Enough Time Page 6

  Chapter Ten

  Jenny sits in her red hatchback, outside of Charli's house for a long time. Her fingers grip the wheel, and there's fire in her belly. She's thinking about Mia, Zoe and Ethan. She never talked to anyone about what happened to Mia and now realises it was a mistake. She should have told. That lowlife is going to keep doing this until someone stops him. She grits her teeth and shoves her keys in the ignition. The engine springs to life and she guns the car down the road, continuing to berate her choices as she turns towards the football oval.

  She stays in the car and watches them on the field, running back and forth, the oval ball ricocheting between them. Their laughter and grunts carry on the air. She gets out of her car and sits on the bonnet, as they form a semi-circle around their coach. He talks for a few minutes before they disperse and make their way toward the car park. They wipe their sweat with towels and guzzle water from plastic drink bottles.

  She waits until he's alone before she calls to him, smiling. Ethan looks up, narrows his eyes and nods at her. She forces another smile and slides off the bonnet, making her way towards him. A couple of players make suggestive remarks and call out something she can't hear.

  He looks curious as she approaches and she resists the urge to fly over and scratch his eyes out.

  'Ryan,' he says using her surname.

  'Ethan,' she says.

  'What's up?' he asks as he tosses his towel over his shoulder and unlocks his car.

  'Just wanted to talk to you about Mia,' she said.

  He stiffens. 'Got nuthin' to say.'

  She steps toward him and holds her phone up for him to see.

  'Thought you'd want to see your daughter,' she says and watches as his head jerks up, surprise in his blue eyes. They narrow on the screen and recognition sparks as he stares at the baby's face. Mia's beautiful baby girl stares back with the blue eyes and blonde hair of her father.

  He remains transfixed for thirty seconds or more before he looks back at her.

  'Could be anyone's kid,' he says; although she can see he's shaken.

  She swipes at her phone, presses a button and dulls the screen.

  'Yeah, but she's not anyone's is she Ethan? You know she's yours.'

  'How do I know? She could have been sleeping with half the football team.'

  'You guys share so much, I'm sure you would've heard. You know Mia was not like that.'

  He stretches himself up and grins. 'I know she wanted me bad,' he said. 'Couldn't get enough of me.'

  'You know that's not true either.'

  He stares at her, his eyes growing hard, despite the continued smile.

  'I know what happened between you and Mia, so there's no point in lying to me.' Jenny says.

  'So tell me,' he urges, taking a step towards her. 'What is it you think you know?'

  'You forced her to do it with you. She didn't want anything to do with you.'

  His laugh is cold. 'Ha. I don't have to force chicks to have sex with me. They come begging for it.'

  'But you do, don't you?' She glares at him the fire rising in her belly. 'You get a kick out of it, don't you?'

  He laughs again. 'So what if I do? I'm doing them a favour. They always love it.'

  'How can you say that?'

  'Because they do,' he smirks. 'You've seen the way they hang around me. They all want a piece of this.' He runs his hands down his torso. 'Can't blame them can you?' He steps forward. 'Maybe that's why you're here, Ryan. Wanna piece of this too?' He reaches for her, snaking an arm around her waist and forcing her against his sweaty body. She struggles, heart fluttering.

  'I can assure you, I'm not here for that, and if you do touch me I will go straight to the police.'

  Without missing a beat his lips curve into a sneer.

  'If you go to the police I will load Mia's tape on the Internet,' he says. 'And…' He stops.

  'And? You'll load Zoe's too,' she spits. She twists her head away from him in time to register the shock on his face. 'Yes, I know what you're doing to Zoe. You are the most despicable human being on the planet.'

  He releases her, his smile gone. She stumbles backwards.

  'That little bitch blabbed,' he says.

  'No, I guessed,' Jenny says quickly. 'She didn't tell me.'

  'Well then, you have twice as much to lose if you blab,' he says. He regains his composure and draws himself up to tower over her. 'Tell anyone about this and your friends will pay the price.'

  She spins on her heel and half runs towards her car, heart pounding. She starts the engine, even before the door is fully closed.

