Page 29 of Taylor
“It’scomplicated.”
We chat for almost an hour about this and that. It’s great to be able to have an open conversation without worrying he’s going to be listening somewhere and take offence to what we’resaying.
“Please don’t take this as me not wanting you here, but I think it’s probably best if you stay in a hotel.” Mum looks at me and her eyes begin to fill with water. I feel like an arsehole, sending her away, but he knows where I live. It wouldn’t take much for him to find her here. “It’s safer, Mum. I’ll pay for it, but I want you somewhere he’s not going to findyou.”
“Okay,” she agrees, although I can see she’s not happy aboutit.
Once we’ve finished our drinks, I call a taxi to take us both to a hotel to check herin.
“Could you just pull over here, mate?” I say to the taxi driver when he approaches a supermarket. “I’ll be tenminutes.”
I jump out the car and jog inside. I quickly find the electronics section and pick a pay as you go phone for Mum touse.
I’m back in the car in a little over five minutes. “Here,” I say handing her the box. “I need you to know something,though.”
“Goon.”
“If you change your mind and go back to him, this is the last time I’m ever going to helpyou.”
“Okay,” she saysweakly.
“I mean it, Mum. I can’t keep playing this game. I will help you build a new life, do anything you need me to, but if I have any suspicion that you’re even talking to him, that will be the end ofit.”
“Okay.”
We get her checked in to a hotel and, after making sure she has everything she needs, I leave her to it. I decide to walk back home as it’s not that far. I’m happy she seems to have left him. It’s more than she’s done before, but I can’t get rid of the nagging feeling that this is only temporary. He’s like a rotten fucking smell that never goes away, and for some reason, Mum seems unable to resist themotherfucker.
I shut the front door behind me and make sure I double lock it as well as put the bolt across. If she’s been gone two days like she said, I’m surprised that he hasn’t already been here. Maybe she did a better job of making it look like she’s gone elsewhere than I’m giving her creditfor.
I barely sleep. Every noise outside, every bang from our neighbours, has me on alert. I could really do without meeting the wrong side of my stepdad’s fists again sosoon.
I must drift off eventually because when I wake the next morning it’s to my ringing phone. I only managed a few texts to Caleb yesterday. He rang once he got to his hotel but I was too busy dealing with Mum to answer. Then, when I rang him, it went straight to voicemail so I sent him a text to give him a run down of what was happeninghere.
“Morning.”
“What the hell, Tay? Your mum’sthere?”
“Well, in a hotel, yeah. She looks likeshit.”
“What abouthim?”
“Fuck knows. She said she made it look like she was heading up north but I can’t shake the feeling that he’s too clever to fall for something likethat.”
“I have a huge favour to ask that might just help get you out of harm’sway.”
“Oh yeah?” I asksceptically.
Caleb
“Beth, what’s wrong?”Mum shouts in a panic the second we walk into my sister’s hotel room and find her sobbing on the bed. The wedding is being held in this swanky hotel that one of Daniel’s friends owns. I’ve stayed in my fair share of hotels but never one this flash. I couldn’t believe it when I walked in my room yesterday evening to see the Eiffel Tower looking back at me from thewindow.
“The photographer’s mum has died and he’s cancelled. This is a disaster,” shesplutters.
“Oh honey, it’s okay. We can find another, I’msure.”
“Not like him. He was thebest.”
I don’t hear Mum’s response; a plan is too busy forming in myhead.
