Page 78 of Worth the Wait
“Ain’t it just.” Piper cocked her head. “Why you wanna see Mum?”
Nathan scratched the back of his neck. Sheepish. “Was hoping to leave a message for Freddie. Don’t have his number anymore and needed to…say thanks about something.”
Piper glanced down at Tilly for a beat, as if weighing something up. “He’s on nights for the next four days. Gets home about eight, has dinner, then crashes about ten, up for the gym, then back to work.”
Nathan nodded. Right. He was busy. He got it.
“You wanna catch him, best go round there now.”
Nathan’s heart stuttered. “Right. You, er, got his address?”
Piper fished out her phone. “What’s your number?”
Nathan reeled it off and a second later, his phone buzzed with a WhatsApp pin and address. “That the old showground?”
“Yeah. New build estate now. He’s got a first-floor maisonette. Small, but nice. Cracking view of the pier.”
“The pier huh?” A tiny sliver of a smile lifted his lips. “Thanks, Pipes.”
“I don’t need to threaten you, do I?”
“Huh?”
“Like, I know you’re built like a brick and that, but seriously, you hurt him, and I’ll unleash this one on ya.”
Tilly beamed angelically, then clenched her tiny fists, scrunched up her face, and punched the air like a mini prize-fighter.
“Uncle Freddie taught her that. Meant to scare off the bullies but has other uses.”
Nathan threw up his hands in surrender. “Warning received.”
* * * *
Freddie couldn’t eat.
Couldn’t sit still.Breatheproperly.
The sick coil of worry in his gut had twisted tighter since he’d left the station. He thought about an early gym session, but he knew all the school mum drop offs would be in there soon, and he preferred it quieter. So he showered, scrubbing hard enough to leave red streaks across his skin, trying to wash away the shift, the mistakes, the shame, then collapsed onto his bed, naked, damp, exhausted.
Sleep was a joke.
Not even his blackout blinds could hold back the miserable, grey daylight clawing at the edges of his mind. He rolled over, punched the pillow flat, tried to slow his breathing. Tried not to think about Nathan. About what might’ve happened. What stillcould.
The buzz of the doorbell cut through the flat.
Freddie ignored it. Let it ring out.
Probably Piper.
Or his mum back from her retreat. He wasn’t in the mood for either.
The bell rang again. Longer this time. Louder. Demanding.
“Fuck sake!” He kicked the covers off, hauled himself up, tugged on a shitty pair of boxers, and staggered out of the bedroom, heavy-footed down the narrow stairs.
Another impatient jab at the buzzer.
Freddie yanked open the front door, annoyed as fuck. “I’m on nights you fucking wank…” He stopped. Swallowed.
