Page 122 of Worth Every Game

“Eleanor,” Mum corrects.

I nod and shift aside. Elly’s hesitant at first, but then she follows me in.

“Well,” Mum announces as if this one word sums up a host of information. “I’ll go then. Do try and behave yourself when I’m gone.” She rolls her eyes to the ceiling. “Like an absolute animal last night. Goodness.” A shudder ripples through her before she turns to Elly, looking her up and down with a disdainful curl of the upper lip. “If you could try not to incite my son to violence, it would be much appreciated.”

Elly shrugs. “Jack makes his own choices, Mrs Lansen. I think you know that.”

Mum gives a disgruntled harrumph as she tucks the strap of her handbag tightly over her shoulder, tucking the body of it beneath her arm. She gives Elly another flick of a glance. “Your latest song. It’s really… rather good.” The admission sounds like it pains Mum to make it. “You’ve more talent than I gave you credit for. Well done.”

Elly’s jaw falls open, and I keep quiet, letting the compliment sink in. Mum’s always responded to achievement. As a kid, I could always win her over by doing something good. Something exceptional. Winning some prize or game.

But it doesn’t last, because Mum is nothing if not brutally honest. “You aren’t who I would have chosen. I think we all know that. But I suppose we must try to get along, especially if you are set on Jack here.” Mum glances at me. “He certainly seems set on you.”

Before either of us can respond, Mum spreads her arms wide and wraps them around Elly in the most awkward hug I’ve ever seen. It’s all pointed elbows and raised shoulders, as if Mum doesn’t actually want any part of her body to come into contact with Elly’s. It’s so typically Mum that it makes me want to laugh, and the sight of Elly’s alarmed eyes peering at me over Mum’s shoulder only makes it worse.

Mum pulls back, nods at both of us as though this finalises the matter entirely, and lets herself out, closing the door behind her.

“That was… weird,” Elly says under her breath.

I say nothing, not knowing whether Elly is referring to the compliment, the hug, or the fact that my mother’s announcement that I’m ‘certainly set’ on Elly sounded almost like approval. I’m not sure how I feel about that last comment. I’d prefer to tell Elly myself how I feel, rather than have my mother out me. Not that Elly doesn’t know, given I must have spent thousands of pounds on flowers over the past few weeks, and hours idling on the road outside Nico’s apartment.

Elly twines a curl around her fingers, eyes landing on mine. “I noticed it’s really hard to find my pictures online now.” She keeps twisting that curl really tight. I want to reach out and loosen it, but I don’t dare touch her. “Did you do that?”

My heart lurches like it wants to escape my body and spring right into Elly’s. “I did whatever I could, yeah.”

“Thank you.” She tilts her head towards the kitchen wherePlaying Your Gamesis still streaming through the speakers. “Is that… my song?”

“Yeah.” I shove my hands deep in my pockets. “It’s really good. Is it…?” I can’t bring myself to ask the question.

“About you? About us?”

“Yeah.”

She sighs. “It was all…. very painful.”

I nod, not wanting to agree and let her know how painful it was for me too. Not until I know what she’s thinking, at least.

“I’m so, so sorry, El. I never meant for you to get hurt. I had no idea that anything would have gone down the way it did. I couldn’t have predicted that Lydia—”

“Kate said you had Derek removing comments on my videos.”

Guilt squeezes my gut. “Yeah. Sorry. I—”

“If I’d seen those, or you’d told me about them, maybe I could have predicted what Lydia was up to. Maybe not all of it… but some of it. I could have been prepared.” She pauses, letting her shoulders drop. “I wish you’d mentioned it, rather than hiding it from me.”

“I didn’t want you to get upset.” I let out a mirthless burst of laughter. “Turns out I can’t control the world and all the people in it.”

“But you can knock their teeth out and break their noses.” I don’t move.Is that a compliment or a reprimand?

“I’m sorry you had to see that.”

“You looked like you wanted to do worse.”

I tilt my chin in confirmation.Fuck yes, I wanted to spread his guts out on the fucking floor.

An awkward silence descends, and Elly fiddles with the sleeve of her sheepskin jacket. “I saw that Lydia was arrested. Did you do that too?”

I hesitate, unsure if she’ll appreciate any more of my interference. But I won’t lie to her, either. “With Nico’s assistance, yes. I wasn’t going to let her get away with it. She hurt you, and to me, that’s unforgivable.”

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