Page 156 of Mark

“How can it be new when she’s lived there over a month?” Aiden asks.

“What?” Freya asks and I inwardly groan.

“I’m telling you, my back still hurts from lifting all those boxes,” he replies, not reading the room. Or well, garden.

“I thought you only moved in this weekend?” Summer mentions.

“Nanna,” Freya warns.

Maya holds up her hands. “All right, all right. The boys moved me in the weekend after they arrived home.”

Freya’s head spins so fast to me,Ialmost get whiplash. “Wait, those cookies that were in your kitchen. She made them, didn’t she?”

I gulp. “Yes?”

She smacks my arm. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

I shrug. “She asked me not to.”

“Why?” Freya questions.

“Because I wanted you two to sort it out first. We had a lot of catching up to do, and we spoke a lot whilst he stayed to help me unpack,” Maya replies, saving me.

And now she’s back to glaring at me. “So you knew that I knew about you know what?”

She means her devious sister and her fucked up plan. “Yes.”

She opens her mouth then closes it. She shakes her head. “I don’t understand. Why would you keep that from me? Why did you act surprised that I knew? Why didn’t you come sooner?”

“Because you needed time to process. Whilst you were told the truth, your eyes still saw what they did. That’s a lot to processand to trust. I gave you time to process it. I am not sorry for that.”

She reaches up to cup my cheek. “I love you, you marshmallow.”

“I love you too.” I grin. “Can all our fights be like this?”

She chuckles. “Nope. But if you want to avoid big ones, stop eating the last piece of bread in the mornings and don’t leave the toilet seat up.”

“Agree with that one. I nearly fell into the toilet the other night,” Summer adds. “I swear, my soul left my body.”

“So you’ve not told her?” Maya asks.

“Wait, there’s something you need to tell me?” Freya asks when she realises Maya is talking to Summer. “When did you see Nanna?”

“I pick her up from bingo every Thursday, then we always have a late-night snack,” Summer replies.

“Is there anyone else here who sees my nan more than me?” Freya asks.

Dad holds his hand up. “We take her to lunch every Tuesday.”

Max holds his hand up. “I go clubbing with her every Saturday pretty much.”

Lake snorts. “We go shopping Saturday mornings.”

“She’s been a guest on my show and I pop in on Wednesdays,” Hayden adds.

I narrow my gaze on Hayden. “She bakes on Wednesdays.”

Hayden shrugs. “Good to know.”

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