‘We’re leaving at ten o’clock, sweetheart,’ Kiki reminded her.
‘Don’t worry. I’ll be ready,’ Ava promised, as she picked her phone up from the kitchen counter and checked the screen.
Kiki knew what the tiny frown and slight drop of her shoulders meant. No reply from her dad yet.
As soon as she was gone, Kiki picked up her own phone and fired off a quick text to Kev.
Are you on your way here? Please don’t let her down today. She’s so looking forward to seeing you.
No dots to signify that he was reading it.
It made it so much worse that Kev wasn’t the only guy who was letting her down right now.
Kiki flicked on to the social media profile of the other man who was currently missing from her life, the one she’d loved since she was a teenager at a high school only a few streets away from where she still lived. When she’d met him, she was eight months pregnant, dumped by Kev, the father of the child, and being shunned by the rest of her classmates. This was the guy who had spent fifteen years promising her the world ‘when the time was right’, only for him to discard her by fricking text six months ago, then ghost her ever since. So where was he now? It would be difficult to have two lives that had ended up further apart. No doubt he was somewhere glamorous, earning fortunes and being adored by his legions of fans.
She clicked on to his Instagram story and there he was, walking through an airport. The caption made her heart stop beating. ‘Hello, Glasgow. Good to be back.’
So he was here. Back in Scotland. And that must mean he was going to the event at the Academy tonight. Despite his connection to the stage school, she hadn’t dared to believe that he would show up. In the six months that Ava had been going there, she’d only mentioned bumping into him once and she’d been so excited to meet him that she’d talked about it for days afterwards. Kiki wondered what Ava would have thought if she’d known that for fifteen years, the same man had been sneaking into their flat at night, whenever he was in town, then leaving early in the morning before she woke. Sometimes he’d even stayed for breakfast if Ava was away on a sleepover. Or Kiki would meet him somewhere secluded when Ava was with her friends.
It had been a joint decision to keep their relationship a secret, first from her mother, and then, as the years passed and after her mum died, from her daughter too. She hadn’t wanted Ava to get attached to someone who could only pop in and out of their lives when his career allowed. It was enough that Kiki pined for him, missed him madly and kept him a secret without asking her daughter to do the same. Besides, he’d told her a thousand times that he couldn’t go public with their relationship because he wanted to protect them from the limelight and public intrusion. People could be horrible these days on social media and they both knew the trolls would have something to say about him being with a non-celebrity from a grotty tower block, so she’d been glad to go along with it while he was chasing his dreams. She’d even turned a blind eye when he had other relationships because he swore to her that they didn’t mean anything. They were just showmances for publicity or stopgaps until they could be together.
Now, in hindsight, she knew that wasn’t true.
For the last few years, since he’d landed the starring role that had solidified his career, she’d been quietly hoping that would change, gently suggesting to him that now he was successful and Ava was more independent, perhaps they could see each other more often, make their relationship more stable and permanent, stop hiding it like a dirty secret. Looking back, she could see now that he’d brushed her off every time she’d mentioned it, until the point, six months ago, when his last text told her it was over and he’d vanished from her life. Now, she couldn’t ignore the voice in her head that questioned if it had ever been real or whether he’d just strung her along since day one. The same voice that now asked her how different could her life have been if she hadn’t believed his promises, hadn’t waited for him, had sought out a normal relationship instead. Maybe she’d have met someone. Perhaps she’d be married to a good, decent man, and she might even have another child or two, and a nice house and a car that actually worked.
For the first time since she’d met him, Kiki felt a surge of rage aimed in his direction. He knew damn well that she’d believed every word he’d said about going off into the sunset together one day. She’d put all her trust in that being true, so now, with every day that passed, the sense of injustice grew, and so did her conviction that he owed her. He owed her an apology. He owed her an explanation. And he owed her some kind of payback for fifteen years of waiting for him, supporting him and standing by him. She could go to the media and they’d definitely pay her for the story of his secret affair, but she was going to give him the opportunity to do the right thing first. She’d never have believed for a second that she could sell him out or ask him for anything, but the choice was now simple – walk away with nothing and no way to give Ava the help she deserved, or ask him for a one-off financial payment that would pay for Ava’s private lessons. It wasn’t even a choice. She had nothing to lose, except her pride and dignity, and those were going to have to be sacrificed for her daughter’s sake.
Ava deserved more. She deserved a life with a mum who wasn’t stressing over every penny. She deserved a home that was comfortable. She deserved the extra bloody lessons that would develop her talents and put her on a level playing field with those who could afford them.
And now, Kiki knew, was probably her only chance to collect, because tonight, for the first time since he’d blown away fifteen years of promises with a text that said they were done, they were about to be in the same place, under the same roof, at the same event. The thought of meeting him made her tremble, because if she was honest, there was still a part of her that hoped he might see her and tell her it was all a mistake, that he loved her, that he was ready to be with her and Ava, all together in his world instead of hiding in hers.
Today Kiki was going to confront him and give him one more chance to make good on his promises.
And maybe, just maybe, this time he would choose her.
And if he didn’t?
Then there would be a price to pay.
4
GINNY CANAVAN
Ginny was blasted awake by the sound of ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’ by Wham. Ironic that her alarm song was released before she was even born, but…
‘Urgh, I can’t believe that is still your alarm song,’ Caden groaned, throwing his arm over her and snuggling into her neck.
Ginny slammed the button on the top of her alarm clock. And yes, she knew she was one of the few people in the world that still had one, but she’d fallen victim to too many nights when her phone had run out of charge and she’d overslept, so she was sticking with old-school technology. ‘It will never change. Grandad would never forgive me. It’s his alarm tune too – he had serious moves to that back in the day.’ The very thought of her grandad, Hugo, swinging his hips to a bit of Wham would always make her smile. Especially as he’d need to call in a chiropractor if he tried it these days.
With every fibre of her being, she wanted to stay in bed with Caden and make the most of every second they had together, but, as usual, life was getting in the way.
‘How are you feeling about the audition. Excited?’ Caden murmured sleepily. She could smell a hint of the wine they’d had last night on his breath, and it was a true testimony to how much she adored him that she found it sexy, rather than nauseating.
‘Like Channing-Tatum-shows-up-and-buys-me-diamonds level excited. No offence, but I’d drop you in a heartbeat.’
She could feel Caden’s cheeks rise on her shoulder and knew he was smiling, as he said, ‘None taken. As long as he brings Megan Fox and a case of beer with him, I’ll handle the heartbreak.’
Her chuckle was drowned out by the alarm, which had suddenly burst back into life. She banged the off button, knowing that there was no need for her usual five or six reluctant snooze-pauses before she could actually drag herself out of bed. Not today. If Caden wasn’t commandeering her shoulder as a pillow, she’d already be up and running through today’s schedule in her head.
