AllFreeNovel
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“Why are you here?” I ask Craig.
“I came to see my daughter. Why’shehere?”
“None of your business,” I say.
“I think it is my business if you invite people like him into the house.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
His expression sours. “Come on, Cerys, everyone knows what the Blue Phoenix guys are like. One of them overdosed earlier this year.”
“Are you suggesting I’m allowing a drug addict into the house? Don’t be ridiculous,” I say in a low voice.
“Fine, where is Ella? He said I had to wait for you before I went upstairs which is a bit fucking cheeky when this is partly my house.”
Liam walks in with two green mugs and sets one on the table in front of Craig. “Everything okay?” he asks.
Liam doesn’t share my discomfort. Craig is a few inches shorter and stockier, and coiled like a spring ready to snap at Liam, but Liam barely looks at Craig. Their lack of engagement is a good thing, although I wish Liam would find a t-shirt.
“Ella isn’t here,” I tell Craig, “I’m collecting her from a friend’s in about half an hour.”
“What?” he growls. “Whose house? How long has she...?” Realisation crosses his face. “Oh, I see, you’re dumping Ella at a friend’s, so you can be with him.” He turns to Liam. “I guess my daughter hanging around annoys you. An extra part you don’t want.”
“You couldn’t be further from the truth. Liam likes Ella,” I retort.
With those words, I trigger a chain reaction I never dreamed possible.
“I’ll leave you for a moment,” says Liam to me, continuing to act as if Craig isn’t in the room, and heads toward the stairs.
“I don’t want him around my daughter.”
“Hypocrite,” I snap.
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“It’s two weeks since you saw Ella. Why are you here?”
“I’ve been busy—working hard to earn money for Ella.”
I sweep a gaze over his clothes. His smart jeans and designer trainers would’ve cost as much as a week’s groceries. “Right, sure. Too busy for your daughter?”
“I’m here now, aren’t I?”
“You should’ve called first. We need to organise days for you to see Ella. You can’t just turn up. We have plans today.”
“We?” he says narrowing his eyes.
“Yes, we. Me and Ella.”
“So the half-naked man in your house is a casual thing?”
“Seriously, Craig, my relationship with Liam is none of your business. Our relationship ended almost six months ago.”
“I came all the way across the city to see Ella. I’ll wait here for you to bring her home.”
“You can visit Ella next weekend. This is too short notice.”
His lips thin. “What the fuck?”
