Chapter Forty Eight
"You were supposed to sort this out bro, not make it a million times worse."
Daniel tossed him a bag of frozen peas for him to place on his shiner, Nina had caught his eye a treat with her slap and now his brother was giving him a hard time. He didn't need more hassle; he was already reeling at how awful he'd handled dealing with Nina.
"Don't start on me Dan. It's been a hell of a day."
Daniel opened two beers and slid one along the counter to Theo, "true. But the only reason I came from the hospital to babysit my niece was so that you would make it good with Nina. You need her."
He shook his head, "she doesn't want to know."
"Then make her understand."
Theo turned to him, "you didn't hear her, it doesn't matter what I say, she hates me."
He took a long slug of his beer before replying, "you told me yourself that you were out of order. YOU need to grovel."
Groaning he ran a hand through his hair, "I wrote her a letter Dan, a long heartfelt letter. Once I calmed down processed things then I realised I'd been rash. I told her I was wrong, that it was my fault. But that wasn't enough."
Daniel raised a hand to silence him, "you WROTE her a LETTER? What the fuck is wrong with you? We live in a digital world, SMS, email, messenger...I don't know. Anything but a bloody letter. Do you even know if she got it?"
He shrugged, "I hand delivered it. So I know it got to the house."
"And that's it. You give up."
Theo sighed, "it's what she wants. Gives her chance to spend more time with bloody Gabriel."
Daniel marched across the kitchen to him, "jealousy? That's what this is about?"
Slamming his fist on the counter he shouted back, "I'm not jealous! I'm just pissed off that yet another woman sucks me in, chews me up, then spits me out like a piece of used gum...before moving on to a younger version."
Daniel laughed, "when did you become such a self centred prick? That girl worshipped you, if she's moved on it's because of you, she's not looking for someone else, you've pushed her away." He drained his beer then reached for his coat, "you are going to be a lonely old man if you don't get past what Sadie did to you, stop being the avenged. Maybe you need to realise that life isn't all about controlling everything and start doing right by the people in your life. Starting with your little girl."
Nina had managed to avoid all of Mansell's family, she wasn't interested in Theo and Gabriel's petty arguments, and she had no intention of seeing Theo ever again. His words still hurt. But she did manage to get to visit Mansell once more.
There wasn't any change and she feared the worst. So quietly sat beside him she said her goodbyes, she couldn't hang around this family anymore, but she wanted him to know that he'd be in her thoughts always. As she left the room, she crumpled against the wall, tears coursing down her cheeks.
"Are you ok?"
Looking up she saw the sympathetic face of Daniel observing her. She didn't want to talk to him either. So she shrugged, "I'm heading back to Brighton...I kind of just said goodbye..."
He sighed, "it's not looking like he's going to get better is it?"
"I hope you're wrong, but I don't think I'll be spending time with him again."
Daniel gave a knowing nod, "Theo's not a bad man."
She gave a wry laugh, "let's agree to disagree Daniel. I really can't put myself through anything more."
With a sad smile he nodded, "if it's any consolation, I tore a huge strip off him last night."
Shrugging she wiped the tears from her eyes, "look after Mansell. He deserves to be surrounded by his family."
With that she walked away from the whole mess and disaster.
Lilah was dancing around the lounge when Nina finally made it home, some dance tune that she didn't recognise blasting out of MTV. She paused in the doorway and watched for a moment chuckling, until her friend spotted her audience.
"Oops!" But her grin was full and natural and Nina was relieved to see her recovering finally from such a traumatic few months.
"You're in a good mood, that's a good thing."
Lilah smiled, tossing a tin of furniture polish towards Nina then sang some lines of the song at her.
"If I knew this, then there's nothing I'd like more than to sing into this microphone. But this is rubbish." Grabbing the remote, she switched to Kerrang and it was playing some old school Motley Crue.
"Now THIS I can sing to!"
And Nina, using the canister as a microphone danced around the lounge singing, or rather high pitched screeching to Girls, Girls, Girls.
After several channel changes and far too much amusement, they both collapsed onto the sofa.
"It's been far too long since we've had so much fun," Lilah mused.
Nina laughed, "we need more of this. When are you going away next?"
