At the back of the stage was a huge screen turned to black. Beth walked closer, but a chill shot up her spine. She stopped, her heart racing, images of the theatre flickering through her mind.
She had the distinct sense Amelia was leaving the place to marinate. She could feel energy building, and it wasn’t positive.
Backing out of the room, she found herself in reception. A fire was laid in the grate. A huge bowl of peppermints sat on the polished desk next to a voluminous arrangement of flowers that cascaded down the front.
A throaty laugh made her jump.
Amelia.
She followed the sound, walking softly on her toes so as not to be heard.
The door to Bill’s private room was ajar.
‘Does she know? Does she know what we really were… What we are?’
‘Amelia, don’t—’ Jonan’s voice cracked.
A flame of anger shot through Beth, burning her insides. She felt the coil of The Fear snaking through her system, and then looped it back in.
She strode up to the door, emphasising the click of her high heels on the old wooden floor. Amelia would know she was coming. She would not hide. The scent of lavender surrounded her and her lips curved into a smile. She swung the door open.
Jonan was backed against the far wall of Bill’s room. His face was white, his lips pinched. His hands were flattened against the solid wall behind him and his chest heaved as he drew in ragged breaths.
Beth’s eyes widened. The scent of lavender intensified.
Amelia froze, her body pressed up against Jonan, her knee wedged between his. Her feet were bare and a pair of white stilettos lay on their side in the middle of the room. She stepped back, her shoulders stiffly straight. When she turned around, an odd smile twisted her face.
‘Look who it is.’ She sniffed the air. ‘And isn’t that an interesting perfume.’ She looked over at Jonan, her lips pressed together. He met her gaze, not flinching.
She straightened, smoothing out her fitted, white dress. ‘It seems no matter what I do to sink your involvement with my event, you keep rising to the surface.’
Beth walked towards Amelia, holding eye contact. In her heels, she was taller than Amelia, and her lips tilted up as she saw the older woman shift, her gaze darting to the shoes on the floor. ‘I do know what you were to each other. Jonan has told me everything. I guess you thought you still had secrets together.’ Beth gave a tight-lipped smile.
Amelia laughed. ‘He told you everything, did he? In that case, I assume he mentioned that he was ready to dedicate himself to me for life? That he was in love with me?’
‘Is that the best you’ve got?’ Beth raised her eyebrows. ‘Do you really think you can come between us that easily?’
Beth felt the energy building. She was in her body, but somehow watching it at the same time. She felt overwhelming love for the woman standing in her shoes, and knew her body was just the tip of the iceberg. A bigger part of her knew exactly what she was doing. In that moment she knew with absolute conviction that she could simply allow that part of herself to lead.
She advanced on Amelia, her energy expanding with each step.
Amelia gave a shaky laugh. ‘Are you threatening me, little girl?’
Beth shrugged. ‘I don’t see the point in threats. I’m simply being clear. I see through you, Amelia. If you mess with Jonan or I again, I will destroy you.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous. You can’t touch me.’
Beth tilted her head to one side. ‘You think? There’s more than one way to get a job done. As I remember, Katherine Haversham wasn’t impressed by your simpering. Did I mention I’m friends with Laura from Deep and Dark? I’m sure she’d love to do a show on my story. It’s perfect for them, don’t you think? It has the celebrity angle, the spookiness, the weird, erratic behaviour, and I have so much more information for them now. I think they’d particularly love the bit about the theatre.’
Amelia paled. ‘Why, Beth? Is this all because of Jonan?’
‘I can see why you might think so, but no. Most people can’t see the way you’re playing them. I can and I won’t stand by and watch you do it.’
Amelia laughed. ‘Quite the little superwoman, aren’t you? I can see why Jonan is so attached. He’s always had a saviour complex too. That’s why you fell for me, isn’t it, darling, I was a conquest to convert.’
‘I fell for you,’ Jonan said, ‘because at the time you were someone worth being with. This cruelty and manipulation is new.’
‘Ah, I’m a fallen angel now, am I? How glamourous.’
‘What are you planning for tonight, Amelia?’ Jonan held her gaze. He was standing straight now, shoulders back, but he was still pale.
Amelia laughed, a low throaty sound that made Beth shiver.
‘Wouldn’t you like to know, lover boy?’
‘Don’t call me that,’ Jonan said from between gritted teeth. He crossed the room in three strides and took Beth’s hand.
Amelia bent down and picked up her stilettos, slipping on one, and then the other. Taller now, she stalked closer, crowding Jonan. She was breathless as her gaze travelled over him. She raised her hand, but didn’t touch. ‘Does she know you’ve pinned all your hopes on her? Does she know you moon over her, that you’ve watched her for years, hanging around in the shadows outside her flat? Does she know you’ve pulled tarot cards to see into her future, that you’ve been looking at her for as long as you can remember?’
Jonan froze. Then he turned and met Beth’s gaze, his breathing ragged. He swayed.
‘Yes,’ Beth said, stepping in front of Jonan, forcing Amelia back. ‘Yes, he has told me. Is that all you’ve got?’
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Jonan
The room spun. Jonan closed his eyes, willing Amelia to shut up, to stop her barrage of incessant talking. The woman had poured his heart out to Beth without his say so. In his confusion, he couldn’t remember what he had told her. Had Amelia ruined everything, or just confirmed what he had confided. He knew he was letting the woman get to him. He had experienced The Fear before and vowed never to let her do that to him again, but his mind was careening through so many shades of pain and his legs had turned to water. She had found a trigger and was pressing it as hard as she could. He felt sick. He reached out, feeling the cold solidity of the wall beneath the shaking of his hand.
His path rested on Beth’s ability to see past Amelia’s manipulation. More than that, his heart rested on her ability to open herself to the depth of love he had to offer. His memories felt like a curse. She had always been his. He had always been hers. There was nothing else for him in this world or any other.
‘Jonan.’ Her voice was soft and he opened his eyes. His heart beat faster. She moved closer. He felt the prickle of her energy on his skin as her space began to merge with his. His gaze darted to Amelia. She was watching him, her eyes narrowed. He pushed her energy back, snapping the cord that bound them and instead filled his energy with Beth, allowing her into his space as never before.
‘Jonan, look at me,’ Beth said, her voice hoarse. ‘Take my hands.’
She stood so close he could feel the warmth of her breath on his skin. Her glossy dark hair fell in waves around her shoulders. Her flawless, dewy make up and closely fitted midnight-blue suit should have made her seem distant, but the look in her eyes cracked open the last of his resistance. They shone, glinting pools of emotion he could only begin to decipher. That look pulled at him, opening out his insides, leaving him raw and exposed. He could feel the pulse of her heart beating in sync with his own. He felt the connection so strongly he could hardly breathe. His body thrummed with the impact of their closeness. She was in his blood, pulsing through him, filling his mind, filling the space around him with blazing golden light.