  'If I hear anything about this, I will post those films right away. You'll ruin their lives, Ryan.' His voice carries to her car. She cranks the window down a notch.

  'I'm not the one ruining lives, Ethan.' And then she plants her foot spraying gravel as the tyres fight for purchase on the ground. Her knuckles are white at the wheel and the tremble in her body doesn't stop until she's in her driveway. She stays in her car and reaches for the phone in her back pocket. The recorder is still on and she presses the button to stop it and saves it under Ethan. Her finger shakes as she hits the play button and hears her own voice very clearly.

  'Yeah, but she's not anyone's is she Ethan? You know she's yours.'

  'How do I know? She could've been sleeping with half the football team.'

  She fists the air and listens to the full recording, reliving the scene in her head, knowing that she's started something she should have done a long time ago.

  Chapter Eleven

  Charli perches on a kitchen stool and sips coffee. Ash is beside her; his legs swing back and forth while he chews cereal and talks non-stop between mouthfuls. He's going to the fire station with his class at school and is bursting with excitement. His arm shoots out, and his glass of juice spills across the counter.

  'Oh,' he cries.

  Charli leaps up as the flow of juice runs towards her. 'Geez Ash, can't you be more careful!'

  'Sorry,' he says, 'didn't mean to.'

  'I don't have time to change,' Charli snaps back.

  'It was an accident,' Clare says as she mops at the spill with a dishcloth.

  Charli looks at Ash's crestfallen face and feels immediate guilt. 'Sorry, buddy, I'll get you another one.' She picks up the empty glass and refills it from the bottle on the counter, setting it in front of Ash.

  'Less talk, more concentration,' she says.

  'But I love fire engines,' he replies. He trips over the words as his excitement mounts again.

  'I know,' she says and ruffles his hair, 'but we'll run out of juice if you don't be more careful.'

  He face lights with a grin.

  'I promise I'll be careful,' he says. He sets down his spoon and picks up the glass of juice with both hands.

  'Everything all right?' Clare asks from the sink. 'You don't seem yourself. Something on your mind?'

  Charli stiffens and her eyes widen. How does she know there's something wrong? Should I tell her? They'd always been close and talked about most things. But Charli's not sure she can tell her Zoe's secret.

  'Charli?' Clare's eyes probe her face.

  Charli looks pointedly at Ash and gives her head a tiny shake, buying herself some time. Clare's eyes follow her gaze and she says, 'I'll drop Ash at school first today. We can talk in the car.'

  Charli nods and feels heavy with the expectation, wondering what to say.

  Ash continues to fill the room with his cheerful banter until they walk through the door to the car. The sun is high in the sky, and the temperature is already too hot. Charli feels sweat prickle beneath her uniform.

  Clare turns the air conditioner onto high as she navigates her silver Mercedes into the traffic. Delany's not a big city, but the morning traffic can still be a challenge. Charli stays in the car while Clare walks Ash to his classroom and returns minutes later.

  Without Ash, silence settles over the car, and Clare sighs. 'Now that we can hear ourselves think, do you wan
t to tell me what's going on?'

  Charli's mouth goes dry and her stomach twists. What should I do? I promised Zoe I wouldn't tell, but she's in serious trouble. But what if Ethan finds out and posts the video early? As Charli wrestles with her mind, Clare remains quiet, giving her space.

  'Charli?' Clare glances at her and turns her gaze back to the road. 'You're not in some kind of trouble, are you?'

  Charli's heart beats too fast.

  'No,' she says.

  'Then what is it? I can't help if you don't tell me.'

  Charli fights to find the words and then before she knows what's happening she's blurting out a story about Jael, sending her mum in a completely different direction. Clare laughs out loud.

  'So this is all about a boy? You scared me, I thought it was something serious.'

  'It is serious, Mum,' Charli says, hating herself for the lie.

  'Right, of course. Sorry,' Clare says composing herself. 'Tell me all about him.'

  'Well, there's no much to tell,' Charli begins.

