”
Tom nodded –time to tell the truth
“Helena used every single opportunity she had to belittle me, to question what you were doing with a loser like me and generally to make me feel that I was unworthy of you. she must be desperate to get even with you if she’s forgotten how much she detests me “
“Was it worse than you admitted ?”
“Yes “ Tom said “It was a rare occasion that I saw her and she didn’t make some snide point about me. When I rang her to tell her that you had given birth to Matthew her reply was something on the lines of she hoped he took after him mother in terms of looks and brains rather than his father”
Tina winched
“Why did you never tell me any of this ?”
“You have a blind spot when it comes to Helena – well you used to. I think this has been a horrible shock to you because you have finally seen her as a lot of people have seen her – as a prize winning evil piece of work “
Tina shook her head – she could never imagine Bette – as gentle and loving as she knew her to be – putting up with that level of abuse
“Why didn’t you slap her senseless ?”
“I would never hit a woman – she came as close as would ever do. I should have stood up to her. I am just
glad that you have seen what she is like “
Tina nodded “You can say that again “
“I just wanted to tell you to your face that she’s never going to use me against you . I know that I told Bette but I wanted to tell you. We might not want to live together but we have our boy there and he is always going to be a bond between us “
Tina smiled “ Thanks – you didn’t have to be as decent as you are being - I do appreciate it “
“I know that you two are not man hating lesbians but men can be good eggs you know “
“I know – I don’t want you to think that we are “
“it hurts me in ways that you will never know but I can see how much you love one another – and she is good for you”
Tina nodded “She is “
“Don’t let Helena poison what the two of you have “
Tina shook her head “She is not going to – I know that she has walked over me for as long as we can both remember but I am not going to let her spoil this for me “
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