White Lies: A gripping psychological thriller with an absolutely brilliant twist, page 12
‘No,’ she said, stopping abruptly. ‘We stay down here.’
‘OK,’ I said, holding up both hands at her sharp tone.
She walked past me into the sitting room, and I followed to find her pulling the curtains. I went to put the light on, but as I reached for the switch, she shook her head.
‘Leave it.’
I exhaled, more with nerves than anything – and suddenly remembered Ruby checking that I was going to be somewhere safe. I looked at the closed door on the other side of the room leading to fuck knew where. What if it was all bollocks and her husband was waiting behind that door, and this was just something they did – lure boys like me back to their house before hurting them? I suddenly wanted to be at Olly’s very badly, just getting pissed with my mates, getting off with Cherry and posting stupid selfies. I was frightened. I started to edge back away towards the door leading to the hall, but Alex was quickly by my side and took my hand.
‘What’s wrong?’ I could just about make out the concern on her face, and she reached up and stroked my face gently. She’d never done anything like that before. ‘You’re shaking?’
‘I’m…’ I couldn’t help looking at the closed door again, and she followed my gaze.
‘No one’s here,’ she whispered. ‘It’s just you and me. I promise. You’re safe. I won’t let anything happen to you.’ She reached up and kissed me very gently, and I realised I wasn’t the only one trembling.
* * *
We did it in the dark on the floor. At first it was good, she kissed me a lot more than normal and put my hands on her body, but then she started making more noise and when she came, she gave this almost desperate moan, like she hadn’t wanted to but couldn’t help it. I didn’t like it; it was the saddest sound I’d ever heard. I didn’t want to do it after that, but she started whispering urgently ‘just do it, fuck me’, and using her hands on me. I did as I was told, and when I came, I felt her go still underneath me, almost lifeless. It freaked me out completely.
‘Alex?’ I also had no idea why we were still whispering if we were alone. ‘Are you all right?’
I reached my hand out to feel for her face in the dark and realised she was crying. I got off and lay down next to her. Her body had started to judder, and she covered her face with her hands while turning to hide in my chest as I put an arm protectively around her. I let her cry for a moment, while I stroked her hair and said: ‘it’s OK, it’s OK.’ I didn’t know what else to do.
‘It’s not OK, Jonathan! This is not OK. Trust me.’
I hesitated. I didn’t know how to handle this new her, and I was feeling increasingly uncomfortable. It was a relief when she pulled back and said: ‘I’m so sorry, but I think I need you to go now.’
I didn’t need to be told twice. I quickly jumped up and grabbed my clothes. Making my way out into the hall I found a downstairs loo and sorted myself out, glancing in the mirror as I washed my hands. What was I doing here, in her house while she lay crying in the other room? I didn’t want any of this. I turned off the light and walked back out into the empty hall.
‘Alex?’
There was no answer and reluctantly I went back into the sitting room. She was still lying on the floor, only with some sort of blanket round her as she lay on her side and stared into the cold fireplace, still in the dark. I had no idea why: we had to be the only people around for miles.
‘I’m going now.’
She didn’t turn over to look at me. ‘I’m so sorry, Jonathan.’
It wasn’t clear for what – and I didn’t much care. I just wanted to leave. She was being really weird. ‘OK then. Thanks,’ I said awkwardly, even giving her a little wave as I left. I closed the front door behind me, hurried down the drive and got into the car, driving away quickly and feeling a lot better when I hit the safety of the main road.
I felt better still when I pulled up at Ol’s and knocked loudly at the door – trying to be heard over the music coming from within – only to have Ol himself open it and whoop at the sight of me.
‘About time, knobhead! Heeeere’s, Jonny!’ he shouted, grabbing me by the shoulders and steering me inside, to more cheers.
I felt her phone buzz in my pocket as I went into the kitchen to find a drink. When I checked in the downstairs loo, she’d sent an apology.
