“It’s good to see you both.” Petal beams.
“Yeah, you don’t ever seem to get a night off,” Tony points out and Sonya voices her agreement.
“I never do; needs must when you have rent to pay.” Petal gives a small shrug and brings her glass to her lips, taking a healthy gulp.
“Amen.” I nod, looking at the faces around me to see if there’s anyone I recognise.
Fortunately there isn’t. I haven’t yet faced anyone since me and Eloise were outed to everyone who knows us. I’m worried it’ll make for awkward conversation.
I’m just glad Diplock hasn’t sent me anymore messages. That last one pissed me off, but I guess, from the outside looking in, that’s how it would seem to him.
“You look great,” Petal says and I think she’s talking to Tony but she looks directly at me.
I clear my throat and look down at my black shirt and grey jeans. Eloise picked this outfit for me. That was a fun day of shopping… not. It was fun to be with her, though. “Thanks, so do you.”
And she does, I won’t lie. She’s extremely beautiful and has a slim figure with large breasts that spill over the top of her low cut dress. I can see what Tony finds attractive, along with her wit and great personality. She’s definitely somebody I could see myself being friends with.
I hate to admit it to myself, but before Elle she’d have been just the type of girl I’d take home for the night.
I’m extremely glad I’m not that person anymore.
Eloise definitely changed me for the better.
Tony gives me the side eye when he turns away and I shrug, not sure why she’s telling me I look good. He looks good too; she should tell him, the single one.
“She’s gone.” My dad’s panicked voice makes me sit bolt upright in bed.
“What do you mean she’s gone?” I practically shout.
“Everything was locked, the windows, the doors… I don’t… I can’t find her, Isaac.”
“Fuck!” I scramble out of bed and pull on my jeans, the phone trapped between my ear and shoulder. “I can’t drive,” I blurt, realisation sinking in. “I only got in an hour ago.”
“Then run. It’s not a big town. She’s bound to be somewhere nearby.”
I hang up the phone and call the taxi company, asking them to keep a lookout before calling the police and then every person in town that I know who will be awake.
I even go so far as to post it on my Facebook.
My phone rings not ten minutes later and it’s Eloise.
“Hayley is coming to pick you up.” She says firmly, but I hear the panic in her voice.
“What?”
“She’s in town helping her mum with her brother. She’s got the flu.”
I quickly pull on a top and slip my shoes on my feet. “Great.”
“I’m going to hang up just in case anyone calls, but I need you to call me when you hear anything.”
“Got it,” I say and listen for the line to go dead.
Hayley comes wearing a bright pink onesie. I have to double blink to be sure it’s her in the car.
“Hop in, Mr Drinky,” she tells me, patting the passenger seat after I open the door.
“Thanks for this, Hayley.”
“I have terms,” she states as she pulls away from the curb.
“Really? Right now?” We drive towards my parents’ house, going only twenty miles an hour so we can see down alleyways and driveways for my mum.
“I want dibs on being god mum to your kiddies.”
If I was drinking, I’d have just sprayed it everywhere. “I don’t think kids are in our future, Hayley. It’s not something Elle and I want.”
“But you’ve discussed it?”
I think back to the conversation Eloise and I had in my father’s kitchen after we first had sex. “Briefly.”
“But in case you change your minds, I’m having dibs.”
“Sure,” I agree because it’s probably not going to happen. Kids don’t really appeal to me. The thought of becoming a father never has. Sure kids are cute, but they aren’t for me.
“Where do you think she might have gone?” Hayley asks, breaking me from my thoughts.
“We’ve found her at a different place every single time, so I don’t have a clue.”
“How many times has she wandered?”
I wince, knowing she’ll tell Eloise. This is the fourth time in the past four months.
Her hands tighten on the steering wheel. “Poor Mrs Price. Okay, so where did you find her the last four times?”
“In an alley behind the box place, at the store on the high street, in the neighbour’s garden the third time and on Coventry road the last.”
“Okay, we’ll check them all.” Hayley says, putting her foot on the accelerator, taking us up to thirty five.
“Thanks for this, Hayley. I’m sure you’ve got better things to be doing than chasing down your friend’s husband’s mother.”
“Are you kidding? Eloise is my best friend. I’d do anything for you guys.”
Why did I ever feel any kind of animosity towards her back when she was a student? She’s such a nice girl.
“I hear you and Elle have made a new friend.”
“Kira?”
I nod, my eyes scanning every location before us.
“I don’t trust her.” She says calmly, also scanning the streets as we turn a corner.
“Does Eloise know that?”
“No use in saying anything. I could be wrong. I’m not the best judge of character. She just seems… I don’t know. There’s something not right about her.”
I rest back into the seat and blow out a breath. “I have yet to meet her, but when I do I’ll heed your warning.”
“There’s no warning. It’s probably just me.”
“Still, you’re my wife’s best friend; you know her better than anyone. If you don’t trust her, there’s a reason for that.”
Hayley lets out a yawn, making me feel guilty for getting her out of bed. “Do you miss her?”
