Page 54 of Textbook Romance

‘What the actual hell?’ she mumbles.

I don’t quite know what to do but I move out of bed and put some clothes on. This feels like a situation for clothes.

‘Before you have an actual heart attack, she jumped on a train to Birmingham. She’s on the phone to Neil now and we’ve told her to stay on the line until she’s with us. We’ll pick her up from the station in an hour and then I’ll drive her back to you guys.’

I see the tears welling up in Zoe’s eyes and she wipes them away with the palm of her hand. ‘What the hell was he thinking?’

‘Who knows with that man anymore? If I see him, I will literally stab him. Hang up here and call Dyl. He’s panicking. I’ll let you know when I have Lottie. Just bloody pick up your phone, yeah? And who the hell is Jack?’

She looks up at me. ‘I went to school to work on a project thing. He’s a colleague.’

She mouths sorry to me. Kate doesn’t respond to that. ‘Love you. All will be fine. Just breathe.’

Zoe nods and the line goes dead. She sits there in bed, a hand to her mouth and it’s the same Zoe I saw when she first found out her husband had been cheating on her. The sadness kills me.

‘I’m sorry I picked up your phone. I should have just woken you up. Are you OK?’ I ask her.

She doesn’t look like she wants to get into the practicalities of that situation, but I can see her mind running through a million different thoughts.

‘Can you get me some water?’ she asks. I nod, heading to the desk in the room and pouring her out a glass. She walks over to her suitcase, looking for clean clothes and tying her hair into a bun again. I see her scroll through messages, tears rolling down her cheeks. She starts to make a call, puts the phone to speaker again and I sit on the edge of the bed, eavesdropping.

‘Mum? God…’

‘I’m so sorry I didn’t answer, Dyl. Are you OK? Please tell me you’re OK?’

‘I’ve just shut myself in my room. I can’t believe Dad did this.’

‘So Liz wasn’t there when you arrived?’

‘No, last night we went out for dinner and then this morning, she just appeared at breakfast. Turned up to the Airbnb with pastries and coffees and Dad announced she was going to spend the rest of the weekend with us. That’s when Lottie totally lost it.’

Tears start to properly flow from her eyes. I don’t quite know what to do but I put a hand to her back. She tries to hold it together so Dylan can’t hear how upset she is.

‘Understandable. And then she just left?’

‘Stormed out, screaming and crying.’

‘Well, I don’t want you to worry because it turns out she rang Aunty Kate and is currently on a train to Birmingham.’

‘She what?’ Dylan says, half-laughing. ‘How did she wing that?’

‘Have you met your sister before?’ she jokes. ‘Aunty Kate will go meet her and bring her home, make sure she’s safe. Dylan, I don’t know what to say. Do you want to be there? I can come and get you. I can book a train for you or get a car to bring you back home. I’m so sorry he’s done this.’

And that’s when her son starts sobbing and Zoe totally loses it.

‘I’m so sorry, Dylan.’

‘I don’t want to be here, Mum. I don’t want to do this alone.’

Zoe nods and I see her eyes frantically working out what to do. I signal to her requesting if it’s OK for me to talk. She stares at me, but I know what I have to do.

‘Hi, Dylan. My name is Jack. Your mum and I work together, we’ve been in school today working on a project. Look, let me help. I’ve got friends in Manchester who I can call. What I’m going to do is get them to pick you up and drive you down to Birmingham so you can find Lottie and your Aunty Kate and then she can drive you back home. Does that sound like a plan? Have you got an address there?’

Dylan pauses for a moment. ‘Mum?’

Zoe scans my face. ‘Yeah, it’s fine. We can trust Jack. It’s a good idea, then at least you’ll be together.’

‘I think it’s called Spinners Way. There’s a Tesco Express downstairs.’

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