Baby Be Mine

in the bath, naked from the waist up.
    ‘Johnny? JOHNNY!’ I run to him and feel his pulse. It’s there. I shake him roughly. ‘Johnny, wake up!’
    He moans and I feel like slapping his face – hard – again and again. He half opens his bloodshot eyes.
    I sink down on the floor, full of despair tinged with relief. The anger, for now, has diluted.
    ‘What are you doing?’ I whisper.
    He stares at me, but says nothing. He’s still in a drug-fuelled daze.
    ‘Barney is in the house.’ Tears fill my eyes. ‘We can’t stay here.’
    He shakes his head, but still words fail to come.
    ‘I’ll call the doctor.’ I get to my feet.
    ‘Meg . . .’ he says in a croaky voice, reaching out his hand to me.
    I stare at him sadly for a moment before leaving.
    Bess is standing on the landing looking alarmed when I re-emerge.
    ‘He’s alive,’ I say as I walk towards her. I nod at my bedroom door and we go back inside. ‘We’ll have to leave,’ I tell her.
    She says nothing.
    ‘I can’t put Barney at risk like this.’ And then the anger returns. ‘How dare he!’ I glance quickly at Barney, who’s still engrossed in his DVD, and as I look back at Bess I’m fervently shaking my head, tears in my eyes.
    ‘We could go to a hotel?’ she says hopefully. ‘Until it all blows over?’
    ‘Yes,’ I agree. ‘That’s a good plan.’

 
  Chapter 41  
    It’s not until Monday morning that it occurs to me that Joseph hasn’t called. It’s the first time I’ve thought of him since Saturday night, but before I rouse enough energy to care, something else happens.
    ‘Meg, you must ring me as soon as you can . . .’
    I automatically jump to the conclusion that this voicemail message from Lena is to do with Johnny, but I soon find out that it’s regarding his son.
    ‘I got wind of it last night,’ she informs me. ‘I tried to call you, but your phone was switched off and Johnny didn’t know which hotel you’d gone to.’
    It’s what I’ve always feared. A journalist has found out about Barney and they’re breaking it in one of America’s biggest tabloids.
    ‘Is there anything we can do?’ I ask.
    ‘No. It’s already been published.’
    ‘In this morning’s paper?’ My tone is incredulous.
    ‘Yes. And tomorrow, it will be everywhere . . .’
    After I hang up, I stare at Bess, shell-shocked.
    ‘What is it?’ she asks.
    ‘The press know about Barney.’
    She gasps. ‘Barney? I thought that phone conversation was about Johnny!’
    ‘No.’ I shake my head, gravely. ‘I’m afraid our secret is out.’
    We have to go back to the house because it’s the only place we’ll be safe – for now. But I know I have to come up with a long-term plan, and staying with Johnny and his screwed-up girlfriend is no longer an option.
    We took the Panamera when we left yesterday, and I’ve been thankful because all the paps know Davey’s car. However, when we pull around the corner to Johnny’s gates, I deeply regret my decision. There must be thirty paparazzi photographers and journalists all camped out there, and we have no protection. Our windows are tinted, but not blacked out.
    ‘Cover Barney’s face!’ I shout at Bess. She starts to scramble into the back seat. ‘No, wait,’ I change my mind. That could look even worse. ‘Oh, God,’ I moan. ‘We’re just going to have to go in with our heads held high.’
    They don’t pay too much attention at first, but when they realise that this is the car belonging to Johnny’s former lover and his illegitimate lovechild, the pack becomes frenzied.
    ‘Mummy!’ Barney wails as bulbs start going off like strobe lights in his face.
    I beep my horn to get them to move, but they won’t. They pound on the windows, screaming questions and taking photos, until suddenly the gates open and Johnny’s security team – which seems to have quadrupled overnight – swarms out and pushes back the crowd so we can slowly move forward into sanctuary.
    ‘Holy shit,’ Bess murmurs under her breath.
    But I know – God, do I know – that this is just the start of it.
    I don’t bother to park in the garage, pulling up instead right in front of the door. I clutch Barney to me protectively as we hurry into the house. I’m close to tears because he’s distraught and has no idea what’s going on or how his life has just changed dramatically. There are people milling about in the living room who I don’t even know. I regard them warily, then suddenly Lena