He nodded. “I understand.”
“I believe what you said. You could’ve found out what you needed – what your family needed – without fucking me.”
He pulled at his hair, something I’d seen him do whenever he was angry. “It wasn’t just fucking, was it?”
“I don’t know. Wasn’t it? You warned me enough that you were trouble. You weren’t just trying to sound like some cool tough guy.”
“I wasn’t.” He stood up. “I was trying to scare you, but not because of my family.”
“Why then?”
“Maybe I was scared myself.”
“You have issues you need to work on. I know you lost your girlfriend, I know your cousin was somehow responsible, but it doesn’t mean your life stopped then. Being hurt isn’t the end of your world, it just means that you loved, and maybe that’s worth it.” I stood up too, needing the heat of that shower. “But maybe it’s not.”
I walked away, leaving him in the garden, the Ibizan dawn breaking beautifully like it did every day.
Like it would continue to do so every day.
My phone wokeme from a sleep that was more peaceful than I’d expected, the ring tone one I was familiar with,Wrecking Ball. The theme tune for Lala. Tommy had given me my phone back when we were in his car, saying he’d found it outside his apartment. That’d been when he realised I hadn’t just stormed off.
I answered, fumbling to find it on my bedside table first and almost knocking off the glass of water I didn’t remember putting there.
“Hey.”
“Jay Jay – are you alright? Do you want me to come back?” She sounded panicked so I figured she’d just come off the phone with Livi.
“Yes, no, tell me something you’ve done in the last twenty-four hours that I don’t know.” I needed to get her to talk while I woke up.
“I slept with this guy last night. He was a proper suited banker – maybe ten years older – and oh my god, he knew what he was doing.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. More detail after you’ve told me how you are. It isn’t every day my sister gets kidnapped.” Her voice went thin. “Livi told me about Lawrie.”
“How didn’t we know he was dodgy?”
“I think we always knew he wasn’t completely straight. We know very few people are. It makes more sense now why they didn’t go to the police after what happened to you in the dorm.”
“Why’s that?”
“Chad Baker would’ve known if Marcus was up to any shit, which we know he was.”
She was right. “Livi protected him.”
“Livi protected us. The media would’ve gone wild for any hint of a scandal. We both know that. And Chad got his comeuppance. You’ll like this.”
“What happened?”
“Someone tipped the police off that he had a few kilos of Charlie at his house. They raided it, and he had. He’s got a little bit of previous for possession with intent, so he’s not going to get off this. He’s raging, apparently. Saying it’s a huge set up.”
I was quiet, wondering if it was a set up. Wondering if I knew the person who might’ve instigated such a thing.
My heart ripped a little more.
“I hope he gets turned over in prison.” I heard spite in my words, something that was unlike me.
“He will. How was being kidnapped?” She made it sound like she was asking how it was going shopping.
