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“I get it. You were shit scared. It’s one of the worst things a person can feel. But you’re the adult, she’s the hormonal, grieving teenager who needs the people in her life to recognize that and handle her. Got it? Put your own feelings aside to help her with hers. That’s part of being a parent, and I hate to break it to you but that’s what you are now. So sort yourself out on your own time and be what she needs in this moment.”

Silence throbbed. Shock ran through him. He sat down on the edge of the sofa, hating how lost he was. How much he wished Chloe was at his side, helping him do this in person. Hating that he knew she was forever out of his reach. He’d asked her to stay, he’d begged her. He’d offered her millions to bloody stay and she’d left faster than she could even say ‘Merry Fucking Christmas’.

“Fine,” he ground out, ignoring that particular memory and trying to do exactly what she’d suggested. “Can I talk to her?”

“Are you going to be calm?”

“Yes, I’m going to be fucking calm.”

“Do better than that,” she said under her breath, in a way that made him feel about an inch tall. God, none of this was Chloe’s fault but he was taking it out on her just because she’d walked away from him. And maybe that was the crux of it? Ellie had run away to see Chloe. If Chloe had still been here, this never would have happened. He ground his teeth, ignoring the feeling that he was missing something important, the black hole of information in the centre of his being. “I’ll go get her,” Chloe said.

“Chloe,” he murmured, in response, but the response was muffled, like her phone was by her side. He could hear footsteps, and a minute later, Ellie came on the line.

“Hi, Dimitrios.”

His nostrils flared as he exhaled, his whole body slumping at the sound of her voice. “Ellie,” he murmured, glad he at least didn’t sound angry.

“Hi.” She sounded so young. So heartbreakingly young and lost.

“Hi, Korítsi mou,” he said. My girl. It came so easily to use the term of endearment.

“I’m really sorry,” she whispered.

He closed his eyes, trying to stop his heart from breaking. He had actually thought he would be angry with her, despite the promise Chloe had extracted. But hearing Ellie’s voice was like a punch in the gut.

“Honey, listen to me,” he said, urgently. “This isn’t your fault. None of it. You’re an incredible young lady but you’re still young. I know I’m doing a bad job of this, I know I’m probably messing everything up. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, if I’m honest. But I do know that I want you to be happy and well, that I need to do better. Can you just give me a chance to do that? To work out how to be…everything you deserve?”

A sob.

He dragged his hand over his eyes, pressed his fingertips to his brow. “I’m sorry.”

Another sob.

God, he couldn’t feel any worse.

“Can I come and see you tomorrow? Bring you home?”

A muffled word he didn’t quite hear. He waited while she sobbed again and then said, “Yeah. Tomorrow.”

His heart tightened in his chest; his breath hurt. “Great. I’ll come in the morning. Can I talk to Chloe again?”

“Yeah. Wait a second.” More scuffling and then, “Chloe?”

Her voice, as if from a long way away.

“She said she can’t come to the phone right now but that you can text if it’s urgent, otherwise she’ll see you when you come to get me. Okay?”

He supposed it would have to be. He disconnected the call with a strange, yawning sense of uncertainty in his gut, and he barely slept at all that night.

“Chloe! It’s snowing!”

Chloe blinked her eyes open reluctantly. “What time is it?” she mumbled, wiping the back of her hand over her mouth, trying to focus on her clock.

“Like six or something. But it’s snowing and it’s snowed all night, I think, because the trees are covered. Come see, come see.”

She sat up straight and forced her eyes to open properly. “Okay.” She pushed the duvet back and stepped out of bed, contemplated brushing her teeth before deciding there was no way Ellie could wait. Besides, her excitement was a good thing—and highly contagious. She followed the young girl to the window, with its beautiful view of Barnes Common. The snow had indeed fallen thick and fast, and covered the ground with almost an inch of snow.

“Beautiful,” she murmured, hand lazily stroking the teen’s back.