AUTHORS NOTE: This was originally one chapter like the previous two I posted together, but I have split it down to two as it was just too long, so like before I have posted them together as they should be read together to make sense of the situation.

CHAPTER 18

(EVA)

As I walk away, I manage to maintain the air of nonchalance but inside I am so angry but also very worried. I can't believe Megan, well actually I can. I should have realised this would happen after I saw the way she was eye fucking Gideon when she first met him. That girl has problems, ever since we were kids she has been like it. Whatever I had, if she thought it was better than what she had she wanted it and she didn't stop till she got it off me. I often wonder why I had bothered to stay friends with her over the years.

I remember when she first met Nathan she tried it on with him, but she quickly realised she didn't want him. It's a shame I wasn't so quick on the up take. The irony of that whole episode was it had made me think Nathan was a good person as the way I saw it he hadn't been persuaded by her, which was wrong she just decided he wasn't worth chasing, and it also gave him ammunition to try and separate me from everyone I knew as he would throw her actions in my face and make me question everyone's motives towards me. Nathan may not have been worth the bother but Gideon though is a totally different matter. He's wealthy and successful, he is everything she could ever dream of, I'm still trying to work out how I managed to snag him. I tried to not sound bothered as I didn't want to come across as a jealous bitch especially after the way I behaved this morning when all he was trying to do was help.

Deep down though it has really bothered me, as every friend I ever had she took them off me when we were kids. She turned them all against me and she took my first boyfriend. Ok I was only 12 at the time and we were more just friends than anything significant but I really liked him until she got involved. I think that's why I listened to Nathan and allowed him to separate me from everyone, as all I could see was the fact that he was the only person ever not to have been taken in by her. But if she succeeds in taking Gideon away from me that will destroy me… because I love him.

I head back to work, I need to push this out of my mind or it is going to drive me insane. I've told him what she is like and he admitted he told her to back off, he was worried about telling me thinking I would think he was trying to cause trouble but he still did it. He told me, he was honest with me and he didn't try and keep it from me. This gives me confidence that he won't be influenced by her and that we do have something special, despite the fact I was a fucking bitch to him this morning.

I am just returning to the picking floor when I feel my phone buzzing, I pull it from my pocket and see it is the school calling. I look up at George who is staring at me.

"What's up Evie?" he says as he comes closer.

"The school is calling me" I say holding my phone up.

"Aww shit, Maisie isn't hurt again is she?" he leads me to the little makeshift office. "Here, take the call in here" he says.

"Thanks" I reply, although I think I know what this call is about but I don't go into details and I quickly answer it. "Hello" I say nervously and then I hear the kind voice of Valerie Langham the head teacher, and she quickly confirms for me what the call is about.

"Hello Eva, I'm just calling to let you know the psychologist has been and assessed Maisie and as we suspected Maisie is a very clever little girl. She scored extremely highly in all aspects of the tests and she has a reading age of an 8-year-old which is incredible considering she is only 4 and one of the youngest in the class. So, we will be rectifying that immediately and will be putting her on harder reading books. I have all the findings and recommendations in front of me and the psychologist who assessed her was astounded by her and when she spoke to me she used the term 'gifted' to describe Maisie. I don't want to get into all the findings right now but when you come to pick up Maisie this afternoon I'd like you to come in and discuss them with me, is that alright?"

"Ok, can I bring Gideon with me?" I ask nervously. I feel I need his support in this, after seeing him with Maisie he will know what questions to ask and he will make sure she gets the best possible assistance to reach her full potential.

"Of course you can" she says kindly, "I'll see you later then" she adds.

"Thank you, bye" I say. I end the call and I am in a bit of a daze now. I leave the office and run out of the picking area and straight up to Gideon's office, barely pausing to knock I burst in, Gideon looks up and then stands immediately.

"Eva, what is it?" he says concern filling his face.

"The school just called, Maisie is some kind of fucking genius" I blurt out and Gideon smiles at me.

