Page 55 of Now and Again

Juliet’s rage powered her legs right through monied Westover, all the way to Tothmore, barely seeing the scenery change. But of course, it had. More houses, smaller, dingier, packed tighter together.Home.

Juliet knocked on the door of number eight, Smith road. Her sister opened the door with her five-year-old on her shoulders. ‘Aunty Juliet!’ Becca cried. Before Juliet could respond, Becca swung her son off her shoulders and popped him down onto the floor of the hall. ‘Can you take him? I need a spray tan, stat!’ and she was running past Juliet, out into the street, sprinting quite impressively on a pair of wicked heels, jumping on a bus that seemed to be waiting for her. Juliet watched her ride off down the street before turning to her nephew, who frowned at his vanishing mother. ‘She said she has to go because she looks like a day-old corpse,’ little Logan told Juliet.

Juliet smiled. ‘Yeah, well… You hungry? Shall we see what your mother’s got in?’

Logan nodded, and they went into the kitchen. It was amazing how quickly this transition had happened. One minute, Juliet was Mia’s carer, now she was Logan’s. It was at that moment, Juliet realised something. She couldn’t continue to be a private nanny. That life wasn’t for her anymore. In the homes of the rich, building a rapport with a child, a bond, feeling part of a family, until you were no longer of use and you got a boot out the door. It was breaking Juliet’s heart too much to be wrenched from the lives of these kids. She was going back to working in nurseries. The money was dreadful, but at least she wouldn’t have to go through this again. The kids were a gaggle, and though you got attached, it wasn’t the same. When they left, there wasn’t the heartbreak.

She had to go back to her old life. Be a Tothmore girl. Born and raised. No more Westover, no more rich people. No more Riley.

Twenty-Six

Riley was at work, looking at a design for a poster campaign to raise awareness in the city. But her mind wasn’t on the job because she was getting a steady stream of texts from India that were ripping her attention away every few minutes. Had Riley seen her Louboutin hot pink spiked velour trainers? Because India was due at a spin class in twenty minutes and she simply had to have them. Riley had not seen them and shuddered to imagine such a thing. Could Riley pick up a few basic things on her way home tonight that turned out to be forty items long and included such not even slightly basic things as truffle salt? Sure. Did Riley remember that time at school when Pete Wilks asked the janitor out on a dare, and she said yes? No, Riley couldn’t, and she had to imagine she’d locked that one up tight in the memory vault because it was dreadful. What did Riley think about doing another double date with somemuch better-standard guysshe knew from somewhere or other? Thanks, but no thanks.

India was wearing Riley thin.

Riley was back in the same position she’d been in before. It was time to find somewhere to live. She was back on the apps, scouring, looking for anything half-decent. Any place she could afford wouldn’t be as nice as India’s, but at least she wouldn’t feel like she was under the thumb of her roommate. That was all she wanted anymore: just her freedom back, freedom from this misery. First Noah and all that business, then controlling Nick, then her bastard dad, now needy India. She’d had enough of the lot of them.

Riley had to wonder if she’d be able to deal with India better if she wasn’t so down about what had happened at Mia’s birthday. First, that terrible argument with her dad, and then…

No. She refused to think about that. It could join Pete Wilks and the janitor in the vault of dreadful memories locked up tight.

The phone beeped again, and Riley ignored it for a minute, thinking it was just more India. But it was Amanda, asking how she was. Riley was torn. She wasn’t sure whether this was just Amanda asking after her, or if it was actually the start of a relationship rescue attempt of the kind that Amanda was famed for.

In the end, she couldn’t leave her hanging, so she answered with the lie that she was fine. The reply surprised her.

I’m not doing so well.

Riley didn’t mess about this time and shot her back an instant reply.

What’s wrong?

Mia’s upset that Juliet’s gone, and so am I.

Riley frowned at her phone.What are you going to do about it?

What can I do? Your dad has made his mind up. I want to see his point of view, but I just don’t. I’m trying not to be angry at him.

That sounded bad.

You’re allowed to be angry. He was horrible.

Her reply shocked Riley.

Yes, he was. And now I’m probably going to lose my job because I had to take emergency leave to be with Mia. I can’t find anyone I trust like Juliet. I don’t want to resent being at home. But it’s hard. I love my daughter, but I really liked working.

Then why don’t you get Juliet back?

I don’t think she’d come back, even if Mike changed his mind. And he doesn’t listen to me, so that’s that.

Jesus. Something had flipped in that household since Riley had left. Amanda never said a word against her husband. But this had been the straw that had broken her back. Riley had prophesied something like this in that last conversation with her dad, but she hadn’t thought it would come quite so soon. It didn’t make her happy to be right.

Would you talk to him?Amanda texted.

If he ever listened to me, he won’t now.

Why?

Amanda didn’t know? How the hell didn’t she know?

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