  By the time they reach the school gates she's given Clare the run down on her encounter with Jael and Clare has given her some tips on how to talk to boys. She also warns her about not letting it interfere with her school work.

  'Thanks Mum, I won't,' Charli promises as she hugs Clare goodbye.

  She hesitates, school bag in her hand, staring through the windshield.

  'Is there something else?' Clare asks.

  Charli glances up, and shakes her head.

  'No, all good,' she lies, getting out of the car and closing the door. She stares after the car until it disappears and then in a moment of panic calls her mum. It goes to voice mail and she hangs up, racked with guilt. Why didn't I tell her? She could've helped. How am I going to help Zoe now? Zoe's approaching deadline makes her shoulders slump as she turns towards the school. Mia dominates her thoughts and she wonders if Jenny has been able to talk to her. Maybe I can try her again at recess. If we're both calling she has to pick up, doesn't she?

  Chapter Twelve

  Zoe waits until the front door clicks before getting out of bed. It wasn't hard to convince her mother she's sick again today. She's barely slept. She spent all night trying to build the courage to go through with her plan, but she fell asleep instead. Dread fills her like a lead weight. She drags herself to the bathroom, washes her face, and stares at her reflection. Her cheeks are hollow, and her eyes are glassy, red-rimmed, and have dark circles beneath them. She feels older somehow. Tears splash her cheeks and find the corner of her mouth. She strips off her clothes; the simple act brings guilt and shame. She stands under the shower for a long time, letting the hot water cascade over her until her skin is bright. Her mind journeys through her short life, bringing up one face after another. Their eyes and smiles swim before her, whirl-pooling into one. Ella, Charli, Harry, Mum, Dad, Lisa, Madelyn, and little Joe. Her breath hitches at the thought of little Maddie's reaction. What am I doing? Her face crumples, and she slides to the bottom of the shower and sobs.

  Eventually she rises to her feet, turns off the tap, and folds herself into her pink towel for the last time. She dries and wraps the towel around her torso. Inside her bedroom, she searches for clothes. Her wardrobe bulges with choices and the red dress catches her eye. In sudden heat, she rips it free, balls it in her fists, and throws it across the room. Breathing hard, she picks out a blue dress but puts it back, opting for a simple pair of shorts and t-shirt. Her heart beats faster when she crouches down to grab the vodka by its neck. The bottle is cool beneath her trembling fingers, and she swallows over a dry throat.

  Zoe knows her life is over. She slumps on the bed, heart skipping, and stares ahead. The eyes of her high school life are on her, immortalized in photos on the wall. She takes her time to meander over the familiar faces and crazy antics, but none can make her smile. Reaching forward, she cracks the lid of the vodka and pours a double shot. The glass is tall and frosted and has Mickey Mouse etched on the side. Her slender fingers grapple beneath the mattress and drag the tiny pill bottle into her hand. She prises the lid free with her thumb and watches it tumble to the floor. Then her eyes are on the bottle, and she tips the tablets into her outstretched hand. Is there enough? Should I take them all at once? She counts ten pills, and her heart sinks, knowing they'll do the job. She eyes the glass of vodka. How much should I drink? Will it make the pills work better? Her fingers close. They tremble, and her palm sweats, making the pills dissolve a little. She opens them again and stares at the faint yellow imprint on her skin. She shakes them to the desk and sudden emotion sweeps her back to the party.

  She grabs the vodka and takes a swallow. Its bitterness makes her recoil and gag. How can anyone drink that stuff? She frowns at the glass, desperate to get rid of the taste. She heads to the kitchen and grabs a bottle of lemonade from the fridge. She tops her glass with the sweet liquid and takes another sip. Better. She plucks a pill from the desk and washes it down with the vodka. It swirls in her stomach and rises up. She swallows against it and leans back, waiting for the feeling to pass.

  She picks up the notepad and starts to write: 'Dear Mum and Dad, right now I feel like your biggest disappointment. I made a mistake, a big one, and it's going to cost me everything. I hope you understand and are not too sad when I'm gone. I did this because I love you both so much and I didn't want my mistakes to affect you. I'm sorry and hope you can forgive me. Love, Zoe xoxo.'