I know she’s talking about Eloise so I nod. “More than I could begin to describe.”
“Spoken like a man in love.” She giggles and turns another corner. “Well, Mrs Price is clearly not here. We should check the school next. It’s only round the corner and who knows? She might have had a bout of nostalgia.”
Hayley wasn’t wrong. We find my mother at the school and I’ve never come so close to kissing another woman since meeting Eloise. Hayley I mean, not my mother.
And not in a romantic way, just in a ‘holy crap I’m so fucking grateful and happy I could kiss you’ kind of way.
I stay at my parents’ on a chair in my mum’s room, just in case she tries to go walkabouts again.
It’s where I stay for the rest of the week so my dad doesn’t have to.
Chapter Eighteen
Eloise
“Hey, Elle,” Professor Franklin calls as I pass him in the hall, on my way to breakfast after meeting Damon and Kira.
Elle? Since when did he start calling me Elle?
“See you tonight?” He says and doesn’t wait for me to respond before pushing through the crowd.
“What was that all about?” Damon asks, eyeing the teacher warily as he vanishes round the corner, high fiving another student on the way.
“Study group.”
“Two study groups in one day? You’re dedicated.” He chuckles and picks something from my hair. He shows me a tiny piece of paper before flicking it onto the ground.
“I can’t seem to get out of that one.” I shrug. “So, what are you doing for break?”
His eyes light up. “I’m not sure. Everyone I like is going home for break and home isn’t Cambridge unfortunately.”
“Well I’m stuck here because of work. We could hang out?” I suggest, moving to the queue.
“Sounds like a plan. There’s the new Spiderman movie out. If that’s your thing we could go and see it?”
I nod; that�
�s definitely my thing. “Awesome. I’m paying this time though.”
“If you say so.” He grins and waves at Kira as she enters the cafeteria from the other entrance. She bounces over with extra enthusiasm when she sees Damon. “We were just talking about going to see the new Spiderman in the term break. You up for it?”
“Hell yeah I am!” She responds, grabbing a tray from under the counter.
“Brilliant.” I grab a bowl from beside the fridge and place it onto the tray after filling it with chocolate cereal and milk. Damon does the same, whereas Kira opts for a full English breakfast. It’s only the third time I’ve had breakfast in the cafeteria. I don’t see the point in paying three quid for cereal and juice when that could buy me a week’s worth of just that. Today I’ve made an exception though, seeing as I was up late and invited by Damon and Kira.
We go to pay and I slip my savings card into the machine and tap in my PIN.
“Declined,” the woman says, looking impatient.
“I must have put in the wrong pin.”
She taps something on the screen and I quickly type my pin code in again.
“Still declined,” she says, clearly bored.
What the fuck? That’s impossible. I have at least four grand in there.
“I’ve got it,” Kira says quietly and hands the woman a twenty.
I’m speechless. I don’t know what just happened. It’s probably the card, or maybe my account has been blocked.
“I need to call my bank,” I tell them when we sit at a random table, surrounded by co-eds on other tables. “Thank you for paying for this. I’ll pay you back.”
“Are you okay?” Damon asks, looking concerned.
“I’m sure it’s just an error. I have a shit load left over from saving for two bloody years.” The sick feeling in my stomach tells me otherwise.
As soon as classes finish, I race home and call my bank. I’m put on hold for a while before I finally get to the department I need and by then I’m angry times a million. I have zero patience and my tone towards the woman on the other end of the line is less than pleasant.
“It says here that you withdrew one thousand at seven PM four nights ago, then another six hundred at eight thirty PM and the next day eleven hundred at seven AM.”
My heart stops. “That’s impossible. I haven’t been home in…”
My heart implodes and my lungs constrict. I hang up the phone with trembling hands and stare at the screen with blurred vision. Tears of anger sting my eyes.
I call Isaac again and again. He doesn’t answer and that just pisses me off even more.
When he does finally call me back, I’m livid.
“Where the fuck are our savings?” I shout, wiping the angry tears from my cheeks.
He doesn’t respond for a long moment, so I repeat myself, even louder this time.
“Calm down. I used it to pay off the mortgage in advance.” He sounds irritated. “Is that a problem?”
“You took all of it, everything! You know I’ve been using it to buy food.”
He curses under his breath. “Okay, I’ll transfer you some money now to keep you tied over until payday. Okay?”
My trembling fingers run through my hair as I try to come to terms with whatever the fuck is happening right now. “I don’t understand why you needed all of it!”
“Stop speaking to me like that. I took out enough to pay the car insurance in advance, then I took out more to pay the next two months’ mortgage. I’ll put it back on payday. I didn’t realise I’d taken so much.” Why does he sound irritated? What the hell did I do? “It’s not a big deal. We have to pay for the house somehow. You know my hours have dropped.”
I inhale a calming breath. “I need money, like now, Isaac. You have no idea how mortifying it was getting declined for a four quid breakfast.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I just thought it would be easier if we didn’t have to worry for a couple of months is all. I saw your face when you saw those bills…”
“I’m not even home for the next couple of months, so let’s pretend that that makes sense!”
