Fiery heat scorches through my body. ‘Are you fucking kidding me?’
The tension descending is ice age in proportion.
‘I really had to persuade them, but I thought you’d like it.’ He’s scratching the back of his neck.
‘You can’t turn up here and expect me to drop everything.’
‘Drop what? There’s no café. You’re not doing anything,’ he snaps. ‘This is what you wanted me to be. Exciting. Spontaneous.’
The furious flames in my belly are licking upwards into my chest. ‘You have absolutely no idea who I am.’ My voice has gone up an octave. ‘And for your information, I do have things to be doing. I’m running a photography course. Not taking a bloody boring, soul-sucking office job. And there is no way I’m going away with you or my parents.’ I stiffen my spine and glare at him.
‘Please come?’ His shoulders drop a little. ‘They’ll be here any minute.
My eyes widen. He’s got to be joking. My parents are coming here?
Before I can say anything else my dad’s car rumbles around the corner. By the time they’re standing next to us, the icy atmosphere has only intensified.
‘Isn’t this lovely of Greg?’ Mum says brightly with a wide smile on her face.
I shove my tightly curled fist into my hoodie pocket and continue glaring at Greg.
‘Are you ready to go?’ The enthusiasm in her voice is waning and she looks warily between Greg and me.
I don’t care that Greg has got my parents all the way down here. He should have asked.
I take a breath. ‘I’m not going.’
Mum’s face drops, but Dad’s eyes narrow and his look prickles the hair on the back of my neck.
‘We have dropped everything to accommodate this. Don’t be ridiculous.’
His tone douses the fire that had been raging in my belly. Maybe I should go and keep the peace?
‘Ellie was just going to get her bag,’ says Greg like a cute little puppy sucking up to its owner. ‘Weren’t you, love?’
Three pairs of eyes swivel to stare at me. Mum’s hopeful, Greg’s expectant and Dad’s still disapproving.
‘We’ve not got all day. Get a move on,’ snaps Dad.
On automatic pilot I turn and take two steps towards my front door, then stop. Who the hell is he talking to? I’m not fifteen anymore. I’m a grown bloody woman.
In slow motion I swing back to face everyone.
‘I’m not going,’ I repeat, steeling myself to not flinch from their stares.
‘We thought you’d like it?’ Mum’s voice is timid. ‘We don’t see you very often. And thought you’d like time away with Greg?’
‘I didn’t ask for this. Greg and I, we’re done. And he knows that. I have no idea what he thinks he’s doing.’
‘I didn’t think you meant it.’ Greg’s face reddens, heat rising up his neck. ‘Just because I sprung this on you. Don’t be stupid.’
‘Stupid?’ The fire in my belly is roaring again. ‘No, Greg. Stupid is being railroaded into a job I don’t want and not having someone support me in what I do want to do. And most of all,stupid is thinking our casual sex meant we had a basis for a real relationship.’
Greg’s mouth is opening and closing like a goldfish out of water gasping for air.
Dad gives an aggressive scoff. ‘This is about that boy, isn’t it? Jackson.’ His face screws up as he spits out his name.
‘No. It isn’t.’ I fling my hands out in frustration. ‘This is nothing to do with him. This is to do with me.’
