Page 57 of The Missus
‘You’re gonna gothereright now? Really?’ Alanna asked.
‘I’ll be gone in two days. I just need to let the dust settle,’ her mother frowned.
‘Yeah, and I’m gonna have some questions about exactly what dust needs to settle.’
‘I’m not one ofyourpeople, Alanna,’ her mother said. ‘You can’t strain me like a tea bag and squeeze out made-up problems.’
Alanna looked her up and down. ‘Oh yes, I can see you’re completely issue-free.’
Her mother rolled her eyes and stood. ‘Right, I need the bathroom, if you don’t mind.’
She swept off. Keira walked in a moment later. ‘Everything OK?’ she asked.
Alanna didn’t have long because her mother would be back out in a minute. They had to talk fast. ‘Umm… I have a favour to ask.’
‘Go ahead.’
‘Hang on, let me rephrase that. I have the world to ask of you, and you’re not gonna like it.’
Keira raised an eyebrow. ‘What?’
Alanna took a deep breath. ‘My mum needs to stay with us.’
Keira let out a moan. ‘Why?’
‘She and Ed have had some kind of bust-up, and she also appears to be broke. She’s being very cagey about all of it. It’s a lot to ask, I know that. If you want to say no, I’m not going to push.’
Keira blew out the kind of sigh people do before they say yes to something they really don’t want to say yes to. ‘Where’s she gonna stay?’
Alanna hadn’t thought about that. ‘Well, I…’
Her mother came back out and looked between Alanna and Keira. ‘So?’
Keira looked at her. ‘How long?’
‘A couple of days.’
Keira looked at the floor. ‘Fine.’
Her mother smiled, satisfied. ‘You seem to have a spare room.’
‘It’s my study,’ Keira said quickly.
‘I just had a look in there. It’s got a double bed.’
Alanna could have cheerfully slapped her mother. ‘Already making yourself comfortable I see.’
‘I had to check the facilities!’ her mother said.
‘I hadn’t said yes yet,’ Keira told her.
‘Well, you have now, so can I sleep in there or not?’
Alanna looked at Keira, and they both realised what this meant. Unless Alanna confessed to their fake relationship, they were going to have to share a bed.
She almost did it, there and then. Because trying to imagine sleeping in the same bed as Keira terrified the life out of her. All she had to do was confess and she would be free to sleep on the sofa. The whole charade would be done. ‘Mum…’
‘Yeah, fine. Take the second room,’ Keira said, rolling her eyes.