"What did they say?" he asks gently as he crosses the floor towards me.

I quickly go through what was said, "Valerie Langham called me and she said she was very able, very clever, they said something about acing all the tests. They said she scored very highly and they said she has a reading age of an 8-year-old, and that the person who assessed Maisie called her gifted. They said they want me to go in so they can discuss it and everything… will you come with me?" I ask looking up at him and cringing inwardly at just how pathetic I sound.

Gideon nods, "Of course I will, if you want me to" he says without hesitation.

I sigh, "Thanks, you will know what questions to ask. You will know how to get her what she needs" I say.

Gideon frowns, "Eva, don't sell yourself short, you are Maisie's mum and you know instinctively what's best for her" he says.

I smile, "Thanks but I need your support on this, I've seen the way you are with her when you do her reading with her. You ask her questions I wouldn't even think of asking. You push her, you get her to think about it, that's why I need you there, because you are clever too" I say.

Gideon frowns again and reaches for me, "And so are you Eva, you may not have the qualifications to show for it, but you are nineteen years old and you are a very smart girl. You totally re-evaluated and upgraded the picking procedure making it more productive, how many nineteen-year olds can say they have done that? Don't belittle yourself Eva" he says earnestly.

"Thanks, but you did that, I just told you my ideas" I say feeling slightly embarrassed now.

Gideon grips me even tighter, "I couldn't have done it without your ideas, as far as I was aware the picking department was running just fine. You were the one who pointed out how it could be done better" he protests.

I quickly decide I'm not going to debate this with him now, "Look I'd better get back" I say still slightly embarrassed and I pull away from him.

"Eva, when you finish come up here to me and we'll go together" he says.

I nod and leave the office. When I get back to the picking floor George is waiting for me looking worried.

"What's happened, is Maisie ok?" he asks.

I nod and smile, "Yeah, she's fine. The school rang because she has been assessed and apparently, she is really, really clever and they wanted me to go in for a meeting when I go and pick her up" I explain.

George grins, "Well she clearly takes after her mum then" he says and he gently touches my chin with his fist.

I laugh, "Yeah well, we'll agree to differ on that" I say and I head back to work.

oooOOOooo

The end of my shift can't come quick enough today, with everything that is going through my mind I just want to go home. I know I can't do that yet though. I finish what I am doing and then I glance up at the clock, it has just gone 2 o clock so I say goodbye to the guys and after collecting my coat, I head up to Gideon's office. I meet him coming out as I arrive and panic surges through me that he isn't coming with me anymore, that he has to do something else.

"Oh you're here, I was just coming to look for you, it's gone 2" he says.

I smile, "I don't always finish bang on" I say.

"Ok, well let's go" he says and I feel him place his hand at the bottom of my back as he escorts me out of the depot.

We arrive at school, way before finishing time and we head inside to talk to the head teacher. I stop in reception and sign in.

"Can I help you?" the secretary says to me.

"Erm yes, I'm Maisie Trammels mum, I got a call to come in regarding an assessment that was done today" I say, I remember Gideon who is standing silently beside me and gesture to him, "and this is my partner Gideon Cross I was told it was ok for him to come too" I add.

"Just a moment" she says and I watch her disappear.

Moments later Valerie Langham comes out of her office smiling widely at us. "Hello Eva, Gideon, please come in" she says and shows us into her office.

I sit down on a chair around a small coffee table and Gideon sits down beside me and reaches for my hand which I willingly give him. I am nervous about this, I have no idea what is best for Maisie, obviously I want her to reach her full potential but I don't want her treated like some kind of freaky brainiac.

"What's going to happen because I want what's best for Maisie, of course I do, but I don't want to single her out, I don't want her treated like some kind of freaky brainiac" I blurt out before I can stop myself, everything I have just been thinking tumbles out of my mouth and I stop and go red.

"Sorry" I mutter, I feel Gideon grip my hand a little tighter and I look up to see him smile reassuringly at me.

