Page 100 of Carbon

“For not having been around much lately. Now I’ve spent the last few days with your mother, I realise how difficult things must have been.”

Did he expect me to brush it all off? Because I wasn’t going to. “Yes, it’s been hell.”

“I’m sorry,” he said again. “I’m trying to convince Carolyn to get the help she needs.”

“Let me guess, she refuses to accept there’s a problem?”

He dragged a hand through greying hair. “She drank an entire bottle of wine with lunch yesterday.”

“Did she have vodka with her cornflakes again?

He looked at me sharply. “Are you being serious?”

“Unfortunately.”

“I can’t apologise enough for what a terrible father I’ve been. Let me take you out for lunch. I know it won’t make up for this, but...”

Shit. My phone burned a hole in my pocket as I prayed for it to ring. The last thing I needed was lunch with my father to throw a spanner into the works.

“How about we meet up next week? I’m feeling really drained after the interview.”

A look of desperation crept into his eyes. “Just a coffee, then? There’s a café right across the road.”

I glanced at Nye, who nodded but tapped his watch. I got it: be quick.

“Okay, I’d love a coffee.”

Five minutes later, I blew across the froth of my cappuccino in an attempt to cool it down. My phone sat next to me, its screen black, but that could change at any moment.

Ring. Please, ring.

“How’s London?” Father asked. “Busy?”

“I haven’t been out much.”

“No, of course not. Do you need more money? Clothes? A new car?”

“I’m fine, thank you.” Every time he tried to buy me, I felt cheap. Like a trinket to be treasured before I went out of fashion. “I’ve got money in my bank account.”

“Your mother said you made up a story about being Sapphire Duvall.”

A statement, not a question, but I answered it anyway. “It wasn’t a story.”

“You wrote the books?”

I nodded.

“All of them?”

“Yes.”

“How could I not have known that? My own daughter and I didn’t realise how much talent you had.”

I stayed silent. I could tell him exactly why he didn’t realise. The same reason he had no clue how apathetic I was towards Rupert, and the same reason he thought every problem could be solved with cash. Because he looked but didn’tsee.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, it does, and I want to make things up to you. Will you come home tonight? We can have a proper family dinner.”

---