  She starts to sob, and the pad and pen slide to the floor. Her phone buzzes, and she peers, red-eyed, at the screen. It's not a number she recognises. She picks up the phone and blinks. It's hard to see the words. She pokes at it with her finger and puts it down. She blinks again; her hand is slack, and her fingers are not working properly. She thinks she hears her name; but is not sure. The caller hangs up and she opens her messages, finding Charli's name and typing something into the phone. She fights lethargy as she tries again, and again. She reaches for the vodka, taking another swallow. This is not so bad, actually tastes pretty good. She reaches for the pills on the desk. She grabs a few and throws them on her tongue, washing them down with more vodka. Vanilla wafts around her. The soft pillow finds her cheek, and she floats into sweet oblivion.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jenny paces the kitchen, wet with sweat and still in her workout gear. She's just been for a run after a sleepless night, thinking about Ethan, Zoe and Mia. She knows Ethan's confession means nothing in the eyes of the law and will be inadmissible as evidence if this ever goes to court. She needs to find a way to get the police to take notice and investigate him. She paces back and forth across the smooth tiles, her hands clutching at her hair and eyes narrowed in thought. If she can find some more of his victims maybe she could convince them to stand up to him, together. Instinctively she knows there's others. But where should she start? If her experience with Mia and Zoe is anything to go by, she will have her work cut out. Driven by the determination to stop this happening to someone else, Jenny grabs a pad and pen from the table and leans against the breakfast bar to start jotting names. After twenty minutes she scans her list and grabs her phone. She stares at the name at the top, scrolls through her address book and finds the number. It rings a few times before going to voice mail.

  'Hi this is Mia, leave a message.'

  'Mia, this is Jenny. Call me when you get this. I really need to talk to you.'

  She hangs up, her breath coming a little faster. She places a little tick next to Mia's name and writes 'message' before her forefinger taps the next name.

  Zoe's phone rings a few times before she picks up.

  Jenny can hear her breathing.

  'Hello?' she asks pressing the phone harder against her ear. She strains to hear, but besides a few muffled sounds, it remains silent.

  'Hello Zoe?' Jenny says. Frowning she speaks louder. 'Hey Zoe, it's Jenny' she says.

  Thinking that Zoe must have accidentally picked up the call, or is in class and can't talk Jenny hangs up and calls th
e next name on her list.

  By mid morning she slumps into a chair, deflated. She'd spoken to most of the girls on the list and not one could give her anything that would earn Ethan more than a rap over the knuckles from the school principal. He'd laugh all the way to his next victim, or worse still find a way to make her one. She pushes herself up and heads to the bathroom, stripping her sweaty clothes and turning on the shower. The scalding water eases the tension in her shoulders and she stands under the forceful stream until her skin is raw and tingling. She towels dry, and dresses, wracking her brain for a solution. The answer is waiting for her in the kitchen.

  Her phone is buzzing when she enters and she seizes it in a trembling hand, almost dropping it in the process.

  'Hello?'

  'Hello.' The voice is soft and timid. 'I got your message.'

  Jenny smiles, the phone flat against her ear, feet carrying her back and forth across the floor. She tells her story, paying attention to the details and being as sensitive as she can to her friend on the other end. Ten minutes later she's downloading the transcript of Ethan's confession and hitting the send button. She stares at the screen as the email zips into cyberspace, hoping she's done the right thing.

  'Please, please do this,' she whispers. 'Please be brave.'

  Her phone beeps a few seconds later and she peers at the text. Got it thanks.

  She pushes to her feet, replaces the laptop on her desk and taps her phone again. Charli's voice fills her ear and she leaves a message asking her to call back as soon as possible. With renewed energy she makes herself a cup of tea and peanut butter toast and finds the next name on her list.

  Morning morphs into early afternoon before Jenny gets the call she's waiting for. The conversation is short, fuelled with adrenaline. Mia sounds more animated than she's been for two years.