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‘We’d better get inside then,’ says Finn, grinning.
‘How’s your ankle?’ Finn asks.
‘A lot better today,’ I tell him. It’s hard not to call him Daddy, but I control myself. ‘Swelling’s gone right down. Just got a nasty purple bruise there now. And I’ve taken the bandage off my hand too. Just a boo-boo. I’ll live.’
‘Well, that’s good to hear. You’re being a very brave girl about this. I’m proud of you.’
It’s weird. Now that I’m about to leave, I feel like we’re getting on better than ever. I was even enjoying that dinner date, up until the point he effectively told me to leave his life forever.
Why is life so complicated?
You finally find a guy you like, who’s the Daddy you always dreamed of meeting, and there’s like, a thousand reasons you shouldn’t be together.
‘Strawberries,’ I say, looking at the stack of fresh, fluffy pancakes on the counter, with a generous pile of berries and cream on top of each one. I sigh. I love strawberries so much I swear sometimes it makes me cry.
‘Can’t send you off without a decent breakfast,’ says Finn, taking a seat opposite me. He takes Mr. Squishy from me and sits him up on the counter, as though he’s joining us for breakfast, and my heart swells with joy.
Shame you have to send me off at all, you evil, gorgeous, pancake-making poo-poo head.
‘Now listen,’ says Finn, ‘there’s one more thing you need to know. Before you head off.’ He cuts into his pancake and lifts a huge forkful up to his mouth. ‘When your old man died, he had quite a hefty inheritance to leave you, what with his line of work, and your mom’s life insurance, and the cottage.’
I scrunch up my nose. ‘I already told you, didn’t I? Ispentmy inheritance, setting up my fashion business and paying a year upfront on my apartment in New York. Anyway, how come you seem to know all about my dad’s personal finances?’
‘All I know is youdidn’tspend your inheritance. You spent thefirst installmentof your inheritance. Your father’s will had a very strict stipulation in it, to only give you a fraction of the total amount at first. So Chris wouldn’t take the whole damn lot in one fell swoop.’
‘There’s more money? Does Violet know?’ Feels like everyone knows every detail of my life except me.
‘Violet has been… safeguarding it for you. She hasn’t taken the rest of her inheritance, either, just in case Chris came after her. But she has access to it, in a high-security bank vault somewhere — and I’m going to suggest she transfers some of it to you now, to help you get set up. And the first thing I think you should do, once you’ve got yourself a place to stay, is hire a couple bodyguards.’
I bite my lip. ‘Bodyguards? How much money are we talking about here?’
‘That’s not information that I’m privy to,’ says Finn. ‘But it’s obviously enough to warrant hiding it from Chris until the time is right.’
‘What makes you think Chris won’t just take it off me the second it comes into my account?’
‘The second it comes into your account, you spend it on a place to stay and some bodyguards, and then there’ll be nothing left for that schmuck.’
‘Right.’ I’m feeling the frustration start to rise in me all over again. ‘And then what, Finn? If I spend all my money on bodyguards, how do I eat? How do I live? And why thehelldidn’t you tell me about any of this sooner?’
More than anything, I’m angry with Violet and my father. Once again, keeping me in the dark about everything. ‘Protecting’ me from real life. It’s no wonder it’s taken me so long to grow up, when I’ve been treated like a child all my life. And not in a fun, age play way, either. In a stifling way. When I’mplayingat being a kid, that’s different. That’s liberating, because it’s my choice. Because I’m in control.
‘I’m sorry,’ says Finn. ‘It hasn’t really felt like my place to tell you all this. But with your sister being in Borneo and everything, I don’t have much choice.’
Violetdidsend me a text last night, at least. I received it on the way back from the diner, when I had reception. She told me she’d found an internet cafe, and that she’d be going there every couple days to check for messages. Told me she hoped I was keeping well and that Finn was looking after me. Told me what a great guy he is.
I never even texted her back.
Mean, I know. She’s probably worried about me. But I just couldn’t — it would have come out angry, and that’s not the person I want to be.
‘You going to eat your breakfast?’ asks Finn.
‘I don’t know why we have to keep having these “chats” when we’re eating,’ I say, pouting. ‘Feels like I’ll never get my appetite back again.’
Finn looks at me, his blue eyes like two deep wells I could fall into and get lost forever. ‘You’re a good person, Dee. I’m sorry you’ve had to go through all this.’
‘You’re speaking as though it’s all over,’ I say. ‘But it feels like it’s only just begun.’
I push my plate away from me and stand up. ‘Screw this,’ I say. ‘I’m fed up of pretending everything’s going to be alright. You’re ajerkfor sending me away like this!’ I walk over to the window, trying to hide my tears.
