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I looked to Scottie, and he shrugged.
“Adaline got a text on her phone and said she needed to do a bit of work on her laptop. She never usually stays so when she set up her laptop we said nothing. Adaline was sitting where you are now. She put her headphones in and typed away at her keyboard.” Clare said.
Dread filled my heart, ice replaced the blood that usually pumped through it.
“Darren and I carried on our discussion we were having when Adaline was working on her computer. We spoke quietly, but she couldn’t hear us with her headphones in her ears.” Clare said.
“What were you arguing about?” Scottie asked carefully. I couldn’t look at them and wished for a moment I couldn’t hear the next thing they said.
“We were arguing over how to spend your next instalment,” Darren said.
I could have wept at their stupidity. Now I wanted to know what they meant about Adaline paying her back.
“How much did you owe her, you said she didn’t want to be paid back?” I asked.
“Seventy grand, but she thinks its fifty,” Clare said.
“Holy fuck,” Scottie said.
“Why does she thinks it's less, I don’t understand?” I asked. My head hurt with my fury, I needed straight answers and to find her.
“She thinks the money she won in her competitions was fifty grand, but it was seventy grand. We knocked off twenty grand and spent it, she wouldn’t know, she was a kid.”
“What competitions?”
“She is a child genius, we travelled around the UK entering her into competitions, she won them all. We thought twenty grand was a fair cut of the winnings. We spent it quickly and then Darren got retired off for ill health. We got used to the money and over the years spent it all. When she asked for the money on her fifteenth birthday so she could select her university, we had to own up.” Clare said.
“You’re not fit to be her parents. You should be ashamed,” I said.
“Ashamed?” Scottie spat. “You should be taught a fucking lesson, you’re evil people. I can’t stay here any longer.” He said and left the house, slamming the front door on its hinges. I could see him pacing up and down the path. My legs refused to move my body out of their sight.
“There will be no more money,” I murmured.
“You promised,” Clare shrieked and hauled her massive body out of the chair, her cigarette hanging from her lip.
“I couldn’t give a fuck. If I could retrieve the funds, I’ve already given you, I would.” I got up, anger fuelling my movements. “She made me promise not to give you any money the first time we visited. I should have listened to her, but I failed her. Just like you two have. I just hope she forgives me. I don’t hold out much hope for you when I tell her you owe her seventy grand.”
The front door opened and hit the wall, Scottie stomped up the hallway and stood next to me.
“Let’s go, we need to find her,” he said.
I took one more pitiful look at Adaline’s parents and made a silent vow never to encourage her to come and see them. If she didn’t want to come, I’d be the first to take her out for the day instead. I left the house, escorted by Scottie who was spoiling for a fight.
Callum
Three long days had passed since I last saw Adaline. I didn’t know what to do with my hands. They flexed with frustration. I wanted to create something beautiful for her shop. I wanted to touch her skin and hear her sigh. I wanted to cause harm to Adaline’s parents, which I was ashamed about. I’d never wanted to hurt anyone in my life like I wanted to cause them pain. I missed taking Buster for a walk with Adaline, talking about rubbish and nonsense. I missed having her hand in mine.
I missed her so damn much.
Adaline was fine, I was told. She spoke to my mother about the gala ball. She talked to Steph and Elliott, and she talked to Felicity. Scottie and I were frozen out. She didn’t turn her phone on let alone answer my text messages. Elliott and I talked about me coming to work for the firm again. Having Adaline in my life had given me the confidence to agree that I would. Yesterday I attended my first board meeting, and nothing disastrous happened. I had Adaline to thank for that, her voice was permanently in my head talking me through the meeting.
I straightened my bow tie for the hundredth time and looked to Buster who whined at Adaline’s veranda doors. He missed her too.
I tried to get out of going to the charity ball, but as a trustee, I had to attend, I should attend. Scottie, Felicity, Steph, and Elliott would be there, I hoped we were sharing a table. At some stage, Adaline must have sneaked back into the flat. Buster had a ball to play with, and the wooden table plan I made for her was gone. I couldn’t have cared less who was going unless Adaline would be there. She had made it clear from the first night we shared dinner that she wouldn’t attend. I wished that she would go. Steph had confirmed an hour ago that Adaline had been at the venue all day making sure everything was perfect but was not staying.
My plan to beg forgiveness nosedived. I would leave straight after the speeches.
I collected my keys and phone, made sure Buster had everything he needed and left the flat. I never used the back stairs, always preferring to walk through the shop. Checking once more that everything was finished and ready for her when she wanted to open the store, I stepped outside and locked up. As soon as she came home, we could organise the opening. Felicity was over excited that Adaline had told her she could be shop manager. This simple fact gave me hope that Adaline would agree to see me soon.
