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I swallow, my fist pulsing around the phone. I want to say it’s not fair to put that on me. But that in itself isn’t fair. I owe him.
‘Valentine?’
‘Okay.’ It comes out gruff, barely audible. ‘But if she’s not on board, I walk.’
‘Of course. That’s all I ask.’
I grip the phone tighter, reiterating, ‘I’m not forcing her to accept my help.’
Because the second she sees me I know she’s going to baulk, and then what?
‘Agreed. I’ll be in touch to set up a meeting.’
‘Okay.’
‘Speak soon and...thanks, Valentine.’
‘No problem.’ It comes out quiet, born of habit, and I cut the call with a stifled curse.
I toss the phone on the bed and return to the living room just in time to catch a parting camera shot of the wreckage and a photo taken at a recent gala event. She’s stunning. Her skin glowing pearlescent under the lights of the cameras, her hair in a loose updo, her dress a slinky red number, but her smile...it’s haunted, strained, and I feel a punch to the gut so strong. I know that look. I wore it.
And I know Alan is right; I do get it and I can help her.
Not that she’ll want me to. Not when she recognises who I am.
And I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it, because one thing’s for sure: she may baulk, but I can’t walk away.
Olivia
‘You can forget pretending to be asleep, Liv, and open your eyes!’
I grimace at my sister’s pissed-off tone and tentatively open one eyelid, wincing as the bright lights of the hospital room sear my brain. ‘Do you have to shout?’
‘Shout? I want to do more than shout. I want to shake some bloody sense into you. What were you doing, driving at four in the morning?’
‘I wanted to get out of the city.’
‘Atfourin the morning?’
‘I couldn’t sleep.’
‘So you took your shiny new toy out for a spin in the torrential rain and drove it into a ditch? Great way to wake you up.’
‘I didn’t do it intentionally.’
‘Didn’t do it...’ She shakes her head in despair.
‘Please, just calm down.’
‘Calm?Are you serious? What’s going on, Liv? Is it some weird midlife crisis? Is it Nathan, because seriously, sis, there’s enjoying your freedom and then there’s—’
‘Please, Fee.’I wince as my head pounds in time to her words; the mention of Nathan and her very vocal expression of how messed up our relationship was making my stomach roll. I don’t have the strength to defend him, to defend ‘us’, not right now.
‘I’m sorry, but it’s madness. Think about how Mum felt seeing it on the news before anyone had a chance to call her.’
‘Mum?’ I go to sit up and groan as pain shoots up my spine and my entire body seems to go into spasm. I collapse back, grateful for the plush pillow beneath me. ‘Is she here?’
‘No.’ She softens her voice and leans in to press a soothing hand to my shoulder. ‘I told her she didn’t need to travel the length of the country to check on you because I was closer, and you were fine.’
