“Yeah, I have been busy. I’ve had issues with the studio.”
“Oh, but you are still managing?” she queries.
Do you actually care, though, Mum? “Yeah. Maggie and John have covered a couple of bills this month, and the bank gave me a payment holiday on my loan.”
“I see. Well, I was calling ‘cause I’m a little short this month—” I close my eyes and zone out.
She doesn’t give a crap. I don’t know why I expect anything more from her.
“I’m sure you or your new man can help me out,” she sniggers.
What did she just say? “Excuse me?”
“I heard you have a rich new boyfriend.”
“From who?”
“Can you help me or not?” She sounds so uninterested, bored and calm, too calm.
She sounds high.
I see red.
“Sure, Mum, I’ll just wire across a couple grand from Mason’s account. He won’t even notice,” I say deadpan, ending the call and tossing my phone.
Why can’t she just be a mother? She doesn’t even have to be a really good one. But right now, she isn’t a bad mum. She is nonexistent. I look down at my stomach as bile rises in my throat.
Oh god.
I rub my hands down my face as I try to calm myself. I could yell at her until I am blue in the face, but it’s just not worth it.
Dropping my hands, I see Lance standing in the doorway, his brows pulled in as he hangs off the frame. “We’re leaving in half an hour. Lowell is looking for you.”
“Yeah, I’ll be down in a minute,” I tell him, composing myself and returning to my suitcase. I don’t want Lance to see my hurt. I need the girls. Or my Mase.
THIRTY-FIVE
Nina
I’m in the kitchen washing up when the girls arrive. They are later than I expected, and because of that, I’ve not been able to stop pottering around the penthouse—the need to get the test over and done with too much.
Mason texted me half an hour ago to check in, but I didn’t reply. He’s out on a stag do and I don’t want to lie to him. He’s had enough trauma this year. He doesn’t need to know that I’m stressing over this.
Especially when I don’t know whatthisis.
“Sorry we’re late,” Lucy sings as she dumps the bags of shopping on the counter. “We stopped in at Tesco’s, but I knew the cashier so I had to bail and go to the pharmacy instead.”
“What’s all this?” I open the bags she placed on the counter.
They are filled with junk.
“The stuff from Tesco’s. I couldn’t just buy a test, and I wedged it in the magazines when I spotted Annie on the checkout and just brought this. She totally knew I was being sketchy.”
“For goodness’ sake. Only you.” I smile, shaking my head at her.
“We got the test. Four actually,” Megan tells me as she walks into the kitchen.
“Four?”