"Not at all Eva, that is also our concern which is why I called you here today so we can discuss how we go forward with this and do what is best for Maisie" the head says pulling my attention from Gideon.

The meeting goes well and different options are considered and various ideas are pushed around, the school's main concern is that Maisie will get bored because the work is too easy and they want her to reach her full potential. They are also very mindful of the fact she is so young and they don't want to bombard her with anything which will make her unhappy or scared.

I am given a number of papers which the psychologist outlines how Maisie was and how well she did and her recommendations for ensuring Maisie got the best education, and her conclusions. I read them and see she suggested raising Maisie to a higher year group. I look at Gideon.

"What do you think?" I ask.

Gideon sighs, "I think we should play it by ear at the moment, see how things go. The main concern is Maisie's happiness if she isn't happy then she won't thrive, so let's follow the advice that the school is offering and go along with what they are suggesting, but if Maisie becomes upset or worried then we will have to revisit and review it".

I nod, that is exactly what I was thinking but I didn't like to say anything in case I sounded ungrateful for everything the school was trying to do.

"I'm not a teacher but I can spend time with her in the evenings and work with her, when I help her with her reading and I can talk to her and gauge how she is feeling about the changes over a period of time" Gideon says.

"That's an excellent idea, I think we will leave her in the year group she is in at present as she has only been here such a short amount of time" Valerie puts in, we talk a while longer and then I hear a bell signalling the end of the school day. "Well, we'll leave it there for now, we only want what is best for Maisie and if we work together on this and keep an open dialogue then we can make sure that she will reach her full potential".

She holds out her hand to me and I shake it gratefully, I watch as she shakes Gideon's hand and thanks us for coming.

Gideon wraps his arm around me as we leave the office and head outside to wait for Maisie coming out. I freeze as I see Megan in the playground. Gideon senses my reaction and looks around wondering what I have seen and I see when he realises who I am looking at.

"Don't, she's not worth it" he murmurs in my ear and then he makes a show of pressing a kiss to the side of my head, Megan's reaction to that is startling, she starts walking towards us.

"Well, hello again handsome" she says brazenly, she barely gives me a second glance as she reaches out and tries to touch Gideon, but he releases me and grabs her wrist.

"Don't" he says sharply as he pushes her hand away, "You need to stop this infantile behaviour, I am not interested in you. There is nothing remotely attractive about a woman who throws herself at a man the way you are doing" he spits viciously.

I am shocked at his venom filled reaction but also quietly impressed, he could have been polite and side stepped the issue – which is what I was expecting, but he chose to tackle it head on. I realise why, he loves me, he really does love me and he is showing me that he won't be influenced by her. He is reassuring me that he won't be like all the other people she has managed to take away from me, that he isn't that shallow and easily manipulated and at the same time he is getting his message across that she is making a complete fool of herself.

I immediately go to bawl her out but then I stop and think and in a moment of pure clarity I realise that would be the worst thing to do as she would know she is getting to me. So against all my usual instincts I stay quiet. I realise that I could jump in and shoot my mouth off at this point, but I realise that would make me look insecure and she would play on that and use that against me. At this moment I am finding staying quiet really, really hard as every instinct I have is telling me to verbally destroy her. Megan looks shocked by Gideon's outburst and she looks at me, she is also expecting me to explode, but no I'm not going to give her the satisfaction. Instead after giving her a dismissive glance I look up at Gideon.

"Come on baby lets go around here so Maisie will see us when she comes out" I say quietly.

Gideon focuses his attention on me and kisses my head once more, "Where does she come out? Is it the same place she goes in, in a morning?" he asks now completely ignoring Megan.

"Yeah, just round here" I say.

We walk away leaving Megan standing with her mouth hanging open. My heart is pounding in my chest, partly from the effort it is taking for me not to start yelling and screaming at her, and partly from the realisation that Gideon does love me and isn't going to be manipulated by her.

"Well done" Gideon murmurs in my ear a moment later once we are out of Megan's ear shot.

I look up in surprise, "What?" I ask.

