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Vicki was older than me, almost twenty-five, but she didn’t like to believe it. “She ain’t even thirty, Vick.”
“Almostthirty from the looks of her. Practically middle-aged. She acts like it, too, stuck up bitch.”
“Got me my Casey back.”
“What she do that for, then? Fancy you or summat?”
I shook my head. “For the dog. Animal rights and that.”
Vicki was thinking it over, I could tell. She gave me a funny look. I can never read her funny looks. “Don’t seem right to me, Cal, she must want something.”
“I scared her.”
“Scared her?”
“Pushed her into the wall, got all fiery. Couldn’t help myself.”
“Shit, Cal, she’s gonna have the pigs right down your neck if you don’t watch it.”
“Don’t think so. Took my number, said she’ll be checking on Case.”
“She does fancy you, then,” she laughed. It was a funny laugh, though, one of those ones I don’t like so much. “Don’t you be shacking up with no posh bird. I need you here.” Her eyes were nervous, shifty. My stomach churned and this time it wasn’t from hunger. “I’m in some trouble...”
Wasn’t she fucking always.
***
“Why don’t you come inside? Stay tonight. We can talk in there.” Vicki was edgy. Whatever trouble she was in had got her good.
I looked away. “Can’t leave Case.”
“She could stay in the kitchen? Just for tonight. I could clean up before Slater gets home.”
I shook my head. “No, Vick. Ain’t worth it.”
Slater’s allergic to Casey, has been since he was born. The kid don’t have much luck, truth be told. He’s allergic to everything, even milk, poor little bugger. Vicki blames herself, but it weren’t her fault. Unhealthy pregnancy, she said, but she was shacked up with Tyler Jones back then, and life was even tougher. It’s a wonder the kid was born at all, given the shit that bastard put her through. Ended our friendship dead in its tracks when I found out. He used to be a mate, grew up with him. Kicking about the block, up to no good. But no mate of mine punches his pregnant girlfriend in the stomach. Even I draw the line at that.
Vicki laid her head on my shoulder. “Sorry I couldn’t keep her, Cal.”
“Not your fault. Mam should’ve looked after her. Only thing I ever asked her for.”
“Tyler probably twisted her arm. Anything to get back at you.”
I changed the subject. “You still got my stuff?”
She nodded. “Everything you left.”
“My paints?”
She smiled. “All still there. Some of them may have dried up, though, haven’t checked.”
I took a deep breath. It felt like the first in years. “Spit it out, Vick.”
She pulled her jumper down over her knees, hugged her legs to her. She looked even more scrawny, like she’d blow away with the trash. “I got short of money. Owed Ben Brown a load from when Slater was ill last winter, and he wouldn’t let it go. Didn’t have any electric. Water was on my case. Didn’t even have any clothes that fit Slay anymore.”
“Shit, Vick.”
“You were away, and Mam didn’t have none to spare. Thought about going to Tyler, but couldn’t risk it, not with the non-molestation order. Social services would be all over it.”
