Page 152 of Fe
“Fine.”
One word to end it all. Ripley couldn’t see the way Fen was bleeding inside, how his heart had been ripped apart.
When Fen stepped outside the door, he had to make his way through the wake of vultures, people waving microphones in his face, cameras flashing, sharp beaks trying to peck at him. Things were being called out. Not nice things. Fen kept his head down, his mouth shut and found Harry helping him into the front seat of the car.
Harry climbed in the driver’s side and closed the door. “No Ripley?”
“No.”
Harry pulled away. He’d not gone far before he said, “We have a tail.”
“Doesn’t matter. Don’t take any risks trying to lose them.”
“You’re in a bit of a pickle.”
“A bit.”
“Don’t take any notice of what the papers print. They just want to sell stories. They don’t care who they hurt. Tomorrow’s chip paper, my granddad used to say. Though they don’t use newspapers to wrap chips up now. It’ll all blow over.”
“Yes.” It probably would but until it did, life was shit.
“Ripley’ll look after you.”
Will he?He wasn’t here in the car, was he? Fen was hurt.
“I’ve not seen him this happy in years. Brighter. Smiling.”
I’ve just made him unhappy again.
Fen pressed his forehead to the window. He’d forgotten his coat. He was going to be cold going back. He had to go back to get his bag, didn’t he? He had nowhere else to go. Well, maybe Morgan and Seth’s. He could return to Ripley’s while he was at work and pick up the rest of his stuff.
My heart!Harry had stopped talking now, thank God, but Fen still couldn’t think straight.I wish Mum was here.But he wished for Ripley more.
“Here we are.” Harry had pulled up outside a tall building. Fen had no idea where they were in London. “Fourth floor. Will you be all right? Want to call me when you’re done?”
“I’m fine, Harry. Thank you for the ride.”
As Fen got out of the car, he was mobbed by reporters but he kept going towards the doors of the building and a broad-shouldered security guard stopped anyone from following him inside. Fen took the lift to the fourth floor, his heart pounding, his entire body shaking. Was he going to come face to face with his father for the first time in his life?Do I look okay?
Glass doors whispered open as he approached. A young woman stood up from behind a desk. “Mr Wood?”
“Yes.”
“Come this way, please.”
Fen followed her down a corridor and into a room full of people who fell silent the moment he walked in. It was all he could do not to reverse out. But he kept his head up, and gripped the handle of his crutch more tightly as he looked around. His father wasn’t there. But Judd was, and Alexa and Helena with their haughty glares.
“Fen! May I call you that?” A man in a smart suit strode towards him. “I’m Jonas Cooper, the Miller family lawyer. Let me introduce you. This is Bella Curtis.”
A tall, thin woman wearing a pink skirt and matching jacket came over to Fen and shook his hand. The moment she beamed at him, he disliked her even more.
“Good to meet you, Fen.”
No, it’s not.Fen said nothing.
“This is Rob, my associate,” Cooper said, “Esther is Bella’s colleague. Thank you for coming.”
“Aren’t you going to introduce me to them?” Fen glanced at the couch.