Lilah reached for her bag and pulled out her phone, "well, there's a shoot in Iceland would you believe in two weeks, then I'm thinking about this job in New York that lasts a few weeks after that. There's a launch for a new designer, someone who doesn't want size zero - for a change. I haven't catwalked for ages though...I'm out of practice, hence me being there for a few weeks." Lilah moved in to the kitchen, then returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses. "Come with me? I've got a room in some Upper East Side hotel. It'll be fun."
Nina shook her head, "I've got a couple of commissions to get on with, I've been slack lately and Amelia has been emailing me things. I need to meet come clients in Tunbridge Wells next week, then I've got three designs to work on...and time is ticking away."
Lilah screwed up her face, "You're so dedicated!"
Laughing Nina took the glass she offered and replied, "it's my livelihood Lilah, no one wants to pay me to wear their clothes or be in photo shoots, the rings are all I got!"
Lilah looked at her knowingly, Nina didn't have to work, not really, but it was her motivation to get through each day, a routine, that had always been important, but now it was even more so.
"How was it in London?"
Her trip had been a white elephant in the room since she'd walked in.
"Mansell collapsed, he's not really responding. I visited...and said goodbye, I don't think I'll see him again, if he gets through this I'm not going to be hanging out with his family..."
"You saw Theo?"
She nodded, "and he just carried on with the insulting, feeling sorry for himself. It's over Lilah, do yourself a favour and give up on me going anywhere near him again. Ok?"
Lilah looked sad, "I just hate seeing you sad...and on your own."
That made her scoff, "I'd rather be alone than being insulted and mistreated by that bastard. I'm used to my own company L, you know that."
She nodded, "doesn't mean I don't worry about you."
"And I you."
They finished the wine, then ate dinner together watching Dirty Dancing for the umpteenth time, swooning, laughing and singing in equal measure.
Nina threw herself into her work; it was good to get back to a place where she could forget the last six months. Every night she called the London Hospital, pleased to hear that Mansell seemed to have improved a little. In the workshop though, her ideas seemed to transcend into reality in a beautiful way, she'd never been happier with her work. The latest rings were for fringe royalty, she was getting to the sort of audience that would turn this business from big to huge. Over the last few months she decided that she didn't want this business to expand to include other workers, this was her baby. Diluting things would change all that she believed in.
Amelia called her a few days later, the Times wanted to feature her in their Sunday magazine, and rather out of character she agreed to let a journalist visits her at home.
Lilah was taking a week long job to the Canaries, her step back into things and a hope that she could manage the New York job that was on the horizon, she had horrendous emotional moments, but they were becoming fewer and further apart. It meant that Lilah was leaving on the day of the interview.
"You're dressing like that?"
Nina was curled up in an arm chair in an old cable knit sweater and her comfiest joggers. "I am comfy!"
"It's for a magazine, they WILL take pictures."
Without waiting for invitation, Lilah dumped her bags at the door then stormed upstairs to Nina's room. When Nina finally followed her, she'd tossed a few 'choices' onto the bed.
"Shower, sort out your hair...then one of them. I'm not bending on this and will cancel my trip if you don't sort things out."
Nina grunted then made for the bathroom, she was tired and couldn't be bothered with all this, because as much as she was working like a Trojan, she wasn't sleeping, at all. After her shower she quickly blow dried her hair, it was longer than it had been in a while and smoother flat tucked behind her ears, it was too long to spike as it normally did, and she hated that.
Her best jeans and a blue shirt were the most relaxing of the choices that Lilah had made, and she still felt comfortable, there was no way she was sitting around in her house in a dress...that wasn't her at all. But downstairs Lilah was waiting to check her out...with an open make up bag. This couldn't end well!!
An hour later she was alone, made up like a puppet and waiting for the journalist to arrive. Part of her hoped they wouldn't, but Nina also knew that this sort of publicity was what she needed to keep herself in that exclusive and in demand position. So, she ignored the theatrical makeup and the clothes that weren't her first choice.
Apparently she was a rather desperate fill in for a contemporary artist who pulled out of his interview, not that she cared. The last few clients who'd contacted her via Lilah or Amelia for commissions were looking at disappointment as she was so busy, and that had led to a small bidding war. She didn't want to rip people off, but her time was her own, and if prioritising an order meant more money then she wasn't going to turn it down.