"I was quite expecting you to cause a scene, but you didn't. Had you done so she would have seen that as you being insecure and vulnerable and she would have taken that onboard and used it against you at a later date, but because you have just walked away she has nothing she can use against you now" he says echoing my own thoughts of a moment ago.

"I wanted to" I admit, "yell at her that is" I add.

Gideon snorts, "Oh I know that, I could see it in your eyes. But you didn't and I am very proud of you for taking the mature moral high ground" he says.

"She won't stop you know, she'll carry on till she gets what she wants. She has set her sights on you now" I say, letting him see my very real fear.

I feel Gideon stiffen, he turns and grips my chin forcing me to look up at him, "Not going to happen" he says slowly and clearly saying each word slowly and precisely.

He bends and places another kiss on my lips, "I love you and only you" he murmurs against my mouth.

He pulls away, "Oh by the way, I meant to tell you… my father called today. My grandfather's funeral is on Friday" he says, completely changing the subject.

I nod, "Can I come with you?" I ask, grateful for the change.

Gideon looks at me in surprise, "Of course you can, I was hoping you would but I didn't like to ask in case you didn't want to take any more time off work after being off sick and because of putting on your family to take care of Maisie".

I smile up at him, "Well, you see I'm kind of looking at things a bit differently now, you are my family too. What you said this morning, it made me think and it has made me look at how I was being a total bitch, and just how you want to look after me and support me… well… I want to do the same for you… if you want me to?" I say nervously.

Gideon's answering smile is dazzling but before he can reply a familiar shriek reaches our ears.

"Mummy! Gideon!" We both look towards Maisie who is hurtling towards us.

oooOOOooo

Friday morning…

I watch as Maisie goes into school and the door closes. Gideon is beside me holding my hand tightly, he has barely said two words all morning and I know he is worried about today and the very real prospect of coming face to face with his Uncle. I sigh as I see Megan making her way towards us. She clearly hasn't given up, Gideon had told me she has tried every morning this week to attract his attention… and failed.

I am really not in the mood for her or her games this morning though, we have more important things to deal with than Megan's pathetic infantile obsession.

"What do you want now?" I ask bluntly as she comes closer.

I see a sly grin fill her face, "Just saying good morning, is there any crime against that?" she says, "Gideon and I have chatted every morning this week and it's been nice, don't tell me you have a problem with that?" she states.

I see Gideon's incredulous look, and I know immediately she is lying to try and make me jealous so I just smile sweetly.

"Not at all Megan, of course there is no crime in saying hello and having a chat. If that is what you actually did, but considering you wouldn't know the truth if it smacked you in the mouth your deluded version of what you say you did doesn't interest me in the slightest". I look up at Gideon who is now smiling down at me gratefully.

"Ready baby? You said we need to get going in case the traffic is bad" I ask.

"Going somewhere nice, why don't you take me instead of her I will be much more fun to be with?" Megan asks sarcastically and I am momentarily taken aback by her no holds barred brazenness, but before I can get to respond Gideon has spoken.

"We are going to a funeral" Gideon snaps and I see her recoil at his words, the smug grin leaving her face immediately.

"I…oh… erm" she stammers and without another word she turns and leaves.

"Well now, that shut her up" I mutter trying to keep my amusement in check.

I look up at Gideon and I see his lips twitch and I relax knowing he too found her discomfort entertaining.

We drive up to Manchester in silence, the M6 is on its best behaviour this morning and traffic is moving freely, we are making good time and at this rate we are going to be arriving incredibly early but Gideon didn't want to risk getting stuck in any traffic and being late. About half way through the journey I reach over and place my hand on Gideon's lap and squeeze gently, to just wordlessly offer him my love and support. I watch him carefully and see a small smile appear and he takes one hand off the steering wheel and grips my hand tightly.

"I love you" he whispers so quietly that I almost miss it.

"I know, and I love you too" I reply.

"You do know she was lying?" he says suddenly.