I’m so sorry, Jonathan. That all got a bit messed up! :-0 Normal business has been resumed. Sorry again. Just wanted to check you’re OK?
For the first time, I ignored her and went off to find my girlfriend. The balance had shifted. I can’t describe it any better than that, sorry – but it’s honestly true about her not letting me upstairs and refusing to put the lights on. That’s why I don’t know what any of the rooms look like on the second floor. I did NOT go round to her house and look in through the windows while she was at home on her own. I’m no stalker or peeping Tom. I know what the downstairs rooms look like because I was there. She let me in.
But the minute it all got too intense for me, I backed off, and when she realised what was happening she didn’t like it and, predictably, did the same as every single girl I’ve ever known.
She came running… and she became obsessive.
10
Jonathan Day
Alex messaged every day for the next week – at the same time, every single day. It was pretty freaky – like an automated service. I was on the verge of just throwing the phone away, but realised, if I did that, I’d have no proof whatsoever and some sort of instinct told me evidence might be a useful thing to have, even though all she put was ‘Hi! How are you?’ Over and over again. I just kept on not replying, hoping she was eventually going to get the message, but on Thursday, 20 July, shit got real.
I’d been at home since lunchtime as school was more or less done for summer and I had free study periods every Thursday afternoon anyway. It was hot, I’d had enough, and the teachers had stopped caring if we were there or not. Angel had started barking, I’d gone to the door and there she was, just standing there on the doorstop.
I hadn’t known what to say at first, partly because I was pissed off to be caught looking a sweaty mug, still in my uniform, but also because she looked amazing. I’d forgotten how blatantly sexy she was. She was wearing a bright red dress that made her waist look tiny and sort of stuck out above her knees, and some cream coloured heels, while holding her doctor bag. The hot sun was shining right behind her and I was literally dazzled.
‘On your own?’ she asked.
‘Yeah – but, what if I hadn’t been?’ I opened the door, and she walked into the cooler hall. I looked at her, exasperated. ‘Is this because I haven’t texted you back? Is that why you’re here?’ Then another, much more worrying, thought occurred to me. ‘How did you know I was here? Have you been following me?’
She looked at me like I was mad and said crushingly: ‘Jonathan, I like you, you’re very sweet and we’ve had fun, but things have moved on now. I’m not actually here to see you.’ She reached into a pocket in her dress and pulled out a slim, small rectangle and passed it over to me. ‘Could you give this to your father for me, when he gets back?’
I took it and stared at her name in shiny black letters. ‘What do you want with my dad?’
She looked at me, slightly irritated. ‘I heard on the grapevine your parents are looking for a Botox doctor for their new club and spa. I appreciate it’s all maybe a bit close to home, but we’re both adult enough to put everything behind us, aren’t we? Your parents’ new facility is going to be a captive audience of some pretty wealthy people and I’m good at my job. There’s no reason why this shouldn’t be a very successful partnership.’
I looked at her in disbelief but tried to play down my panic. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea really, do you?’
Alex pretended to look confused. ‘I don’t see why not?’
I shoved the card in my pocket, closed the door and turned to her.
‘Don’t do this. This is about us. If you really wanted to work with my parents you’d email like a normal person, you wouldn’t come round to their house.’
She frowned. ‘That’s exactly what I did. Sorry, I don’t think you understand. Your dad called me back, and I was supposed to meet him here this afternoon for a preliminary chat before I go and pick up my daughters from school. He’s obviously got caught up or something, and I don’t feel comfortable waiting here with you alone, for obvious reasons, so if you could just give him my card so he knows I did come, that would be great.’
‘Wait.’ I reached out and grabbed her wrist. ‘Dad arranged to meet you here? Why not at the new site?’
She shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Perhaps he just liked the sound of my voice?’ She smiled sweetly at me.
I saw exactly what she was up to, instantly. ‘You’re barking up the wrong tree there,’ I said coldly. ‘My dad can be a right arsehole, but he loves my mum more than anything in the world.’
