Page 34 of Untouchable Player

She crosses the room and puts her arms around me and I force myself not to cry. I am not a child. My parents’ problems are not my business. So why does it feel like I’m a little kid right now?

When she pulls away, she looks calmer. “I can’t throw your father out of his own house, but I just need a few days to collect myself, okay? I’ll be back.”

“I don’t want to stay here with him either.”

“He’s your father, don’t be angry at him, please. This is between me and him.”

I let her get back to her packing and go to my room, listening out to see if Dad comes up to apologise or try to talk her out of leaving. But he doesn’t, and twenty-minutes later I hear her car pull out of the driveway and crunch down the gravel onto the road.

Katie hugs me as soon as she opens the door and I have to stop myself from bursting into tears.

“You can cry if you want,” she says when she pulls away and sees my face, “I’m a woman, I can take it.”

That makes me snort a laugh, “I’m okay, thank you though.”

She takes a seat on the bed with her legs crossed. “Have you spoken to your dad yet?”

I shake my head. “I kept waiting for him to come upstairs and talk to me, but he didn’t. And when I woke up this morning, he was already at work.”

“Do you know where your mom’s staying?”

“She texted to let me know she’s at The Hilton.”

Katie nods. Sometimes I think she finds my family pretentious and tacky, (and I don’t disagree), but surely I’m just being paranoid and she’s not thinking that right now?

“She’ll be okay,” she says.

“I know, it’s just, I don’t want my parents to get divorced. I know it’s silly and I’m not a kid anymore and it shouldn’t really matter if they’re together or not, but it kind of does.”

“It’s not silly,” she says, “I understand. If my parents split up I’d be upset too, but who says they’re splitting up?”

“My dad cheated on her, how can they not split up?”

“You don’t know that, it’s just what you heard. And even if it is, lots of couples get over infidelity.”

“I couldn’t forgive someone who cheated on me.”

Katie shrugs, “you can’t say that until you’re in the situation. Neither of us know what it’s like to be with someone for decades and raise two kids with them. They’ve got more to fight for than anyone our age.”

“You’re doing that thing again.”

“What thing?”

“Talking like a therapist.”

“Psychiatrist thank you very much.”

I smile at her, because I really am grateful for how much she’s been there for me these past three years.

“I don’t want to go back to the house.”

“You can stay here if you like. But you’ll have to share my single bed and I kick.”

“Thanks.”

“I would suggest you ask Harrison if he has space, but I’m guessing you don’t want to live with three sweaty athletes.”

My face flushes at the thought of living with Jesse. Seeing him pouring his cornflakes at breakfast without a shirt on.

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