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“Okay.”
All the air rushes out of my lungs. I was expecting that to turn into a fight.
“What?” he asks, reading the shock on my face. “I’m not going to stop you seeing your mum, Em.”
“But you’ll stop me from leaving you and going home.”
“Completely different things.”
“Why?” I ask, holding his eyes over the top of my mug.
“Because I can’t protect you when you’re not beside me.”
“Bullshit,” I spit. “I’m not at risk. The only person I need protecting from is you, but it seems I’m the only one who understands just how dangerous you are.”
“Trust me, Hellcat, plenty of people know how dangerous I am. But they also know that I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Pretty sure you already have.”
He blows out a breath, running his fingers through his hair.
“I’m sorry I lied to you.”
My face remains blank, needing more. So much fucking more.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about your mum.”
Still, I don’t give him an inch.
“I’m sorry our parents manipulated both of us into this.”
Shaking my head, I keep my eyes locked on his. “You have no idea, do you?”
His lips part, ready to argue, but no words come out for the longest time.
“No, I have no fucking idea, Emmie.”
I wince when he slams his laptop down hard enough to crack the screen before he storms from the kitchen, through the living area until his bedroom door slams shut.
Well, okay then.
“I still want to go and see my mum,” I shout after him.
* * *
The drive to the hospital is just about as agonising as it was yesterday.
Theo doesn’t talk. At all.
And as nice as that is, it’s fucking infuriating as well.
I lost count of the number of times I went to ask him a question just to break the unbearable silence. But in the end, I figured that if he wanted to talk to me, then he would, so I just crossed my arms over my chest, turned away from him the best I could, and kept my lips firmly shut as I stared out of the window.
Mary, the nurse who was at reception when we arrived yesterday, is leaving Mum’s room when we walk down the corridor. She smiles at me briefly before her eyes lock on Theo’s.
I don’t bother containing my eye roll as I continue walking and somewhat rudely push past her so I can get into Mum’s room. I’ve got zero interest in watching her eye-fuck Theo.
I have no idea what happens behind me. All I do know is that it involves Theo’s rumbling laugh.
