Page 180 of Take My Hand

“Yeah, I got all that.” I took my phone from my back pocket and flicked through to Zak’s number.

Maya, who clearly already knew me well, said in a warning voice, “Will.”

My eyes flicked up to hers. “What?”

“Do not call him.” She was wearing a sling because the weight of the plaster cast was getting her down. Tucked inside it was a bag of Maltesers.

“Why do you have chocolate tucked in your sling?” I asked, trying to hide my grin.

“They’re for Maddy. In times like this, a girl needs chocolate, not her dad calling up the boy in question.” The raised eyebrow persuaded me to put my phone back in my pocket. “Now, will I take them up, or will you?”

Emma and Liv were looking at Maya like she’d just farted a rainbow or something, and I realised we’d never had boy trouble before. Otherwise, I’d have known about the chocolate. I mean, I knew about it during the week of her period, but never when a boy was involved.

“You go,” I told Maya. “I may say totally the wrong thing about the little fucker, and if it’s all a mistake, and she doesn’t break up with him, I’ll be the bad guy.”

Maya grinned and nodded towards the hallway. “Are you coming girls.”

Emma shook her head. “I should go home.”

“She means that Liam is coming round.” Liv rolled her eyes. “I should go home, too, though. I’ve run out of clean underwear. I thought we were only coming round for a few hours.”

To be honest I thought it was a good idea, it wasn’t doing any of them any good being holed up in Maddy’s room. Theyabsolutely needed to grieve, but the longer they stayed in Maddy’s room, the harder it would be for them to leave it.

“Okay, but let me feed you first.” I looked at them each in turn. “Good plan?”

“Do we still get garlic bread?” Emma asked.

“Absolutely.”

“Yes, please,” they both chimed.

“Right, go and sit in the lounge, and as soon as Maya and Maddy come down, we’ll eat.”

As they walked away, I exhaled and looked up at the stairs, hoping that Maya was able to get through to Maddy. Despite still being able to hear quiet sobbing, I had high hopes that she would.

A little while later, after the girls had gone back home, Maddy was still upstairs. She hadn’t wanted to talk about it with me. She hadn’t wanted to talk to anyone, she hadn’t wanted to eat; she hadn’t wanted to do anything except have a bath and get ready for school the next day. All she’d done was snatch the Maltesers from Maya, and then asked to be left alone. As for Maya, she was sitting on the sofa with me. She looked tired, and I knew it wouldn’t be long before we went up to bed, too. It had been a hard day, a hard couple of days one way or another. Maya’s pain seemed to be under control, but she had a stiffness about her shoulders and that crease between her brows was back.

“You okay, gorgeous?”

She nodded but there was a sulky pout to her lips. “Yeah, I suppose so.”

“I know I haven’t been able to give you much attention today, but tomorrow will be better.”

Maya’s mouth dropped open, and she gasped. “God, no, that’s not it, love. Honestly.”

“Are you in pain?” From my chair, I dropped to my knees and shuffled over to her, placing my hands on her thighs. “Do you need more painkillers?”

She shook her head and breathed in. The swell of her breast rose and fell with each inhale and her eyes turned dark as she stared at me.

“What then?”

She chewed on her lip. “I don’t want to say. It makes me sound like a horrible person.”

“What does?” I leaned up to give her a soft kiss. “I can’t imagine anything making you sound like a horrible person.”

“This would,” she said quietly. “After everything those poor kids have gone through, saying this would make me feel like a vile, selfish cow.”

She lifted her cast wrist with her other hand and cradled it against her chest. She winced a little, so I reached for her sling that she’d thrown to one side.

---