Escape for the Summer by Ruth Saberton

fault.” Tom sauntered to the sofa and picked up the Sky control. The arrogance of this gesture was compounded by his following words. “Be honest, Andi, if you’d been more committed to our relationship this would never have happened.”
    And then Andi saw red: glorious, bright, furious scarlet. How dare he blame her? How dare he! Almost before her brain could figure out what was happening she was diving into the cupboard under the sink and pulling out bin bags. Seconds later she was in the wardrobe stuffing Tom’s designer gear into them. Turnbull & Asser shirts rubbed shoulders with Gaultier jackets, while Hugo Boss boxers were given a good kicking by Tommy Hilfiger socks. Then she stormed into the bathroom, swept all his products into the mix and dropped his new TAG Heuer watch down the loo. As far as Andi was concerned money down the bog was exactly what that latest ridiculous status symbol represented.
    “What the hell are you doing, you crazy bitch? My bloody watch!”
    Tom charged past and plunged his hand into the toilet bowl. Andi stood back and watched as he swirled his hand around in Bloo loo freshener. When he surfaced he looked like an extra from Braveheart .
    “Pack your things,” she ordered. “Anything you don’t take I’ll put out for the dustmen.”
    “Don’t worry, I’m out of here with pleasure,” Tom snarled as he crashed around the flat stuffing his belongings into bags. “I should have left months ago.”
    Andi resisted pointing out that he wasn’t leaving so much as being thrown out. Packing finished, Tom dithered by the front door just in case she might have a change of heart. No such luck. He’d smashed that into pieces long ago.
    “You’re making a big mistake,” he said.
    Andi held out her hand for his door keys. Her biggest mistake was wasting nearly two years of her life on him and thinking they might have a future. Men only ever let you down. She wouldn’t ever make that error again.
    “Face it, Andi,” Tom called over his shoulder, as he lugged his bags out of the door. “You’ll never find anyone like me again.”
    “I hope you’re right,” Andi said fervently. “To meet two lying, cheating narcissists in one lifetime would be very bad luck indeed.”
    Tom’s features twisted into an ugly expression. Why had she never noticed just how close together his eyes were before? Were his lips always so thin? Who was this man?
    “You’ll regret speaking to me like that,” he spat, as with eyes narrowed and glinting with malice he humped his bags through the doorway. “And don’t think this is the end of it, either. I’ve got a few things up my sleeve, or rather on my hard drive, that I’m sure you’d rather stayed there. I’m not afraid to show everyone what you’re really like, Miss Oh-So-High-and-Mighty Perfect Accountant!”
    Something in his tone of voice scraped a cold finger of unease down Andi’s spine.
    “What’s that supposed to mean?” she demanded.
    Tom smirked. “Wouldn’t you like to know? Maybe I’ll let you find out in my own time? Let’s just say I have some very happy memories of our time together.”
    Andi gripped the doorframe so tightly her knuckles glowed through her skin. If he was alluding to what she thought he was alluding to, then Tom was even lower than the worms.
    “That was between us,” she whispered. “That was private!”
    “And the operative word there is was,” Tom laughed, a harsh mirthless sound. “After all, Andi, like you say, it’s over. You’ve thrown me out without even giving us a second chance.” He shrugged. “Well, it’s your loss. Without me you’re nothing! Just a pathetic, boring, crap-in-bed accountant who lives in Clapham. And that’s all you’ll ever be.”
    And with this parting shot he was gone, sauntering out of the apartment block without so much as a care in the world.
    How dare he? When he had cheated and lied and ripped her off and threatened her? Andi was furious!
    “I’m not an