Exhaling, he crouches down and starts to rake through the mountain of clothes, shoes and God knows what else is lying there on the floor. ‘Could you put a light on?’ he asks. ‘I can hardly see …’
‘Just a minute,’ she says, rolling up more sweaters into tight sausages in order to fit them into the case.
‘I can’t see any red – whoa!’ He yanks back his hand.
‘What is it?’ She stares at him.
‘Is your rat in here? Something just bit me.’
‘My God, Dad …’ Throwing him ahave-you-gone-mad?look she strides over and starts raking through the pile.
The bedroom door opens and Miles stands there, glaring. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Esther’s packing,’ her father replies.
‘What were you shouting about?’
‘Dad says something bit him!’ Esther announces.
‘Is your rat out?’ he asks.
Miles gawps at them. ‘No?’
‘Erm … Dad?’ Esther picks up a sandal by its strap. ‘I think it was just the Velcro bit on this. It must’ve got caught on your sleeve or something—’
‘Oh.’ Her father reddens.
Miles smirks. ‘The sandal bit you?’
Her dad straightens up and turns to face him. ‘Just keep out of our way.’
‘Itismy flat,’ Miles reminds him. For a second Esther thinks her dad really is going to punch him. She sees him visibly wrestling his emotions under control.
Her dad turns to her. ‘I’m calling a cab now, okay? Can you make sure you’ve got everything?’
She nods mutely, avoiding Miles’s gaze.
‘So, you really are leaving me?’ he says with a trace of disbelief.
‘Yes, Miles.’
He blinks slowly, this pathetic excuse for a man who somehow stole Esther’s heart and two years of her precious young life. That’s how it seems to her now, because it wasn’t done by honest means. He was such a charmer; the washed-up pop star turned DJ. He flattered her into loving him and made her feel so special. ‘My precious angel,’ he called her; no one had ever said anything like that to her before. ‘You’ve saved my life, baby. I’ll be yours forever.’She hates him for it, and is fizzling with rage now as she and her dad zip up the cases. Miles makes a grand show of stepping aside to let them pass.
‘C’mon, Esther,’ her dad says, opening the door and stepping out into the crisp, bright, Boxing Day afternoon. She follows him out, filled with relief.
‘You’re avet,’ Miles scoffs loudly from the doorway, ‘and you don’t know the difference between a rat and a Velcro sandal?’ Her dad glares at him, so obviously wanting to punch his smug face but, instead, he turns away and walks with Esther, side by side, to where the cab is waiting.
As they settle in the back, to Esther’s surprise sherealises she’s smiling. ‘Dad,’ she starts, ‘that was kind of funny, y’know. The sandal thing, I mean.’
‘It’s a mistake anyone could’ve made,’ he says in mock defensiveness.
Something in her chest seems to lift, as if all the tensions are leaving her body and floating away. It’s over with Miles. Thank God for that. ‘So, you’ll stay with me for a while?’ her dad prompts her.
‘Yes, Dad,’ Esther replies. ‘I’ll stay with you.’
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
LAUREN
