Hi to all my readers. Sorry about the long delay between chapters but life got in the way in the form of the premature arrival of my new Granddaughter, who is now doing great.
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Janey sat on the edge of the bench sipping her orange juice while Ren stood between her knees watching her as he drank his coffee. When she had finished her juice he took the glass from her hand and placed it on the bench beside his cup before lowering his head to kiss her deeply.
"Knock it off you pair. Didn't you get enough last night," Brad said with a grin as he glanced their way at Janey's throaty little moan of pleasure.
Ren stopped kissing Janey to lift his head and glance at Brad where he sat at the table feeding Nicky. "I'll be away for a week so I'm just storing up enough to last while I'm away," Ren said with a quick smiling look at Janey.
"Any excuse is better than none I suppose," 'Tanaya said with a laugh beside Brad.
"May I point out we weren't the ones who used all the hot water this morning?" Ren pointed out with a chuckle.
'Tanaya glanced at Brad with a slightly embarrassed smile as she remembered what they had done to forget about turning off the shower.
"Daddaddaddad!" Nicky chuckled around a mouthful of toast.
"You going to pick on Dad too are you?" Brad asked him with a smile.
"Yummy," Nicky said as he offered Brad the piece of toast he held in his hand.
Brad looked at the well-chewed edge and pretended to eat some before making sounds of enjoyment.
"Yum, yum," Brad agreed. He glanced at Ren and Janey and shook his head when he saw Ren was kissing her once again.
The shrill ring of Janey's mobile interrupted them and Ren lifted his head to glance at it where it sat beside them on the bench. He frowned and tossed it to Brad. "You answer that would you?"
Brad looked at the screen of the phone he had caught before holding it to his ear and pushing the call answer button.
"Hallo, Janey's phone, Brad speaking." His face was expressionless as he listened to the caller speaking.
"Janey's busy at the moment. I'll let her know you called and she can call you back at her convenience," Brad said evenly.
"Here I'll talk to them," Janey said holding her hand out towards Brad.
Brad glanced at Ren and shrugged as he handed Janey the phone. "I tried mate," Brad said apologetically.
"Hallo?" Janey said holding the phone to her ear.
"What are you doing still there?" Adam demanded angrily.
"I said I'd talk to you when you got back Adam," Janey forced herself to say evenly.
"I didn't sleep last night worrying about you being there. You can't trust them. How many times do I have to tell you that? And Renford still sees you as his property. You do realise that don't you? As long as you go there he'll try to sucker you back in ..." Adam continued worriedly.
"Adam, I've heard all this before. I'll talk ..." Janey broke into his tirade.
"Please go home where I know you'll be safe. I'm going out of my mind with worry ..." Adam's voice started to get louder and Janey held the phone out from her ear with an unhappy frown.
Seeing Janey's growing unease and distress Ren took the phone from her unresisting fingers and raised it to his ear as he cleared his throat noisily. "Excuse me Adam but I believe Janey said she will talk to you when you return ..." Ren paused to listen for a moment then frowned with annoyance. "... Yes I know exactly what she said to you last night because she was with me when she took your call. Speak to her when you return," Ren said in a commanding tone before ending the call and turning the phone off.
"How dare you!" Janey said angrily as she made a grab for her phone but Ren tossed it onto the table and trapped her on the bench with his arms and body.
"He was upsetting you," Ren said calmly.
"I don't care! That is my phone and he called to talk to me. Who do you think you are deciding who I can talk to?" Janey demanded angrily.
Ren felt the blood rush in his head as his anger built; the roar in his ears deafened him momentarily before he brought his temper back under control. He leant in close to Janey, his rage showing clearly on his face and deep in his eyes.
Janey pushed at his shoulders, her own anger giving her courage against the rage on his face. Neither of them were aware of Brad and 'Tanaya taking Nicky from the room.
"I can talk to whoever I want to!" Janey declared angrily as her mind raced wildly. Is this where he starts treating me like Hawk did? He won't, he won't, Gabriel isn't Hawk. He's nothing like him.
Ren slammed his fists down onto the bench either side of her making her jump nervously without intending to, "You will not talk to Adam on the phone while we are together ..."
"YOU DON'T OWN ME! YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHO I CAN AND CAN'T TALK TO!" Janey yelled in outraged fright.
Ren took a deep breath as he stepped back from where she sat on the bench. He watched as she slid from the bench and moved to put more space between them. Ren couldn't help but feel that once again another man was coming between them as he took a deep trembling breath.
"I'm sick of ..." his voice trailed off for a few seconds. "We're through. This relationship between us is poison," Ren said tightly before turning and walking from the kitchen.
Janey took a deep breath as she struggled to understand what had just happened. One moment Ren had been kissing her and then the next everything seemed to dissolve into an awful mess. She attempted to take a deep breath but her throat seemed to close over and something was pressing hard against her chest, so hard it hurt to breathe.
Tears filled her eyes but she brushed them from her lashes angrily with the back of her hand, unable to make sense of what her mind was trying to tell her.
Her hand hurt and she looked down to where she held her mobile clenched tightly in her fist; she turned her hand so she could see the screen and a horrible wave of grief washed over her. If only Adam hadn't called. If only she hadn't turned the phone on earlier this morning. If only she had told Adam it was over between them before this.
* * * * *
Janey folded the last of Nicky's clothes and put it in the bag she used when she took him to visit his father. She closed the zipper up and then sat on the bed disheartened. She'd had no energy, no drive to do anything since Ren told her it was over between them.
"Need a hand out to the car with anything?" Jim asked from the doorway.
Janey turned her head to look at her father. "I'm right thanks," she said quietly.
Jim gave his daughter one last thoughtful look before heading back the way he had come; he knew something was wrong but Janey had said nothing to either him or her mother.
Janey sighed and glanced around the room to make sure she had not missed anything before getting to her feet and reaching for her overnight bag and the bag of clothes for Nicky. She hefted them and carried them outside to her car, put them in the back and headed back inside for the remainder of the things she intended to take with them.
Marina was in the kitchen washing Nicky's face and hands with a washcloth when Janey walked into the room.
"Everything in the car?" Marina asked.
"Everything except for Nicky and myself," Janey said evenly.
"I'll carry Nicky to the car for you. That way I get a good-bye cuddle," Marina said with a smile and a kiss on Nicky's cheek.
"You want to go see Daddy?" Janey asked her son.
