It’s not even messy. No kit on the floor, or takeaway cartons, or boots by the door.
She stops in the middle of the living room and takes it in.
“This is where you’ve been hiding,” she says finally.
“Hiding?” I close the door behind us and the click of the lock sounds louder than it should.
She hears it too and her shoulders tense.
“Relax,” I say. “You can leave whenever you want.”
“Oh, I know.” She looks around again. Then she reaches into her bag and pulls out a lipstick.
I watch her in the reflection of the window as she twists it up and reapplies it before she presses her lips together, checking the corners with her thumb.
“This place is nice.”
“You sound shocked.”
“I am,” she says, capping the lipstick and setting it on my counter, “but not for the reason you think.”
“Okay…”
“I’m just shocked you actually left your mother’s house.”
I scoff. “Why is that? I left before.”
“That was different.”
“How so?”
“You didn’t have a choice before,” she says plainly. “Your parents shipped you out.”
My jaw tightens before I can stop it. “You don’t know anything about it, Frankie.”
She shrugs one shoulder. “Then tell me about it.”
I look away for a second, jaw working.
“Fine, then,” she starts to walk out the door. “Keep your secrets.”
“I had a mouth on me,” I admit in a rush, making her pause. I exhale in defeat before continuing. “I was always arguing. Teachers. Coaches. My parents. Didn’t matter. If I thought someone was chatting shit, I’d let them know.”
She looks at me with brows lifted slightly like she’s not surprised.
“I got into fights,” I go on. “Nothing mad, but enough. Got sent home from school more times than Mum could defend me.”
“At fifteen?” she asks.
“Started before that,” I say. “I hated being told what to do. Hated being wrong. Hated people thinking they could talk to me any kinda way just because they were older.”
“So they sent you away to fix yourattitude?”
“They sent me away before someone else did it for them,” I say bluntly.
The gears turn in her head visibly.
“I see,” she steps closer. “That must’ve pissed you off.”
