Page 39 of Such a Sweet Girl

‘Like what? Expecting me to waste my summer here with you every year?’ His face reddened as he tipped out his toiletries into the case.

‘I’ve given up everything to spend time with you. You barely look away from the screen long enough to acknowledge I exist, and you did the same to Francesca.’ When would he see the part he played in all of this?

‘You don’t give a fuck about her. Or me. It’s all just about you.’ Nick’s voice grew a mocking air as he continued. ‘I was only a teen when I had you. It’s been soooo hard for me. So hard that I stole your girlfriend because I can’t get my own.’

‘Nick.’

‘Woe is me. I knocked up a girl and my son ruined my life.’ He continued, and I sighed.

‘I did everything I could,’ I said, the words sounding hollow.

‘Except moving here. You could have been here.’ Rejection filled his voice, and for the first time in a long time I saw a glimpse of the boy he’d been.

‘We weren’t married. It wasn’t that easy. I was fifteen.’ My heart ached. It was becoming more obvious that Nick’s resentment ran far deeper than just Frankie and me being together.

‘Sorry, Nick.’ Francesca’s voice came from behind me.

‘It’s not about you,’ he said. ‘I couldn’t give a fuck about you and my dad. You didn’t mean anything to me.’

I looped an arm around Frankie’s shoulders. ‘Don’t talk to her like that.’

‘Why? What are you going to do? Is her pussy so good you’d move here for her? No. You can’t, right? I’m done with you, Dad. Done with your bullshit attempts to force a relationship on me. I don’t care about you. I’m out.’

‘Nick,’ I said, moving forward.

‘Don’t touch me. I’ll get the rest of my shit and be gone by morning.’

He pushed past Frankie and me, and I swallowed down the lump in my throat. Fighting the urge to go after him. After everything, he was still my kid.

Frankie placed a hand on my arm, her eyes wide. ‘Let him go, give him space.’

‘What if I don’t see him again?’

‘You will. He needs time and space. He’s stuck in a selfish cycle, stuck blaming you when you tried your best. Do you regret us? Do you want me to go?’ Francesca slid her hand down to grip my fingers.

‘No, sweetie. Stay. I’ll figure this out.’

Spending the summer with Francesca had been the best time I’d had in years. In her arms, I felt whole for the first time in forever. Even with the breakdown of my relationship with Nick, I couldn’t regret her.

‘I don’t regret a single minute with you, baby.’ I cupped her chin, grazing her lips with my own. ‘Even after this, I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.’

NINETEEN

FRANCESCA

Alexander packed his suitcase neatly, rolling pants and t-shirts into tight fabric sausages before fitting them in like a material-based game of Tetris.

‘Think there is room in there for me?’ I asked, toying with a roll on deodorant bottle and trying to hold myself together.

It could only ever be a summer romance. I knew that. It didn’t make it hurt any less.

‘Want to snuggle in beside my boxer shorts for a flight across to England? Just cosy right up with my socks for hours?’ His smile devastated me. Maybe I could just smuggle him back to my dorm. Hide him under the bed and keep him for good.

‘Yes. Well, no. But I don’t want you to go.’

Alex put his toiletry bag on top of his clothes before zipping the case up. He sat and pulled me into his lap, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing my neck.

‘I don’t want to go, but I have to get back to England. Go back to work. And you, sweet girl, need to go back to school to finish your degree so you can start your next chapter.’ His words were throaty, his eyes shining.

---