The magazine article showed two days later, and whilst Nina was mortified, she had to admit that she looked good, the pictures of her in the antique filled lounge were relaxed and flattering, and when she read the article from top to bottom, she came across in what she hoped would be viewed as an honest and earnest way. She'd fought to keep links to her father out of her life, and this article was no difference.
An hour later Amelia phoned her gushing about just how amazing it was. They planned a business meeting for a few weeks time as they needed to plan how they were moving forward. Amelia was talking about her creating a range of less intricate yet very typical of her style that could be produced in larger quantities as a separate range to her custom-made ones. It made sense, but now Nina had the task of creating designs that didn't mimic any of the custom made rings that she'd already sold.
So she planned to spend the rest of the week organising her paperwork and thinking all this through. She was glad that Lilah was away as she was often a distraction!
Theo wanted to lay his head on his hands and sleep. But the incessant chatter of his daughter meant that he couldn't. Looking at her, he smiled. She really was the apple of his eye; he couldn't believe how much he loved her. How he and Sadie had created something so beautiful from their disaster of a marriage stunned him.
Sadie.
He groaned, she was still after more time, more custody and he was scared of giving that up. NOT having Melody around was a terrifying thought, and after their ugly encounter two months ago he feared that if Sadie got more access, he'd never see his daughter again.
She was blinding the authorities with her tears and remorse, but he was insistent that they drug test her before anything more happens. But the more he protested the more he seemed to be viewed as the antagonist in the whole thing. It was a no win situation.
So he'd once again called on her sister Tara. He had a meeting planned with her, Sadie and his brother. No legal people, no one from Child Protection. Just the two families seeking a solution to this. He wouldn't have considered it if it wasn't for his brother's harsh words. Because Daniel was right. He needed to do this for Melody, because she did miss her mother, she needed to have both her parents in his life.
They had to make this work.
Daniel's friend was looking after Melody whilst the four of them sat down together and there was palpable tension in the room. Unfortunately it immediately seemed unworkable, the four of them started to snip and bite at each other. Something had to give.
So he struck his hand on the table. All three turned to look at him.
"Sadie, despite what you think...and what I've said. I want you in Melody's life. Neither of us has made any ground trying to agree on things. It has to change now."
Sadie stared at him for a minute, "you let your girlfriend take her out, but not me! That's you wanting me in her life?"
He took a deep breath, "that was one day Sadie, and it was a mess. You know that."
She shrugged angrily, "all I wanted was to see her! Seeing another woman with MY child..."
Theo nodded, suddenly seeing how sad his ex wife was, he'd ignored how she felt in all this, "she's not around anymore. There's no other woman spending time with Melody. I swear." The tweak of pain as he said that caused him to freeze for a moment. Daniel touched his arm, encouraging him; this was what he needed to focus on.
"I'm scared Sadie. That you'll disappear with her, that I'll never see her again."
Sadie gulped, then surprised him by saying, "I've thought about that."
Again he froze for a long moment, "we have to put her first Sadie. This ugliness has to stop. And you need to have regular drug screens, because she could have died that day you were unconscious, walked out onto the road, wandered off, fallen...the options..." he shook his head. "It doesn't bear thinking about. I will work with you...build up the time you're with her. But you HAVE to at least be tested. That's non negotiable."
As she opened her mouth to retort, Tara silenced her, "Sadie. He's right. Melody first."
An hour later they emerged from the room and the two women departed to spend a little time with Melody. Theo walked across to the kitchen immediately going for the whisky. Daniel followed and intercepted him.
"You did good bro, real good. But don't you think it's time you stopped hitting the bottle. It's all you're doing the last couple of months. I thought sorting this with Sadie would help."
Theo groaned and ran a hand over his face. When he opened his eyes, Daniel had placed a glossy mag in front of him open to a page.
"So maybe sorting out this will stop the drinking?"
He stared at the double page and the picture of Nina that took up a third of it, relaxing, smiling looking her beautiful and confident self. God he missed her.
Shaking his head he looked at Daniel, "I've blown it mate, completely."
He gave a responding shrug, "if you want something you have to put yourself out for it. If the last two hours taught you one thing...it's that you've got to work hard to get what's right."