‘It’s some app they’ve been working on,’ Miranda said, shutting the door of the dishwasher. ‘Don’t look so surprised. I’ve heard you on the phone late at night, presumably to Dad. What is it?’
He didn’t reply.
Miranda pointed a finger at him. ‘I’m sick of you keeping secrets from me. Having to find out that Jasmine was the spit of our mum and that they were already married.’
I vowed that, whatever happened, I would never allow my relationship with Holly to turn out like this. I would never keep secrets from her. I knew there were still things she hadn’t told me, but I was confident she would open up to me before too long.
‘I didn’t know about that,’ Zack replied.
‘Bullshit. You didn’t tell me Dad had fired Lewis either. You made it sound like he’d quit.’ She leaned across the table, her face inches from her husband’s. ‘What’s so secret about this app, eh? Give me that laptop.’
She snatched his computer and whirled away across the kitchen with it.
Zack jumped up and tried to get to her. ‘Fucking give that back.’
‘What are you going to do? Hit me?’
Before he could react, she ran from the kitchen, straight towards the downstairs toilet, darting inside and locking the door.
Charles reappeared. ‘One drop of snow and the entire— What’s going on? Zack?’
‘It’s Miranda. She took my laptop. I think she’s looking through my emails.’
‘What emails?’
‘There are emails in my inbox about… you know.’
‘You idiot!’
Charles marched towards the kitchen door, yelling Miranda’s name. He reached the downstairs toilet and banged on the door. ‘Miranda? Come out here, now.’
No response.
He changed tactics. ‘Sweetheart, come on. I know you’re upset about Lewis, but there’s no need to act out. Come out here and we can talk about it.’
‘Leave me alone,’ came the voice from the other side of the door.
We all watched this unfold from the kitchen. A dark cloud of thunder passed across Charles’s face and he switched back to thumping the door with his closed fist, making it shake on its hinges. ‘Get out here now or you’re going to be inbigtrouble.’
The door opened and Miranda came out like a bull released from its pen, barging past her dad and back into the kitchen. She brandished the laptop, which she had closed, and– to myamazement– threw it at Zack. It hit him in the chest, making him grunt with pain, then clattered to the floor before he could catch it.
She rounded on him– and on Charles, too, who had followed her, looking murderous.
‘How could you?’ she screamed.
Zack exchanged a desperate look with Charles then slumped into his seat.
‘You weren’t supposed to find out like this,’ he said.
‘What is it?’ Holly asked.
‘Well?’ Miranda demanded of her husband. ‘Are you going to tell them, or shall I?’
23
December 2024
Zack