‘Oh, I’m sure,’ she said innocently. Then she stepped closer to me, pressing her body up against me. ‘Don’t you think you better let me go? He could be back at any moment.’ She looked at me and smiled.
I swallowed. I wasn’t going to do this. Not again.
She didn’t take her eyes from me, just took my free hand with hers and put it up the skirt of her dress. She wasn’t wearing anything underneath. I closed my eyes and clenched my jaw but I could already feel her hand moving to the button on my trousers.
‘Just quickly,’ she whispered.
* * *
We did it on the stairs. I knew I shouldn’t – and I didn’t even use anything. She got up carefully afterwards and went straight to the downstairs loo.
‘Well, I think I’d better go now anyway,’ she said, re-emerging to find me dressed and sitting on the stairs with my head in my hands. ‘I’ll see myself out.’ She paused and sighed. ‘Look, just don’t give my card to your father if it’s a problem, Jonathan. I understand.’
I didn’t look up, just waited until the door had closed and I heard her car leave. Then I started to panic. I’d never not used anything before. Ever. She was too old to get pregnant though – surely? And what was SHE thinking? She was married. My blood ran cold. What if she was actually proper mental and tried to say she’d come round here to see Dad – which he’d back up – and I’d forced myself on her? There’d be stains all over her dress. She was a doctor. No one would believe me and not her. I felt sick and I didn’t know what to do.
I waited for Dad to arrive, but he didn’t, and it was only after I called him on his mobile – something I never do – and he picked up sounding all concerned, saying ‘I’m in a meeting, but are you all right?’ that I realised that Alex almost certainly wasn’t telling the truth about having contacted him at all.
‘Yeah, sorry, Dad. I’m fine. I’ll see you later. Don’t worry.’
When he did come home, I had to make up something about my car breaking down to explain why I’d called him, which, in true Dad style, he then didn’t let go, wanting to get to the bottom of it.
‘You’re sure you didn’t leave your phone charger plugged in again, because that can drain the battery?’ He looked up at me over jacket potatoes and ham at dinner, as Mum passed me the salad bowl, and Ruby put some butter on the side of her plate.
‘Like I said,’ I repeated for the hundredth time, ‘one minute there was nothing there, the next it just started again. I thought I was going to have to jump it and if you were at home you could come over with some leads.’
‘At home? At two o’clock in the afternoon? I was at the site. But Mum could have come out if you’d needed one of us?’
I looked at him carefully. Was he lying or not? Had he been planning to meet Alex and got delayed? ‘Are you looking for any new staff at the moment?’ I said. ‘Beauty stuff I mean?’
Ruby sniggered. ‘Think you should do that instead of vlogging then, J?’
‘He knows vlogging isn’t a career,’ Dad said sharply. ‘Don’t you, Jonny boy?’
And now was he trying to change the subject and turn the focus on to me instead? I thought about him opening the front door to Alex, her smiling at him and walking into our house, clutching her black bag in her short red dress – and put down my knife and fork.
‘Let’s not start all that again,’ Mum said. ‘Jonny knows he needs a backup in case vlogging, or modelling, doesn’t take off. He’s still doing his exams, and he’s still going to apply for university.’
‘Which really is a waste of time,’ Dad said. ‘I know that school says you’re a bright little bunny, but neither them or you seem to be able to work out that thirty grand of debt for three years getting pissed when you could join the family business and start making money straight away isn’t the smartest idea.’
‘That school gets a lot of kids into the top universities,’ Mum said pointedly.
‘I should bloody hope so, the amount they charge each term.’
‘They’ve got Oxford in mind for Jonny.’
‘You might want to tell Miss Healy that’s the plan, then,’ I said. ‘She asked me where I was thinking of in English and when I said, Oxford, she got all sniffy and “oh no dear, I don’t think so”. She hates me. They all do.’
