Page 69 of For Fake's Sake and other stories

“Where do you see yourself, then?” His voice is as quiet as mine, but his eyes are full of hope.

“With you. What we’ve done, what we’ve shared, isn’t something I can walk away from and return to my old life. I’ve changed, and that’s because of you.”

“I love you too, Noah. I can’t imagine you walking out of here. Talk to your mum, kitten. See what she says.”

But that’s the problem. And then the tears fall.

I had never expected that our night together would seal something so permanent. I’ve been in love with him since our first date. But I saw a side of him that not only took me by complete surprise but also reached deep inside me and cemented us being together.

I don’t know how I’m going to let him go.

I know that the guilt his mum feels over him having to move back home is filling her. The brief telephone conversations we have had since meeting her have proved how she wants him to have his life the way it would be without her illness. But he’s so stubborn he refuses to listen to her reasoning that she’s capable of living alone, that him being a phone call away is good enough. During our phone calls, I’ve told her how important Noah is to me. “You have to persuade him, Everett. Make him an offer he can’t refuse. It will be impossible for me to leave if he doesn’t have you.”

But should I be telling him this right now?

“Noah, sweetheart, don’t cry. We can sort this out, I promise.” I pull him into my arms and hold him as he cries into my collarbone.

“I don’t know how. She struggles every day.”

“I know she does, but you can’t change that. You’re not with her twenty-four hours a day. You have to work. Do youthink your mum wants you to give up your life for her? She feels guilty enough about you giving up your flat.”

Noah looks up. “You seem to know a lot about her and what she thinks.” And narrows his eyes. “How is that?” he asks in a cold voice.

Anger flashes over his face, and he moves off my body and stands. He opens his bag and pulls out some clothes. “Well?” He steps into a pair of black briefs and tugs them up.

“We’ve spoken on the phone a couple of times. She’s worried about you, about what she’s taking from you.” I dress in the jeans I had on yesterday, not wanting this argument to continue naked.

“Yet neither of you have told me about these ‘chats’.” He adds speech marks around the word. “I’m not a child you need to discuss or to decide what’s best for me.” He yanks his T-shirt over his head, steps into his jeans, and buttons them carefully. “You’ve just made the decision of what to do and how I feel very easily. Don’t call me again, Everett.” He storms out of the bedroom and stomps down the stairs.

I follow him, almost tripping over my feet on the bottom step. “Noah, stop. Wait, please, you’ve got this wrong. I know you’re not a child or need to tell you what to do, but both your mother and I love you, and we want to make sure you get to be happy in both your world with her and in ours.”

“I don’t want to hear it.”

He’s out the door, not bothering to close it, let alone slam it, and gets into his car. Without looking back at me, he drives away. What the fuck just happened? I stand in the doorway until his car has gone from view.

I should leave him alone and let him calm down, but I’m too in love with him to let him go. He can have his anger fit, hisstomping away, but he doesn’t get to end things with me. I finish dressing and call Julia while I grab my keys and get into my car.

“Good morning, Julia, it’s Everett. Noah is on his way home. He’s so, so angry about us talking. I’m just getting in my car to come to him.” I have the phone trapped between my ear and my shoulder as I slam the car door and press the start button. “I’ll be with you in fifteen minutes.”

“Oh, Everett, I’m sorry. If he gets home, I’ll try to talk to him.”

“I think it would be best to let him get his shouting over with. I won’t be long.” I end the call and follow the route Noah has taken to his home.

When I get there, Julia is standing on the doorstep, leaning heavily on her cane. Hopefully, I haven’t caused a trigger that could start a relapse.

“He hasn’t come home,” she says. Tight lines around her eyes give away her concern. “He’s not answering his phone either.”

I follow her into the house. “Do you have any idea where he would go?” How could the morning have gone from a glorious high to a devastating low? Thankfully, she nods.

“He’ll go to see Leo.”

“Leo from the bar? Will they even be open yet?” I check my watch. It’s only eleven thirty.

She smiles. “Even if it isn’t, Noah knows where Leo lives. They were neighbours before Noah moved back home. But my money will be on him being at the bar.”

“Okay, I’ll go there.”

“Hold on, not so fast. Tell me what happened. What went on between the two of you?”

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