Unplugged (Blue Phoenix, #3)(17)

“You’re a good guy, Liam, thank you.”

Women are confusing.

And I need to get home.

CHAPTER 8



CERYS



Ella scrawls circles on the paper with her crayons, drawing her third Santa of the day as I wash up the dishes and gaze out the window. Liam was right. Snowflakes drift slowly onto the hedges bordering his parents’ garden. He’s out now, Linda and Jim are home with Lou, and I’m trying to keep a low profile in the kitchen. Even though I’ve been here a week, I still feel awkward and intrusive. Nobody treats me any differently than family members, but even though I’ve been a family friend for years, staying here with my four-year-old daughter is a big ask.

When my parents told me there was no room for us, that was a kick in the teeth. Even bigger, the fact they’re flying to Florida for Christmas and leaving an empty house I could stay in. After almost five years, their whore of a daughter who got pregnant at seventeen and lived in sin with the baby’s father is still ostracised. I gave up caring about what they think of me years ago, but how they reject Ella too hurts.

I wipe my soapy hands on a tea towel and pick up my phone. No messages from Craig. Ella is desperate to talk to her Daddy but the only calls I’ve had are when he’s drunk and she’s in bed. Craig won’t explain to me what’s happening or why he won’t let us move back home. I understand telling him I had doubts about our relationship pissed him off, but forcing us to leave was wrong. I’m disgusted he’d do this to his own daughter, but Craig never had much to do with her anyway. Always working or out with his mates, he never accepted the changes to lifestyle that go hand in hand with teen parenthood. We’re not teens anymore, but the majority of our friends are carefree and still get to act like they are. Craig refuses to accept he’s not the same.

Now I’m stuck. No home, no job, no money. Nowhere to live. I’m grateful to Lou’s parents for taking me in so I don’t spend Christmas with Ella in a motel room; but after Christmas, I have a huge battle ahead. I’ve made calls to find out what benefits I’m entitled to until I can get myself a job, and begun to look into my options; keeping focused on this, stops me dwelling on the heartbreak.

Is heartbreak the right word? My relationship with Craig would’ve ended years ago if it weren’t for Ella, or more correctly, the fact I couldn’t manage on my own financially. Now that decision has been made for me. Maybe he’s having an affair. Or whatever you call an affair if you’re not married.

I’ll fight him for everything he owes us. He can’t do this to Ella; she deserves more, and that’s why the anger rips into me further, each time Ella asks where he is.

Louise appears next to me and takes the towel from my hands. She looks down at the phone too. “Shit-for-brains hasn’t called yet then?” she asks.

“Craig? No.”

Louise makes a humph noise and picks up a saucepan to dry. “Do you know where Liam went?”

“No.” Liam, God that’s another problem. I inhale against the butterfly queasiness I get when I think about him.

“Liam came to the shops,” pipes up Ella. “I saw Santa.”

“Really? Liam went to see Santa?” Louise’s brow creases.

“No, he just took us down there to save us getting the bus.” I concentrate hard on the washing up, knowing my best friend will read any betraying sign of what I’m thinking.

“I like Liam,” says Ella, “he’s nice.”

“He is nice,” says Louise, walking over to Ella. “What are you drawing?”

“Santa. Mummy likes Liam too.”

I watch the snow settle on the windowsill and brace myself for Louise’s response. “Your mummy knows Liam from a long time ago.”

“But Mummy held Liam’s hand,” continues Ella.

Heat creeps into my cheeks, Ella’s words sound worse than they are. When Louise doesn’t respond, I place the mug I’m washing on the drainer and turn to her.

“You’re holding hands with Liam now?” she asks.

I huff. “He was being nice to Ella and I squeezed his hand to say thank you.”

My explanation sounds weirder than the truth and doesn’t fool Louise. “Oh?”

“And he let me sit on his shoulders! He’s really tall and I could see for miles!” says Ella.

“Very cosy,” remarks Louise.

“We saw someone in town he knew and he wanted...” I sigh, refusing to justify myself. “Never mind.”

Ella scribbles furiously with a red crayon. What misleading thing will she say next? “Ella, why don’t you go and choose a story for bedtime?”

“It’s not bed time yet!”

“You can still choose one, off you go.” I smile and wave her toward the stairs.

“Do you think Uncle Liam would read me a story?”

Louise mouths ‘Uncle Liam’ at me with a shocked look on her face.

“I think Liam has done enough for you today, Ella. Anyway, he’s out.”

“He told me he would.”

Louise giggles. “Here I am, worrying about you and my big brother, but I can spot who the new girl in his life is.”

The surge of affection I have for Liam grows each time he does or says something kind to Ella. When he arrived here the other day, he was uptight and grumpy and I was sure I’d be asked to leave. His understanding of the situation is strange and not what I expected of the man whose excesses I’ve seen and heard about over recent years.