them in. I made to back away but he held out a hand. “Don’t hide away, Gemma. I want the world to see.”
My heart was racing as footsteps ran up the stairs. He stepped back to my side, held my hand.
“Jason, what the …”
But it was too late for objections. Three grinning paps, wrapped in big coats and woolly hats, cameras poised. The one in the middle with hair as red as mine and a thick beard to match smiled right at me. “Miss Taylor, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Malcolm. You can call me Malc.”
Jason held up a hand. “Guys. I’ll make this quick. I’d like you to meet my girl, Gemma Taylor.”
“Your girl? What about your wife, Mr Redfern?” ginger Malc said.
His girl? Holy shit. I was shaking all over. Jason must have felt it because he