Page 142 of ICED
But I didn’t.
It’s him.Jamie.
He’s back. Or he’s close. Or hewillbe soon.
The fear swells so fast it makes my knees buckle. Jacko catches me before I hit the floor, arms locking around my waist as I press my face into his chest, breath coming in short, shallow gasps.
“I can’t…” I rasp. “I can’t do this again.”
He holds me tighter. “You’re not alone this time.”
“I need to leave,” I whisper. “I have to go. I have to take Lila and go.”
Jacko leans back just enough to see my face. “Maya,”
“Hefoundus,” I say, voice rising. “He saw us at the rink. He took that photo. He’shere.You don’t understand, he’s dangerous. I can’t let him hurt her.”
His hands cup my face. Gentle. Steady.
“He won’t get near her.”
“You can’t promise that.”
“Ican.”
He says it with a kind of stillness that anchors something in me. But the fear is louder.
“I need to pack,” I say, pulling away. “I’ll go to Mum’s or somewhere far. I just need time to think. I can’t…Iwon’tlet him near Lila.”
“Maya, please,”
“I’m serious.”
“I know you are.”
I push past him and run upstairs. I don’t think. I move on autopilot. Open the drawers. Grab Lila’s clothes. Pyjamas.Shoes. Her unicorn hoodie. Every time I fold a pair of leggings, my hands shake harder.
Downstairs, I hear Jacko moving. A door opens. Voices; his, low and tight. Then others. Familiar.
Ollie. Murphy. Dylan.
Oh God,he called them here.
I stuff the last of Lila’s things into a duffel and grab the emergency envelope I keep tucked in the lining of her suitcase. Cash. Documents. Birth certificate.
Just in case.
I never thought I’d have to use it. But that’s the problem, I didn’t think. Getting involved with someone as high profile as Owen was a huge mistake. My heart clenches and my vision blurs again.
I hear footsteps on the stairs. Jacko’s voice outside the bedroom door.
“Maya. Let me in.”
I close the suitcase and zip it hard. “I have to go.”
The door creaks open behind me. He walks in, slowly. Like I’m a wild animal he doesn’t want to spook. I can’t look at him. If I do, I’ll break.
He reaches for the suitcase. “You don’t have to run.”