“Stop speaking to me like that. It’s starting to piss me off.” He bites out.
I hang up, still seething so badly I’m surprised I’m not glowing.
Fuck you, Isaac.
Something about this doesn’t sit right with me at all.
Isaac
I grip my hair in my hands and throw my phone across the room. It shatters against the wall with a loud thud. What the fuck have I done?
A feeling of dread overcomes me as I flop down onto my bed.
I need money and I need it now.
I call my dad.
******
“You shouldn’t be back here, Isaac.” Petal says, sliding my drink towards me.
“Don’t.” I shake my head and take the beer with a small smile.
“You have a problem.”
I shake my head again. “This is the last time. It’s just thirty quid. We need money fast.”
“Isaac…” her tone is warning. “Cut your losses.” She leans over the bar as she whispers this, her hand gripping mine. “Please, don’t do this to yourself. Go to the main desk and put a ban on yourself before you get in too deep.”
“I’m fine.” I wave her off and head to my usual machine.
She watches me with sad eyes as I place the card into the machine and stare at my last thirty pounds flashing in the ‘balance’ box.
I press auto, my heart thudding in my chest as I click twenty as the amount of auto spins.
I watch it reel around and around, winning tiny amounts before losing it again. It spins and spins, around and around, until my balance drops to zero.
My heart shatters and I press my forehead against the glass screen. What have I done?
With my stomach clenching in pain, I stand and walk away from the machine. I don’t cry but I’ve not felt this close to it in a long time.
My phone rings; it’s my dad. I’m not in the mood for this.
“What?” I snap, taking my irrational anger out on him and not caring in the slightest.
“She’s gone again.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I shout, startling a few of the people around me.
“It’s not my fault. I needed to lie down, just for a minute.”
“Fuck you.” I spit and hang up the phone.
“Isaac,” Petal calls, her eyes even sadder than before.
I wave her off, down my drink and stomp out of the shithole that is ruining my life.
I drive my car around town, scouring the streets with a permanent scowl on my face. I don’t bother calling anyone, nor do I take it slow. I’ll see her. I’m too alert to not see her.
This is getting ridiculous. How the fuck are we meant to keep her out of a nursing home if we can’t even keep her in the house?
Guilt tries to seep in as I think of the way I just spoke to my dad, but I stomp that back and keep driving.
This is fucking stupid. We can’t keep doing this. It’s dangerous. Maybe she is better off in a nursing home.
My cheap, shitty phone that I bought to replace the one I broke vibrates. I glance at it, not recognising the number on the screen.
Petal: It’s Petal, I got your number from Tony. Are you okay? You looked really upset when you left.
I don’t respond. I need to find my mum.
Eloise
I slide the drink down to the customer and move onto the next. This is now my life six nights a week.
Things aren’t great right now; everything is tense and up in the air. I’m losing grips on my life again. I’m skint, I’m arguing with my husband and I’m still only just above failing my classes. At this rate I’ll never finish the year and I can kiss my year of architecture goodbye.
I haven’t spoken to Isaac since the other day. He hasn’t called me and I haven’t called him.
Now, looking back, I feel like I might have overreacted. My money is his money and his mone
y is mine. I just wish he’d spoken to me before emptying my account.
“You didn’t show up for study group last week,” Professor Franklin says curiously as I go to leave his class for lunch.
Fuck. I was hoping he wouldn’t bring it up.
“And the work you’ve been producing has been less than satisfactory.” Now he’s frowning. “Is everything okay?”
I nod. “I’m just… overwhelmed. I guess I’m not as smart as I thought.”
He blows out a breath and rubs the back of his neck with one hand. “Make sure you come on Thursday.”
“I have to start work at seven, so I’ll have to leave early, if that’s okay?” I clarify, my brows furrowed with a frown, mainly because I just can’t be bothered with this.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Eloise? You look troubled… depressed almost.”
He’s not wrong. Life isn’t easy right now, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’m depressed.
My phone starts ringing, cutting off my response.
“I’ll see you on Thursday at five. Don’t forget; I’ll be waiting.” He leaves the room, leaving me with only a few lingering students.
Why do I suddenly feel an extreme sense of Deja-vu?
I don’t have the patience for this.
I answer my phone. “Hey, John. Is everything okay?”
“Not really, no.” He pauses. “What’s going on with Isaac?”
Blink. “What do you mean?”
“He’s… he’s become a rotten bastard. There’s no politer way to put it. His mood is foul. Did you two fight?”
Shit. “Kind of.” I pinch the bridge of my nose.
“Look, I don’t know what’s going on but please call him. Do something to cheer him up.”
Like I don’t have enough of my own shit going on. “I’ll try.” And I will, because I love Isaac and hearing that he might be sad hurts me deep down, no matter how annoyed I am at him. “I have to get to lunch or I’ll miss it.”
Destruction: The Distraction Trilogy #2 Page 23