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The fucker was on his bike and tearing through the woods before I scrambled to my feet. Grabbing our empty wrappers, I chucked them into my backpack along with my CD player and speaker. Then I jumped on my own bike and shot after him.
Hopefully, I’d get over this crush.
Then Silas would just be my best friend again.
And everything could go back to normal.
Chapter five
Silas
January 2006 – Eighteen Years Old
Itwasbitterlycoldthis winter, not that it mattered much inside Kai’s garage. His dad had set up several heaters, keeping it warm for our band practices.
Band practice.Like we might one day be something. It was a dream that was a million light years out of reach but one we clung to anyway.
A ticket out of the estate? That was something we couldn’t ignore. Other than Kai, none of us had a reason to want to stick around.
It was more than that for me though. It was another escape. Throwing myself into music was a distraction from the shit heap that was life at my house. Kai’s parents had offered for me to live at theirs while finishing the final months of my A-Levels. But they already had four kids in a three-bedroom house. I couldn’t put that burden on them. It was one thing to crash on Kai’s floor as often as I did, but I couldn’t expect them to put up with me full-time.
Although I was rapidly rethinking this decision given recent developments. Frank had a new girlfriend. It’d been a long time since I’d called himDadin my head. He sure as shit didn’t deserve the term.
I had no fucking clue how he kept managing to ensnare these women, but one after the other, they seemed to get drawn into his sticky web of lies.
It didn’t take them long to see the light.
This one had been around for six weeks so far. Unfortunately for me, she was one of those people who believed family wasimportant.
Don’t get me wrong, I thought the same. But Frank wasn’t my family. Family didn’t beat you until you couldn’t breathe. Family didn’t lock you in a cupboard for days on end as a small child. Family didn’t hurl abuse at you for something as simple as treading on a creaky floorboard.
But, thanks to Karen—the new girlfriend—my presence had beenrequiredat home more often. Frank liked to parade me around in front of her, pretending to be the model father.
It was all an act. One that he dropped the second the door closed behind her.
Thankfully, I knew how to play him. It wasn’t something I did often because there would always be a price to pay…but I couldn’t not see Kai. It was the only thing I refused to budge on, no matter what Frank did.
Normally, he didn’t give a fuck where I spent my days or nights. But since Karen had entered the picture, all that had changed.
So, I’d made sure to bring up band practice in front of Karen. Sung Frank’s praises, gushing over how happy I was that he supported me in my dreams. Lied through my teeth about how he made sure Inevermissed a rehearsal.
Frank had no choice but to send me on my way with a gritted smile.
I’d pay for it later. Of course I would. But it was worth it. I needed this. I needed Kai. Only knowing I’d be seeing him for practise kept me sane during the hours I was trapped with Frank and Karen.
There was a gentle tap on my shoulder like the world knew I needed a reminder of my true family. Kai’s mum, Di, was there, holding out a cup of tea. “Here you go, hun. This’ll warm your bones.”
“Thanks, Di.” I accepted the mug, offering her a grateful smile, ignoring the pull in my ribs. Frank had got smarter over the years. It seemed to have clicked how protective Kai was over me. Seemed stupid that he was scared of an eighteen-year-old, but he never left marks where Kai might see them. “How are you feeling?”
“Right as rain,” she said, her lips thinning as they often did when any of us dared question her health. We couldn’t help it though. She’d been in remission for a year now, but we still worried. “As is to be expected.”
“I’m glad.”
She squeezed my shoulder. I hid my wince, grateful Kai’s gaze was fixed on his guitar. I didn’t want him to know I was still too afraid to stand up to Frank. And I didn’t want him doing it on my behalf. Frank would have no problem calling the police and spinning a web of lies about Kai. He’d threatened it often enough.
That was my other reason for not just walking out the front door and never looking back. If I left before my education was complete, Frank’s dole money would take a hit. He wasn’t above blackmailing me about bringing trouble to the Parker’s doorstep if I walked.
“Right, who else wants a cuppa?”
