Page 155 of Brighter Together

“And food.”

“Don’t push it.”

“You owe me.”

I stop walking.

Nick gets two more steps before noticing.

He turns.

“What?”

Those words.

You owe me.

I hear them in Ella’s voice from yesterday.

Everything is always for the family.

The least you can do.

Nick sees something change in me.

His expression becomes serious.

“Bad choice of words?”

“Yeah.”

“Sorry.”

I shake my head.

“Not your fault.”

We start walking again.

“I need to see her.”

“I gathered that from the way you’ve checked your phone approximately fourteen times since we left Fellside.”

“I have not.”

“You have.”

I take it out again anyway.

No messages.

Nick laughs.

“Hopeless.”

“Coffee.”

“And a Greggs bacon butty.”