AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I nodded because I couldn’t fucking speak. He stepped away from me, and I sucked in a breath, willing myself to hold it together for just a bit longer. He’d reached the door when I was finally able to rasp out the words. “Get Mack.”
“Consider it done.”
He closed the door behind him, and I let my head fall forwards, resting on the table. He knew me, didn’t he? Trusted me without question. He could read me, and he knew what I needed.
It didn’t make the pain of Fallon’s betrayal any easier, but it was something that I was going to hold on to.
FIFTEEN
Time passed, and I found myself reading and rereading the article, sick to my stomach and lost in memories. The first time I’d met my dad. I’d also met Caiden that day.
The first time I saw Michael Lowry, something weird happened. I looked at him, and it was like I knew him. Maybe because I could see something of me in his face. The same thick, dark brown hair and the same pale blue-grey eyes. I didn’t look anything like my mum, and it was strange seeing features I recognised on someone else’s face.
He was standing upright next to a very flashy, very shiny black Jaguar, wearing a black suit. His arms were folded across his chest, and he wasn’t smiling. We were meeting in the car park of a supermarket because he hadn’t wanted to leave his car anywhere on my housing estate—something that had made me apprehensive until I realised how much attention it would most likely get. And not attention of the good kind, either. There was at least a fifty percent chance that the car would be stripped of anything valuable before he’d even climbed out.
My mum hadn’t even been there to say goodbye. She’d gone out last night and hadn’t returned before I had to leave. The last thing she’d said to me was “See you in the morning,” and then this morning, I’d had a text to say she wouldn’t be home in time before I left, and I should leave my key with Mrs. Jenkins in apartment 17b.
She didn’t even tell me that she’d miss me.
I swallowed down that stupid fucking useless lump in my throat and faced the man I’d now be living with. Dropping my duffel bag, I straightened my shoulders and folded my arms, mimicking his posture. A flicker of approval appeared in his eyes, his mouth turning up a tiny bit on one side.
“Zayde. I’m Michael. You can call me…” For a second, his polished veneer fell away, and he seemed unsure. “Uh, Michael. I don’t expect you to feel comfortable enough to call me Dad yet. This whole thing is going to take a lot of getting used to.” He held out his hand for a formal handshake like I’d seen people do on TV. Nothing like the people I knew in real life, that was for sure.
His grip was strong as he shook my hand, and I tried to match his strength, which made him almost smile again. It was awkward between us, but for the first time since my mum had told me of my dad’s existence, I could almost comfort myself knowing that he was probably as out of his depth as I was.
* * *
The house was bigger than any house I’d ever seen. It looked like something from a film. It felt like I would get lost inside. The outside was painted grey, with big, black-framed windows, a shiny black double garage, and a huge black front door. When I walked inside, everything was all open, shiny blacks and greys.
“I prefer to live simply. Wasted space is wasted space, as far as I’m concerned.” Once Mr. Lowry had spoken those words, his mouth twisted as if he remembered who he was speaking to. “My apologies. I didn’t mean… This house isn’t… Well, it’s not as big as some of the others in Alstone.”
When I didn’t reply, he led me through the house, stopping outside an open door. “This will be your room. If you want to change the decor, let me know.”
“It’s fine,” I managed, stepping inside and dropping my duffel bag at my feet.
He gave a quick nod. “I’ll leave you to unpack. When you’re finished, come and find me. We’ll go through everything you need to know.”
When he’d disappeared, I let myself look around the room. It was all grey and decorated like a hotel room or something, not that I’d ever been in one, but it looked like Mr. Lowry had tried to prepare it for me. Over on the dresser, there was a shiny TV and a PlayStation, still in its box with a stack of games next to it, with another small box with a phone inside it on top. To my left, on the desk, I saw a laptop and pens and notepads, still in their packaging.
My phone beeped in my pocket, and I dug it out to see a message from Creed.
Creed:Got a job for you. 6pm by the kebab shop
Everything rushed back to me again. I hadn’t even told him that I was going away.
Me:I can’t. I moved in with my dad today
Creed:WTF? Where?
Me:Alstone. I only found out about my dad on Thursday. I didn’t want to go but I had no choice
Creed:Alstone?! That sounds like a story I need to hear. If it makes you feel better I’ll be sorry to lose you. You’d better stay in touch. Meet up soon so you can give me the details. And I’ve always got a job for you if you need it
Me:Thanks. Will do
With a heavy sigh, I shoved my phone back in my pocket. As I was doing so, it beeped again.
Fallon.
