Page 25 of You Lied First
‘So tell me about that!’ she says. ‘I’m fascinated. Why him and not you? If you don’t mind me asking.’
‘Oh, it’s nothing, really,’ I say. ‘We got divorced and, well, his house is bigger than mine and I was busy studying for my counselling qualifications and out at work, while he works from home, so we just thought it made sense, really. He’s around more than I would be. I see Liv on the weekends.’
‘Really? It’s just because his house is bigger?’ Celine asks, shaking her head. ‘Don’t you miss her? Wouldn’t you want her with you as much of the time as possible?’
‘Celine,’ Guy says in a warning tone.
She throws her hands up and gives me a grin. ‘Sorry. I just find it interesting. Not having kids myself, it’s hard to imagine.’
‘Well, anyway. Just think,’ Guy says, ‘if Liv and Flynn hadn’t locked eyes across a crowded chemistry lab or something, we wouldn’t be here now. So I’m grateful to the little shit for that.’
We all laugh.
‘And how’s Margot’s dad?’ Celine says. ‘She wasn’t veryforthcoming when I asked her. I hope he’s all right?’ She’s got her feet up on the dashboard, a portrait of relaxed.
Guy pretends to scream. ‘He’s Margot’s dad, that’s how he is. Living in the fanciest old people’s home you’ve ever seen, with an indoor swimming pool and a gym, and refusing to consider moving anywhere else, even though he knows how much it’s costing me.’
‘Ouch,’ Celine says. ‘Couldn’t he live with you?’ She turns back and gives me a wink. I lean forward a little so I don’t miss what Guy says.
‘Nope. No way. And, furthermore, Margot thinks that if we try to move him anywhere else, he’ll take himself off to Dignitas.’
‘And you wouldn’t let him?’ Celine says cheekily. ‘I mean …’ She shrugs one shoulder and bites her lip.
Guy laughs. ‘Much as I might be on board with that plan, you can imagine that Margot isn’t. So, yes, the upshot is we continue ploughing recklessly through money that should have been my retirement fund. And that, Celine, is the answer to the question of how Margot’s dad is: ridiculously healthy and bloody annoying.’
The topic moves on, so I tune out and let my mind drift on to what the next twenty-four hours will bring. I’m really looking forward to seeing the desert, but I wish we hadn’t brought the quad bike. A fifteen-year-old girl who lived just outside Cheltenham broke her neck a couple of years ago, being driven by a boy who rolled it over accidentally. It had been all over the news and it really struck a chord with me, like sometimes these things do. That poor, innocent girl. If anything ever happened to Liv I don’t know how I’d carry on.
I turn to look out of the back window and see Margot doing her best to keep pace with Guy, whose speedometer is tinging its disapproval at the fact he’s over the limit. Liv’s in the front seat next to her, and the two of them look totally badass in the big four-wheel drive, their sunglasses glinting in the sunlight. I smile to myself, hoping she’s put yesterday’s souk trip far behind her, and then there’s an almighty bang. Celine screams and I gasp as the car rocks and veers hard across the road towards the central reservation. I don’t even have time to brace myself.
21
MARGOT
Margot sees the explosion of Guy’s tyre at the exact same moment as the Land Cruiser swerves across the highway. There’s no time to think, although she sees everything in her mind’s eye: the car hitting the central reservation barrier and launching through the air; a truck coming the other way; a crumpled, steaming wreck; bodies ejected through smashed windows and scattered on the dusty tarmac. A thought flashes,Imagine! – Guy gone just like that!
But none of that happens. Within moments, Guy has the car back under control and is guiding it towards the hard shoulder as he slows down. Luckily the traffic on this road is sparse. Margot steps on the brakes and follows her husband until both cars come to a halt. She presses her hand to her chest and takes a moment to get her breath back. She’s as rattled by the feeling of relief from thinking Guy might die just as much as she is by the shock of the puncture.
Guy’s already outside examining the damage. Behind him, Celine and Sara are clasped together in a hug.
‘Oh my God! I thought that was it!’ Celine says as they pull apart. ‘I literally thought we were going to die. All I could see was the barrier coming towards us.’
‘I’m still shaking!’ Sara says, holding out her hands to demonstrate. ‘I had no idea what’d happened. But Guy, you were amazing. I mean, you saved our lives!’
Guy shrugs off the praise, as Margot knows he will. ‘Instinct.’ He straightens up. ‘Well, this tyre is well and truly fucked. Let’s hope we have a real spare and not one of those toy wheels because that won’t get us far in the sand.’
Celine’s on her hands and knees peering under the car. ‘It’s here. It looks okay. Do you know how to get it out?’
Guy says he doesn’t know off-hand, but there’s nothing you can’t find on YouTube. He locates the Toyota tool kit and orders Flynn to get a how-to video up on his phone. Margot joins Liv, Sara and Celine, who are sitting on rocks at the edge of the hard shoulder, buffeted by the force of the occasional car that speeds past.
‘Do you think they’ll be able to change it?’ Sara says.
Margot shrugs a shoulder. ‘I imagine so.’
Guy’s yet to meet a physical challenge he hasn’t risen to, but a good half an hour later, he’s drenched in sweat and snapping orders at a snarling Flynn. Even after the spare’s been extracted; the car jacked up; the tyre replaced; and the jack released, the news is not good. The car is leaning down on one side, like a wounded animal. The spare, it turns out, has barely any air in it.
Guy aims a vicious kick at the tyre. ‘Fucking pile of shit!’ he yells. ‘Good for nothing fucking hire company!’
Margot sees Liv exchange a nervous glance with Sara. She edges closer to her mum, who puts her arm around her and presses a kiss to her hair. But Celine steps forward and touches Guy’s arm, as if to calm him down.
