Page 21 of Worth the Wait
“Alfie.”
“God, he must be… thirteen?”
“Fourteen.”
“Fuck. We’re ancient.” She laughed, brushing her hands on her apron. “I’ve got two girls. Five and seven. Can’t even think about them being teenagers yet. Still remember whatIwas like.”
Nathan arched an eyebrow. “Yeah, so do I.”
Mandy grinned, then cocked her head. “You still in touch with Freddie?”
The name hit like a knock to the chest.
“Uh… not so much.”
“You two were glued together back in the day.” She shook her head with a smile. “He’s a copper now, you know?”
“So I’ve heard.”
She handed over the paper-wrapped food with a little flourish. “You filled out. The muscles suit you. Makes me wish I hadn’t dumped you for Lenny bloody Cook.”
Nathan chuckled, took the bag, and offered her a nod. “Can’t win ’em all.”
But as he stepped out into the cold again, fish supper in hand, his heart was already miles away.
Sitting on that kerb with Freddie.
When Nathan got back to the house, his dad was slouched in his usual spot. Remote in one hand, another can in the other, as if the evening hadn’t moved on since Nathan had left. No sign of Alfie. No surprise there.
Nathan plated up a portion of cod and chips, left it on the coffee table next to Ron’s elbow, then headed upstairs with the rest. Alfie’s door was still shut, the same dull music leaking through the crack. Nathan knocked once. No answer.
So he let himself in.
The kid hadn’t moved. Still sprawled in his hoodie and baggy joggers, limbs everywhere, phone glowing on his chest, earbuds in. Nathan nudged his foot.
“Scoot up.”
Alfie gave a long, theatrical huff but grudgingly shifted, dragging himself upright to lean against the wall. Nathan perched on the edge of the fold-out bed and unwrapped the bundle on his lap. Chips, cod, and the battered sausage balanced on top. “Help yourself.”
Alfie held out longer than expected. Then, with a grunt, he snatched the sausage and bit into it. Nathan considered that a win.
He picked at a few chips himself, then asked, “You wanna tell me what happened today?”
“You were there,” Alfie said through a mouthful. “Told the filth everything.”
Nathan stiffened. “Don’t call the police that.”
“Why not?”
Because you don’t get to reduce Freddie to that.
But he couldn’t say that. So he chose something else.
“It’s about respect. You show it, and nine times out of ten, they’ll give it back.”
“Didn’t feel like that when they cuffed me.”
Alfie wiped his greasy fingers on his joggers, then helped himself to a handful of chips from Nathan’s lap. No shame, no thanks. Hunger and attitude in equal measure.
