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Dad frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Erin is her name. She’s new at school, and she was living with her older sister, but the sister has a boyfriend who she’s afraid of so she couldn’t live there anymore.”

“Wait, do you mean to tell me she’s been living here?” My shoulders slumped as I nodded. Dad frowned. “Where?”

“In the old attic storage space. No one ever goes up there.”

Dad’s mouth flattened into an even unhappier line. “How long?”

“Three weeks.”

“Christ, Tristan. What were you thinking? The attic is due for renovation next year, but it’s not safe for anyone to be up there. You should’ve come to me with this problem, and I’d have helped. I took in Rhys last summer when he was having problems, didn’t I? Your mother and I could’ve come up with a better way to help the girl than have her living up in that dusty old space.”

“I’m sorry, okay? I was only trying to help her.”

A small quiet fell as he stared at me, and I saw the moment when some of his anger dissolved. “You’re a good lad, I know that. Your heart was in the right place; it was just the wrong way to go about it. We’ll find somewhere for the girl. She can stay in our spare room for a few nights while we figure everything out.”

I blinked in confusion. Then, relief loosened all the tension that had tightened in my chest. Had he really just offered for Erin to stay with us? I only realised how stressed I was about her having nowhere to go because of how grateful I felt to my dad in that moment. I’d gone behind his back, but here he was, offering me a lifeline. No, offering Erin a lifeline. He had no idea how much this meant. The idea of her under our roof, where I knew she’d be safe, was a huge comfort.

Without thinking, I was up and out of my chair, closing the distance as I wrapped my arms around him in a hug. “Thank you, Dad. This means a lot.”

He patted me on the shoulder, and I released him, uncharacteristically self-conscious at my spontaneous show of gratitude and affection. He must’ve seen it written all over my face how much I cared about Erin. “All right, well, get yourself home now,” he said, dismissing me. I nodded and turned to the door. “Oh, and Tristan?”

I turned back. “Yeah?”

“You’re grounded for a month.”

“Aw, come on—”

“I won’t be turning on this. You’re lucky you injured your knee, or I would’ve banned you from rugby too.”

I sighed heavily and accepted the punishment. Besides, it was worth it to know my dad was going to help Erin and make sure she had somewhere safe to go.

Opening the door, I heard the scurry of feet and peered down the corridor to see Mark Green swiftly walking in the other direction. That little rat. Had he been listening at the door? I cursed under my breath. I swear the staff in this place were the nosiest people I’d ever come across. They thrived on gossip. Thankfully Dad’s office door was thick enough that he probably hadn’t been able to hear much.

As soon as I was outside, I pulled out my phone and texted Erin.

Is everything okay with your sister?

Her response came a few minutes later.

She’s upset, but she’ll be all right. I’m on my way to work, but I’ll tell you everything later. Meet me after my shift at five?

Dad said I was grounded, but he’d also said Erin could stay with us, so he’d at least have to let me out to go get her and tell her the plan.

I’ll be there. x

11.

Erin

I could barely get last night out of my head. It had been magical up until the point where those elevator doors opened and Tristan’s dad was there, looking furious.

I’d run out of the place in embarrassment and shame, terrified I’d gotten Tristan into trouble, but then as soon as I reached Sloane’s apartment, I’d had to switch gears. She’d thrown open the door and pulled me inside, her face red like she’d been up all night crying. I was ready to commit murder when she told me what had happened.

The long and the short of it was that she’d started to notice money regularly going missing from her purse. Since she always kept it locked away at work, she’d known there was only one possible suspect. So she’d scheduled a morning off and pretended she was still going to the hotel, but instead she’d followed Graham. He’d set off in his high-vis jacket and workwear, looking like he was headed for a construction site, but instead he’d driven straight to the pub. Rather than confronting him, Sloane had left and called up her friend from back home, Edel.

From Edel, she’d learned that Graham had not only not gotten out of the drug business after we left town, he’d continued dealing and spending big, partying and being wild, thus getting himself into even more debt. That was why he’d come to Dublin. Not because he’d loved Sloane so much he couldn’t live without her, but because he’d had to skip town. Scary people were chasing him for money again.