Page 134 of Take My Hand

Maddy shrugged. “I don’t know. I doubt it. We decided that we’ll deal with it.”

I shook my head. “Not happening. I will be talking to her and Emma’s mum.”

“Dad,” Maddy groaned. “Please just let us sort it out.”

I shook my head, turning my gaze to Maya as she’d placed her hand on my arm. She was chewing on her lip, clearly having something to say. “What?” I asked.

“Maybe let Maddy handle it how she feels?—”

I didn’t think anything would make me snap at Maya, but that comment instantly jarred on me. “Maya, if you don’t mind, she’s my daughter.”

“Dad!”

Maya blinked and held her hands up in surrender. “Sorry, your dad is right. It’s nothing to do with me.”

I wasn’t taking it back because I stood by it. Maddy was my daughter, and if I wanted to speak to Ana as well as Emma’s mum then I would.

“Sorry, Maya. I didn’t mean to snap, it’s just?—”

“Honestly, Will, It’s fine. I shouldn’t have said anything.” She offered me a smile and then stood up. “I’ll go and get a shower. What time are we going out?”

Asking about our lunch with Sam and Louise, seeing as they couldn’t make it later, she sounded a little too bright. At least her smile looked genuine.

I took her fingers in mine. “An hour is that okay?”.

She nodded but that time her smile was tight as she disappeared upstairs. As soon as we heard her footsteps up above us, Maddy turned on me.

“Why did you say that to her?” she hissed, glancing up at the ceiling. “Do you want to lose the best thing that’s happened to you in years?”

“Don’t be stupid.” Was it stupid? What if I had hurt her? “Fuck!”

“Yes, Dad.” She pointed upwards. “Go up there and apologise. Tell her you appreciate her input.”

“But youaremy daughter, Maddy. Idomake the decisions and the rules.”

“I know, but I can also make decisions because I’m seventeen. My decision is that I want to deal with Ana, and Emma doesn’t want her mum to know. You know what Diane is like.”

“Yeah, I bloody do, desperate to get me into bed.” Emma’s mum never failed to flirt with me and make comments about us having sex. She usually disguised it with innuendo, but I knew exactly what she was trying to say.

“Well, you won’t want to have to speak to her then, will you?” She grimaced and rubbed her temples. “That’s hurt my head.”

“Good.”

She narrowed her eyes on me. “Maya just understands what it’s like for girls and their friends. We’re not like boys, Dad. We don’t like upsetting each other, even if we’re mad at them. If you speak to her or her mum, or Emma’s mum, it will change everything. There will be a huge argument, and things will never be the same again. At least if Emma and I argue with her, we’ll do it in such a way that we can still be friends.”

“I’m surprised you want to be after what she did.” I was still furious with Ana, maybe not as angry as I had been, but I still thought she needed a good talking to. She was lucky I hadn’t told her mum on the text I’d sent checking she’d got a lift home from the party. I’d listened to Maddy’s request and was going to let her deal with it, so I’d given Susan some bull about Ana wanting to stay when the others were ready to leave. I didn’t like lying to her, but I had to trust my daughter. Thinking about that text then made me realise that I should apologise to Maya.

Pushing my chair back, I stood up and leaning forward, kissed the top of Maddy’s head. “I’m going upstairs to say sorry. Eat your toast and then get a shower, you stink. Plus, it will make you feel better.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever feel better,” she groaned.

“Do you want to come for lunch with us?” I asked as I deposited my dishes in the dishwasher.

“Ugh, no thanks. I think Zak is coming over later.”

I stood to my full height and nodded. “Okay. If you feel better later, maybe we’ll get takeaway tonight, or are you going out?”

She shook her head. “Nope. I may never go out again.”

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