Kimberley Chambers 3-Book Collection: The Schemer, The Trap, Payback. Kimberley Chambers

single day and I can ring you at weekends and stuff. If I work hard, me mum might even let me come home to visit you as well. I’m sure Jacko can sort it so I can stay at his for a week or whatever at a time.’

      Stephanie felt as though her heart had just been sliced in two. Barry was her first true love and now, after an extremely short but happy romance, he was about to be cruelly snatched away from her.

      Barry tilted Steph’s chin towards him so he could look her in the eyes. ‘I need to ask you something and you must be truthful with me.’

      Biting her lip to stop it wobbling like a distressed child’s, Stephanie nodded.

      ‘Swear on your life that you’ll wait for me, Steph.’

      ‘Cross my heart and hope to die, but you must swear to me that you’ll never go out with any other girls,’ Steph croaked.

      Barry wasn’t the tearful type. His mother had brought him up to be tough; even from a very early age, he had forced himself not to cry because of the good hiding he received in return on the odd occasions he had. For once, though, Barry could not suppress his emotions. Staring at Steph, he wiped his tears away with the cuff of his jacket. ‘I swear to you, Steph, that I will wait for you. I love you, girl, and I always will.’

      CHAPTER TWELVE

      The days leading up to Barry’s departure were very emotional for Stephanie. Every spare second she had, she spent with her boyfriend, but even though they did some fun things together, there was always a tinge of sadness in the air.

      ‘So, when’s lover boy leaving? Has his flight been booked yet?’ Angela asked.

      ‘He’s flying out on Monday morning. I dunno what I’m gonna do, Ange. I love him so much,’ Steph replied, her eyes welling up, as they regularly seemed to lately.

      Angela smirked. She was thrilled that Barry was emigrating. In her eyes, he was far too much of a catch to be with Steph. Even though she had Jason, Barry’s generosity towards her sister, and the way he looked at her so adoringly, always made Angela want to vomit. ‘You’ll meet someone else, you know. There are plenty of good-looking boys out there.’

      Stephanie looked at Angela in horror. She probably didn’t mean to be so bloody infuriating, but she really was at times. ‘I don’t want no one else, Ange. I’m waiting for Barry and he’s gonna wait for me.’

      ‘Have you done it with him yet?’ Angela asked, nosily.

      ‘No. I really do fancy him, but I’m scared of doing it.’

      ‘Don’t be scared. I’ve done it with Jason and it’s brill. He’s better at it than Jacko was.’

      ‘You shouldn’t be sleeping with lots of boys at your age, Ange. You don’t wanna get a bad name for yourself.’

      ‘I haven’t slept with lots. I’ve only done it with two. You should stop being a prude and try it, Steph. It’s well good, but don’t be surprised if you don’t like it the first time, ’cause I didn’t. It hurt.’

      Stephanie digested her sister’s words, but said no more on the subject. Unbeknown to her family, she had arranged to spend the night with Barry. His mum and Jake were holding a big leaving bash over in South London this evening, and they and Barry’s sister were all staying in a hotel and wouldn’t be home until tomorrow. As luck would have it, Tammy’s parents were also away for the weekend. Steph had begged her mum to let her stay over at her friend’s house, and had promised that Tammy’s older sister would be there to keep an eye on them. Pam had been suspicious at first and had wanted to know the ins and outs of a duck’s arse, but after learning that Tammy’s sister’s boyfriend was a policeman, and believing Steph’s lie that Barry would be at the leaving party with his mother, Pam had allowed her to go ahead.

      ‘Right, I’m off now,’ Steph said to Angela, as she zipped up her overnight bag.

      ‘You ain’t really staying round Tam’s, are you?’

      Stephanie loved her little sister, but knew deep down she could never truly trust her. ‘Yes I am! What makes you say that?’

      ‘Because I saw Barry’s mum and her boyfriend leave earlier. His sister and that Indian boyfriend of hers were with ’em an’ all, but your Barry weren’t.’

      ‘Barry’s been to work. He’s meeting his mum at the party later,’ Steph replied, producing the only viable excuse she could think of.

      Angela laughed out loud. Steph was lying, she had it written all over her bright red face. ‘You just enjoy yourself, and don’t worry about Mum. She was still at work when they all went out earlier and I won’t say nothing to her, I promise.’

      ‘You’d better bloody not,’ Steph said, glaring at her sister.

      ‘I won’t!’ Angela said, honestly. Had circumstances been different, she would have been tempted to grass Stephanie up but, seeing as her sister’s relationship was all but over anyway, there was little point in doing so.

      Barry sighed wistfully as he put the two fillet steaks into his mother’s battered-looking old frying pan. He’d worked his last shift at Roman Road Market today, and his boss had handed him a fifty-pound note as he’d left. ‘You’re a good lad, Bal. Definitely the most reliable I’ve ever had working for me. If and when you come back from Spain, they’ll always be a job here waiting for you,’ Steve had told him.

      Barry checked that the steak was sizzling nicely, then washed the salad. He had quite a flair for cooking, due to his mother’s inability to do so, and even though he would never admit it to anyone, in case it spoiled his street cred, he rather enjoyed it. He looked at his watch. He was meeting Steph at the corner of the road at seven and they would then do a bit of garden hopping for the very last time. He couldn’t wait to hold her in his arms all night long, and had even changed his sheets so that the bed smelt nice and fresh. If tonight was the night when he and Steph made love for the very first time, he wanted everything to be as perfect as it possibly could be.

      Pam and Cath were tucking into a plate of Scotch eggs when Linda walked into the lounge wearing an old tracksuit.

      ‘Ain’t you going out tonight?’ Pam asked in surprise. It was unheard of for Lin to sit indoors on a Saturday evening, and Pam’s first thought was that her sister must be ill.

      ‘Nah, I don’t fancy it. I thought I might just stay at home and have a drink with yous two.’

      ‘Don’t you feel well?’ Pam asked, concerned.

      ‘I feel fine. I’m just gonna shoot round the offie and get some lagers. Do yous two want anything?’ Lin asked.

      ‘Get us another bottle of Liebfraumilch and some of them Twiglets,’ Cathy said, handing Lin a five-pound note.

      ‘And get me one of them Double Decker bars,’ Pam yelled out, as Lin shut the front door.

      ‘Do you reckon she’s ill?’ Cathy asked her pal.

      ‘Nah, she ain’t ill, but I’ll bet you a pound to a piece of shit she’s done something wrong.’

      Stephanie Crouch felt like the Queen as she wiped her mouth with the serviette Barry handed her. Her boyfriend had treated her to a slap-up three-course meal and had laid the table like they did in posh restaurants. They had eaten Heinz tomato soup with crusty rolls for starters, fillet steak and salad for main and chocolate mousse for their dessert. They had also shared a bottle of fizzy white wine and Stephanie felt extremely grown-up as Barry topped her glass up again.

      ‘Ain’t it romantic, Bal, sitting ’ere like this? The meal was so lovely. I ain’t no good at cooking and wouldn’t have a clue how to do the steak like you did it.’

      Barry laughed. ‘When we move in together, I’ll teach you how to cook properly. Then we can take it in turns. You can cook one day and I’ll cook the next.’