‘No, they don’t. Elsbeth Healy wants to spend a little less time staring at that engagement ring of hers and a little more time actually teaching,’ Mum snapped. ‘You leave her to me, the stuck up cow. Are you not hungry, love?’ She nodded at my untouched food.
I shook my head.
‘I really would like you to try and eat.’
I sighed and did as I was told.
Dad pointed his knife at me. ‘I want you to do that Personal Trainer module over the summer holidays. I know you’re thinking it’s all fatties you’d be training, but it’s not,’ he continued. ‘And with your looks you’d get all the mums shoving their kiddies in the crèche. Two birds with one stone.’
I thought of Alex and her stained dress. ‘Can I leave the table please, Mum?’
‘You have gone a little bit pale all of a sudden.’ Mum was frowning. ‘I think someone’s had a bit too much sun today.’
I stood up suddenly, jolting the table and making all the knives and forks jump. ‘Sorry, I need the loo.’
I hastened to the downstairs cloakroom, closed the door and leant my forehead on the cool of the mirror. I didn’t know what to think. My proper phone vibrated in my pocket and I pulled it out.
Can I come over and see you in a bit? Thought we could go for a drive and take some nice sunset snaps?
Cherry. She was right, I needed to get updating. I tried to take a few deep, calming breaths. Alex had not been going to meet Dad. Even if she had, she said she’d leave it – about the job – if it was going to upset me. I slid my hand into my other pocket, pulled out her card and ran my finger over the letters.
Dr Alexandra Inglis
Fucking me in the back of her car one minute, crying on the carpet in her dark sitting room the next, and now turning up on the doorstep in no underwear.
If only I’d not gone to football for Dad that night.
I tore the card into tiny pieces and flushed it down the loo. At the very least, if she had been going to meet Dad here, he must have come home, seen my car and driven off again. I’d achieved that if nothing else. I hesitated, went upstairs and fished out the pay-as-you-go mobile.
I think we need to talk about what happened today. Can I see you?
She came straight back to me.
Going to be difficult. Working and of course children’s last full week so – as I expect you are – doing lots of activities/sports days. Then go on holiday for two weeks. Not back until Sat 5 August. Sorry honey! Busy, busy – you know how it is! I’ll be in touch on return. Have a good last day of school!
Was she high? What kind of message was that? I stared at it and realised it was deliberately written to give me the information I needed while looking like it was meant for a friend of hers. What was the point in that – unless she was trying to say that her husband had found her pay-as-you-go phone? Warning me that things were becoming too obvious, as well as dismissing me for the next two weeks? Who did she think she was? She was controlling everything, blowing hot and cold. I felt suddenly very angry. I was at her mercy, and I didn’t like it.
I was starting to dislike her. And yet I couldn’t stop thinking about her. That didn’t make me feel so good about myself, either.
* * *
True to her word, she didn’t contact me for the next two weeks. Not even once but, weirdly, it was a relief. I hadn’t enjoyed her turning up at the house unannounced. The prospect of being caught on the stairs didn’t feel exciting, even in retrospect, it just made me feel a bit sick with stress, but the more time passed, it started to feel like a nightmare that wasn’t so bad after all, now the lights were on.
Aside from the rare amazing day here and there, the weather had predictably turned shit as it was the summer holidays, but I didn’t even really care. We had a family holiday to Ibiza coming up, so I’d get a tan regardless; I was getting on much better with Cherry – everything felt like it was finally getting back to normal… Alex still lurked in the back of my mind – pretty much always appearing when I was doing it with Cherry, which was both confusing and unsettling – but I felt things were under control again.
So when Mum asked me to drive her to the doctors on Monday, 7 August, I desperately tried to persuade her I couldn’t. I didn’t want to go anywhere near the surgery – but she ignored me.
‘I don’t think I’d be safe to drive myself over there, love. I feel hot, knackered – everything aches and I feel sick as a dog.’
