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Wait, what? Was this real? My spirits instantly lifted. “Oh my goodness, yes, thank you so much.”

“Of course. I think you’ll be a great fit. Your official start will be on Thursday, but can you come in this evening after school to fill in some forms? I’d also like to show you the ropes a little before you start.”

I was smiling widely when I replied, “Yes, I’ll be there. Is four o’clock okay?”

“Four’s perfect. See you then.”

She hung up, and I made my way to class with a spring in my step. My sister had called me a bunch of times during the night, so she’d obviously started to worry about me. I was still mad at her, but I also didn’t want her to freak out and report me as missing, so I texted her back.

I’m okay. Staying with a friend, and I got a part-time job so I’ll have some money soon.

I put my phone away, only checking it when I got out of English. Sloane had texted back.

That’s great news, but please come home. It doesn’t need to be this way. I love you.

I didn’t reply, mainly because I’d already told her why I couldn’t stay at the apartment, and she’d brushed off my concerns. Plus, the idea of going back with my tail between my legs smarted far too much. My prideful nature wouldn’t allow it.

I didn’t run into Tristan all day, but I did see him out by the sports pitch after school. He still wore his uniform and was standing talking to the coach. I remembered his knee injury. He must’ve had to take the next few weeks off training while he recovered. I’d noticed him gently massaging his knee yesterday in the attic, but I didn’t ask him about it. I imagined it was disappointing not to be able to play while he waited for the injury to heal.

His gaze met mine for a moment while he was still talking to his coach. He lifted his hand and waved at me, shooting me a friendly nod. I waved back and continued on my way out of the school, not wanting to be late for Tara.

She was placing iced cinnamon buns in the display cabinet when I walked into the café. It wasn’t too busy, so I headed right up to her.

“Hey, I’m here,” I said, and she glanced up at me.

“Ah, Erin. Perfect timing,” she placed the last bun down, then came around the counter to greet me. “So, I just have a few forms for you to fill out, and then I’ll show you the ropes. This is Marie,” she motioned to the older, dark-haired woman who was also here last week. Marie gave me a wave of hello since she was busy taking orders by the register. “As I mentioned, my grandmother owns this place, but she’s out today dealing with one of our suppliers. You’ll meet her on Thursday. There’s also Brenda and Sully, our bakers who are usually in the kitchen, but they come in early and finish at one. You’ll also meet Adam and Farrah, our weekend workers when you come in on Saturday.” I nodded along while Tara led me into a small office. She pulled some forms from a cabinet and set them down on the desk. “You can sit in here while you fill these out. It’s just some basic tax, bank account and employment stuff. Come find me when you’re done, and I’ll show you how to use the register.”

“Okay, will do.”

Tara left, and I sat down to look at the forms. One of the very first things I needed to write down was my address, and I immediately felt a twist in my gut. Technically, I didn’t have one right now. Maybe I could arrange with Sloane to still have my mail go to her place, and I could collect it from her at some point. With this in mind, I put down the address for the apartment, hoping I wouldn’t receive any letters in the near future.

By the time I left the café, I was exhausted from trying to take everything in and memorise all the instructions Tara had given me. I was sure I was going to mess up, but hopefully I’d learn the ropes quickly. Still undecided on where I was going to sleep, I returned to the hotel, careful to avoid the reception area where my sister would be. I headed around the back, climbing the stairs to the attic.

The hairs on the back of my neck rose as I got the sense someone had been here. Warily, I manoeuvred around the rows of furniture before reaching the stack of mattresses. Someone had left me a fresh duvet cover and pillows to replace the old ones I’d found. They’d also left an extension cord, a bag of supplies, as well as set up a little tea and coffee station with a kettle on a side table next to the mattresses. My heart stopped as I took it all in, then saw the note that was left on the table.

Erin,

I’ve been considering your situation, and I think you should stay here until you find somewhere suitable. I thought about setting you up in an empty room downstairs, but there’s more chance of you being discovered by a member of staff, so I tried making things as comfortable as possible for you up here. If you need anything, my number’s on the back of this note. Don’t hesitate to call.

From,

Tristan.

P.S. If anyone finds out about this, I’ll cover for you, so please don’t worry.

Tears filled my eyes because I couldn’t remember anyone being this nice to me, not least a virtual stranger. Tristan Balfe might’ve been a privileged rich kid, but he had a good heart. I opened up the bag and found an array of instant noodles, cereal, crackers, soup and all manner of non-perishable items that would keep me going for at least a week. By then, I should get my first payment from the café, so I wouldn’t need to rely on Tristan so much.

He would never know how grateful I was for his kindness.

8.

Tristan

What are you doing? Just leave her alone.

My inner dialogue was a mess of indecision as I got out of my car and walked around to the hotel’s staff entrance. I didn’t normally question my actions so much, but Erin had been through a lot, and I didn’t want to push my company on her when she might’ve preferred to be alone.

I’d come to the hotel, but she wasn’t in the attic. She’d left her things, so I knew she’d be back at some point. I wasn’t completely sure why, but I wanted her to stay here. I wanted to be the one to provide her with a safe place away from Graham.