Page 47 of Past

"So, you’re happy now? With Allie?" She smiles, looking relieved.

"Yes," is all I say, because I don’t want to discuss my feelings for Allie with my ex.

I think I'm in love with her. I haven't been able to say it out loud because what I feel for Allie has scared the crap out of me.

"Good. I've met a guy at university." She blushes and places her hand over mine on the table. I move my hand away.

"That's good, Lil," I say, using the nickname I always called her.

"I really loved you, but now I understand that it wasn't enough. I hope Allie makes you feel that way. Can you tell her I’m sorry about the other day? I was jealous and angry. I should have been a better friend to her," Lily says, standing up and holding her drink.

"I'm moving to my auntie’s, so I don't think we will see each other again. I'm glad we talked. I am sorry for the mess I caused, but I hope I can leave us as friends," she says, and I nod.

Lily leaves while I sit back and think more about my relationship with Allie. It's difficult with her father, the man I want to kill for what he did to my family.

A kid runs past my table to the front of the shop, and I hear his dad shout, “Come here, Mike, you silly kid.”

"Kid, come here," Arthur’s voice carries across the room at his apartment.

I want to say no, but I'm here with Dad and I can't. I can't because Harley was meant to come, but Dad broke his arm and Harley won't tell me why. I think it's to do with Dad’s new girlfriend. I glance over at her while she is making out with my dad. It's gross to see, considering she has very little clothes on. My dad doesn't care, and I've seen the way his girlfriend, Frankie, looks at Harley sometimes. It’s like he is food. Frankie is pretty with short, black hair, but she is very skinny. She has marks all up her arm. Harley won't tell me what they are, but I’m fourteen, not stupid. I know it’s drugs.I have seen Dad putting those needles in his arms. They make him crazier than usual.

"Boy!" Arthur shouts louder, making me flinch, and I walk over to stand in front of him. Arthur has a young girl sitting next to him, she looks around eighteen. She seems spaced out while Arthur runs his hand up and down her leg.

"Have you kissed a girl yet, boy?" he asks, drinking his beer. I blush, thinking of Allie, Arthur’s daughter, at my school. With her blond, wavy hair and pretty, blue eyes, she looks like a doll, and I can't stop thinking about her.

"No, sir," I answer, knowing if I call him anything else, my dad will beat me for it. He loves Arthur, calls him his brother when they aren’t even brothers.

"Lucy, give him a kiss," Arthur laughs, and my dad joins in behind me.

Lucy stands up in front of me and presses her cold lips to mine. I want to cry and scream that this isn't what I want, but I don't. I just stand there.

"Good, now go wait in my bed." He smacks her ass as she practically runs to the bedroom upstairs.

"Remember, boy, I’m watching you, and you now owe me." Arthur laughs, walking past me while I sag in relief that he is gone.

The noises behind me are loud, and I know my dad is having sex with his girlfriend. I just stand with my back to them, too scared to move because I don't want to see.

I flinch, wiping the sick memories I have of them both. I force myself to stand up, and I dump my cupcake in the bin, having no appetite for food right now. I lean my hand against the steering wheel in my car after getting in, knowing there is only one person I need right now to help me relax.

I pop to the florist on the way to Allie’s apartment, picking up twenty red roses, which Izzy told me are her favourite.This is the third time I’ve brought her flowers, I must love her. I'm that crazy about her that I asked my sister a load of questions so I knew what gifts to get her. To say Izzy was shocked would be an understatement.

I knock on the door when I get there, twenty minutes later, and a tired-looking Blake opens the door.

"Good, you’re here. Allie and Izzy have a bug. I'm not feeling good, dude," Blake says before running off, and I hear him throwing up in the bathroom. I want to help, but I know it will be worse for him to have me watch him get sick. I leave Blake to it and find my girl in bed. It's clear she is ill, as she doesn't even notice me come in. Why the fuck didn’t she text me or tell me?

"Oh, Allie," I mutter, feeling her hot forehead as she sleeps. She is covered with a blanket, and there's a bucket of sick on the floor next to a pile of wet hand towels. She is sweating loads, so I take off my jacket and put down the flowers.

I clean the room first, getting her a clean, empty bowl and a glass of water. I call our family's private doctor, and he agrees to come over in an hour for a price that I don't care about.

I strip Allie, who only mutters something, and change her into clean pyjamas. I find a clean blanket for her, a thin one so she doesn’t get too hot. I haven’t been in her bedroom here before. It doesn’t surprise me that nearly everything is pink and bright. That’s Allie for you.

I leave Allie for a second longer than I want to and go knock on Izzy and Blake's door. No one answers so I go in, finding them both in the same condition on the bed.Gage comes back while I’m leaving Izzy’s room to get my phone from Allie’s.

“They are all sick. If you want to get sick too, stick around,” I say, and he shakes his head.

“Anything I can do?” he asks.

“Nah, I’m sorting it,” I tell him. I don’t like him, and I don’t want him helping my girlfriend, best friend, or my sister.

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