chapter 41

Mandy had no idea how she had made it through the day with Brian there, but somehow she had managed it and now it was time to go home. She knew Brian would be going to the pub with the others. She grabbed her bag and headed for the lifts. When the doors opened, she saw Brian with Mark and Sam there. She froze and stared at them.
“Well, are you coming in or aren’t you?” asked Brian with a sigh.
Mandy sighed and walked in. Never in her life had she felt so uncomfortable. She prayed they wouldn’t talk to her, but her prayers went unanswered.
“Are you ok Mandy?” asked Sam.
Mandy looked at her, smiled and nodded. She looked at Brian briefly and then looked away, wishing the doors would open so she could just run off. He was bouncing on the spot, looking at the display at the top of the lift, indicating what floor they were on. He had his lips pursed as he stuffed his hands in his pocket.
“We’re going to the pub if you want to join us!” smiled Mark invitingly.
Mandy looked at him, smiled and shook her head, “NO I can’t. I have loads to do but thanks for the invite.”
The doors finally opened. She looked back at the others and smiled, “I’ll see you tomorrow!”
“See ya!” they all chorused, except Brian, who tried his hardest to look away. He finally looked at her as she started to walk away quickly. She looked back at him and saw him looking at her. He sighed and shook his head, “I suppose this is God’s way of punishing me for the way I acted when I was younger. Man I am getting a taste of my own medicine” he sighed.
“huh?” asked Mark.
Brian shook his head, “Nevermind. Let’s go! I need a drink!” he sighed.

Mandy got to the house and saw Kian hovering the hall.
“Oh hi Mandz. Where’s Brian?” he grinned, turning the Hoover off with his foot.
“At the pub!” she grunted.
“Oh? How come you are not with him?” he grinned.
Mandy rolled her eyes as she removed the house key from her bunch of keys and went to hand it to him, “When Brian gets back tell him I won’t be needing this no more!”
Kian looked at the key as he took it from her and then looked at her with confusion written all over his face, “How come? How are you going to open the door?”
Mandy sighed, “I am moving out ok? It is bad enough that I have to see him at work, I don’t want to see him outside work too!”
“What’s going on?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.
“You can ask him yourself when he gets home!” she sighed, “I am going to get my stuff and I am outta here!”
She ran upstairs, packed her stuff together and ran back down. Kian quickly joined her at the hall when he heard her, “Where will you be going if he asks?”
Mandy just shrugged, “I haven’t got a fucking clue Kian, but I am sure I’ll find somewhere, don’t worry!” she sighed. She kissed his cheek and left. She got into her car and drove away, until she got to her final destination. She stayed in her car for a while, trying to pluck up the courage. She chewed on her fingernails for a while before she took a final sigh, got out of the car and walked bravely to the door.
She knocked on it and frowned when she saw the door opening.
“Mandy? What are you doing here?” gasped Nicky.
Mandy frowned, “Can I move back in for a while Nicky? I have nowhere else to go!” she sniffed.
“Yes of course you can, darling. You know you’re welcome in here whenever you want!” he smiled, putting his arm around her shoulders and walking her inside.
“ I won’t stay long here Nix. Only until I find a place to stay!” she sighed.
“You can stay for as long as you want babe. You know that. But just one question: I thought you were staying at Brian’s!” he said confused.
“That’s not a question!” she sighed.
Nicky gave her a meaningful look, “You know what I mean!”
Mandy just sighed, “We have had a bit of a disagreement and I have moved out, ok?”
“Awww no!” he pouted.
Mandy shrugged, “That’s the way life goes!”
“What happened?” he asked.
Mandy looked at him and hesitated; “I am not too sure how comfortable I feel about telling you!” she blushed.
“Come on Mandz! You can talk to me about anything. It’s only me!” he smiled encouragingly as he led her to the living room and made her sit on the sofa.
Mandy sighed and played with her bag, “Well, I was in a really bad way last night and I needed him. I really and truly needed him. He really wanted me too but he didn’t want to give into my advances because of my vulnerability and all that crap!” she explained, getting up and looking out the window.
Nicky looked at her from the sofa and nodded.
“But eventually he gave in. And when I woke up in the morning I couldn’t face him!” she frowned. She turned around and went back to sit on the sofa, hugging her arms around herself, “I shouldn’t have let it happen and I know it is my fault it did, coz I wouldn’t let it go, but I just couldn’t look at him anymore so I went to work really early before he woke up! Anyway, we had a huge row about it at work, and now…well…Here I am!”
“Can’t you just talk to him and sort it out?” he asked, trying to be as helpful as he could.
Mandy looked at him for a few seconds before she answered, “He called me a slapper!”
“Oh my god!” he gasped, “What did you do?”
“I slapped him!” she shrugged, “I suppose I am a slapper really. It is the second time I have slept with him and left!”
Nicky looked at her and thought about what she had just said,. He looked away and furrowed his eyebrows, “Twice you say?”
Mandy looked at him, “Yeah. Why?” she sighed.
Nicky sighed and shook his head, “Nothing!”
He smiled and put his hand on her arms, “NO matter what you did, Mandz, he does not have the right to call you a slapper!”
Mandy shrugged.
Nicky looked at her and smiled, “Why don’t you go up and have a nice long hot soak in the bath. It’ll make you feel better!”
Mandy smiled weakly and nodded, “Thanks Nicky!” she got up and kissed his cheek before walking upstairs. She run her bath and sunk into the tub, letting out a loud sigh as the water relaxed her.

Brian finally got home. He went into the living room and dropped the keys onto the table and looked at Kian and Rachel on the sofa. Kian’s hand was over her shoulder and their hands were linked together.
“hi guys!” he smiled at them,, “What’s up?”
Kian shrugged, “Just taking a breather before I load my van up with stuff!”
Brian nodded as he sat with them, “Is Mandy home yet?” he questioned, putting his feet up on the coffee table.
Kian lifted his bottom from the seat and dug out the key from his back pocket. He looked at Brian, sighed and handed it to him. Brian just looked at the key curiously and then looked back at Kian.
“What’s this?” he asked incredulously. He had a really bad feeling about this.
“Mandy’s key!” shrugged Kian, “She’s gone!”
“Gone? Gone where?” shrieked Brian.
Kian shrugged, “She’s moved out. Took her stuff with her!”
Brian sighed and leaned back on the sofa, “I suppose I should have seen that coming!”
“What’s going on Bri?” he asked, “I thought she was moving into my room, not moving out!”
“We had an argument!” mumbled Brian, “It was really stupid. It was about her leaving this morning after…well you know…”
Kian looked at him and nodded.
“And I called her a slapper!” he mumbled, chewing on his nails.
Kian quickly lunged forwards in his seat, “You what?” he shrieked, spluttering his drink back into his glass from his mouth.
Brian frowned, “I didn’t mean it. I just got angry. I mean, it is not the first time she has slept with me and left. And both times she initiated it!” He tried to justify himself.
Kian nodded.
“Any idea where she has gone?” he sighed.
Kian shrugged, “I did ask but she didn’t know either!”
Brian thought about it and straightened up, immediately thinking of where she could be, “Oh she knows.!” He muttered, “And I am sure I know too!”
He got up and grabbed his keys. Kian just stared at him.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“I am going to talk to her and try and knock some sense into her. Someone has to!” he mumbled walking off.