Page 54 of From Now On

‘What… what else did your dad say about me?’ Nina asks.

‘He said you’ve grown up a lot.’

‘Really?’ She can feel her smile stretch.

‘Yeah. He says we both have.’

‘Now you’re older do you think he’ll get a girlfriend? Settle down again?’

‘I dunno. He’s always said he’ll wait until I leave home but…’ she shudders, whether through the cold or revulsion Nina does not know. ‘It’d be so weird having a woman around the house. Imagine if it was someone like Miss Rudd.’

‘What if it was someone you knew? Someone you liked?’

‘Like who?’

‘Dunno. Just thinking out loud. Everyone deserves to be loved, don’t they? Happy?’

‘Speaking of being loved. Ryan and Lenny—’

‘Nah. Boys of our age are too immature. I’m not into Ryan. Are you—’

‘Lenny’s okay. He makes me laugh. Who’s your ideal man then?’

Nina feels anxiety instantly itch at her skin. She thinks about the advice website.

Be honest.

She has a desire to rake her nails down her arms and so she shoves her hands in her pockets as she says,‘If I tell you something, promise not to freak.’

‘I promise. Unless you fancy my dad or something.’ Maeve laughs as if that is the most ridiculous thing ever.

Nina’s phone begins to ring. She’s grateful for the interruption as she takes it from her pocket. It’s Pippa.

‘Nina? You need to come to mine. You need to come, now.’

Chapter Twenty-Five

Duke

Duke hadn’t known what to do when the policeman had stopped him.

‘What are you doing wandering about the middle of nowhere in the rain, young man?’ he’d been asked.

‘I’m going to London to see my brother.’

‘Walking there, are you?’

Duke had tried to explain about being big enough to catch a bus but too young to catch the train even though his mum had said he was an old soul and he had enough money for the tickets but it all came out in an incoherent jumble. In truth, Duke was cold, hungry and horribly, horribly lost.

He had been led to the police car where a policewoman wrapped him in a blanket as he’d shivered and asked if he was under arrest.

‘No. But we need to speak to your parents.’

Duke had begun to cry. ‘I don’t live with… they’re not…’ but he couldn’t catch his breath and force out the words.

‘Is there an adult we can call?’ he’d been asked gently, and he’d switched his phone on, explaining he’d turned it off like Evie had said so he couldn’t be traced, and had scrolled through his brief list of contacts.He’d thought Evie could probably talk them into letting him go but she didn’t exactly sound like an adult. He hadn’t wanted them to speak to Violet and Charlie never picked up and so he’d given them Pippa’s number.

The policewoman had tried to distract him with talk of school while the policeman had stepped away to make the call but Duke had seen through her ploy. The same techniques Mum would use when Duke had wanted something he wasn’t allowed or asked questions she didn’t want to answer.

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