Page 14 of When We Were Young

‘I’m flattered,’ I say. ‘It’s just difficult at the moment—’

‘You don’t need to explain.’ He smiles, but this time it’s gone in an instant. ‘See you around.’

The house is dark and silent when I arrive home.

‘Li-iv!’ I sing.

I take off my jacket and hang it on a peg by the door.

‘Liv?’

No answer.

I check my phone. No messages, no missed calls.

I dial her number; it goes to voicemail.

I send her a text:Where are you? Call me.

I open the fridge. The food I left for her is still there. I open the cupboard. The packet of caramel wafers is still unopened – a sure sign she hasn’t been home. My heart rate accelerates.

I call Chloe but she hasn’t seen her.

I call Scott, but he’s not heard from our daughter either. ‘Don’t panic,’ he says. ‘She’s probably at a friend’s and lost track of time.’

My phone pings. ‘Wait, I’ve got a text…’

I put him on speaker and read the message aloud, ‘“At a friend’s – leaving now”. Scott, I’ll call you back.’

I cut him off and dial Liv. It goes to voicemail again.

‘Call me now!’ I shout at the phone.

Liv:Reception is terrible. I’m in Surbiton, around the corner from the dentist. I’ll get the bus, there’s one every 11 minutes. See you soon x.

Me:DO NOT get the bus! Send me the address. I’ll come and get you.

By the time she replies, I’m already driving towards the dentist in the company car Scott lent me after the crash. I pull over to read it.

Liv:27 Windsor Ave

Windsor Avenue is a smart row of Victorian houses lined with beech trees. Number 27 has little lollipop-shaped bay trees on either side of the front door. I text to tell Liv I’m outside.

The door opens. Liv comes out and waves. She turns and says something to her friend, a boy so tall he fills the entire doorway. What the hell? He looks about twenty. He raises his hand in farewell and shuts the door as Liv skips down the stairs and over to the car.

She gets in, shoving her rucksack into the footwell. ‘I thought you were going for a drink with Kay after parents’ evening?’

‘Who was that?’

‘Oh, that’s Nathan. We were working on a biology project.’

That old chestnut.‘How old is he?’

‘Same age as me. He’s in my science class.’

‘What’s going on, Olivia? You can’t go off without telling me.’

She shrugs. ‘It was a last-minute decision. You were working late and then out with Kay, so I knew you wouldn’t worry.’