I stop for a moment and I wonder what he is referring to and then I realise he is talking about Megan and her antics earlier.

"I know" I say, "She's done it before, said stuff made out things have happened when they haven't" I say with a shrug. "I'm not sure what she thinks she can get out of it now, as she must realise I won't fall for her tricks anymore" I add.

"She is jealous of you, that much is blatantly obvious but she is also very insecure. The way I see it is she thinks you are better than her and so she tries to take away your happiness, to bring you down to her level and she plays on your insecurities to keep you down so she doesn't lose you. I wondered what her angle was and when you told me all about everything she has done in the past, it became clear and made me realise. She undermines your confidence, making you believe she is stronger than you, because she can dictate who your other friends are. Tell me how many of the people she took from you as a child remained friends with her?" he asks.

I stop and think, "None" I say with surprise, I see him nod thoughtfully.

"You see, they all eventually saw her for what she was, and they probably didn't have the nerve or were too embarrassed or ashamed to then come back to you, when they had figured it out so then she was alone and the only person who would have anything to do with her was you… because you believed she was better than you" he says.

I think about that and it all makes sense, "So every time I meet someone new she is scared because she thinks I am going to forget about her so she sets out to sabotage it" I say. It's completely fucked up but I get it, and all these years I have just let her do it.

"Well she can fuck off, I'm not playing her games anymore" I state firmly.

"Glad to hear it, because and I mean this sincerely Angel you are a far better person than she is" he says. He pauses a moment and when he speaks again it is with a complete seriousness.

"I was so worried about telling you about her and I am so relieved you have finally worked out what she is like. I was afraid you would think I was being controlling and trying to separate you from your friend" he says.

I shake my head, "No, I know what she is like, and besides she's not my friend anymore" I say firmly. I take the decision not to indulge her games anymore, Megan is no longer my friend as friends like that I can do without.

I smile and as I look out of the window I notice we are arriving in Manchester. "Do you want to go straight to my father's house or to the flat?" Gideon asks.

I take a deep breath, "I'll leave it up to you, it's your family, and I want you to do whatever makes you feel comfortable" I say.

I watch him consider his options and I am quite shocked when I realise we are heading to his father's house. I was expecting him to want to go to the flat and stay there rather than going to his father's, and risk seeing his uncle there.

"Are you sure about this?" I ask as we turn on to the road where his father lives.

I watch a grim determination fill his face, "I am, I said we'd have lunch with my father and I can't hide from Uncle Hugh anymore. I have to face my fears, he can't hurt me anymore. I am here to support my father and help him lay to rest his father" he pauses and looks straight at me, "and I am relying on you to support me and help me get through it" he says.

I nod decisively, "You know you have it… my support that is" I say, and then I point at the windscreen, "Eyes on the road" I add with a grin.

I watch as Gideon pulls into the familiar driveway. As we reach the house, I see two more cars parked there, the range rover I immediately recognise as Gideon's fathers and I wonder who the other car belongs to.

"Uncle Hugh is here" Gideon states nodding towards the silver BMW. Gideon pulls the car to a halt and takes a deep breath.

I reach for him and grip his hand, "Are you sure you want to do this?" I ask, as I know I would sooner gouge out my eyes with a spoon than face someone who had abused me all my childhood.

Gideon nods but doesn't say anything and I can almost feel the tension coming off of him.

"Ok, well same as last time. I am here and whatever you want to do that's fine, if you want to leave we leave, and I promise you I won't embarrass you this time" I say.

Gideon stares at me, "You could never embarrass me Angel" he says sincerely and he lifts my hand to his mouth and kisses my knuckles sweetly.

"Shall we do this thing?" I ask and I see him visibly bracing himself before taking a deep breath and nodding.

We simultaneously climb out of the car and before I have shut the door Gideon is at my side and reaching for my hand once more.

"Ready?" I ask as I can feel him trembling.

He nods and after a brief hesitation he speaks, "Ready" he replies and with that we walk slowly to the front door.