There are so many amazing people who I’ve had the pleasure of meeting since starting my journey as an author and some who have been there since way before I took that first step. I love and appreciate you all, without you I wouldn’t be me. You know who you are, I hope.

Thank you Ali for putting up with my ever changing moods. We both know I’m perfect without the pregnancy hormones… ahem. I’m sure the kids will forgive me one day too. I love you all so much and will continue to love you until tomorrow when I find mess on the floor and laundry that could be in the basket but isn’t. Hehe.
Thank you to Elisia, Charlena, Rivka, Ramya and Elizabeth for helping me through the writing process. I love you guys and really appreciate you taking your time to call me out on my mistakes. If you ever need me for anything in the future, I’m probably washing my hair those days so…

Congratulations to my sister who gave birth to my nephew back in January. You’ve given me three beautiful children (two nieces and one nephew) to cherish and love forever, on top of my own two and a half children (the final is still cooking). Christmas comes too soon, so do birthdays. My wallet hates you.

And finally, thank you to all of my awesome readers, because without you, living my dream (having an excuse to write other than ‘just because’) wouldn’t be possible and I love you and cherish you all dearly.

Prologue

January 2014

Eloise

Lying back on a blanket that we’ve spread over the uncomfortable concrete, I bring the cheap, fizzy wine to my mouth and take a large swig. I’m pretty sure it tastes like what urine would taste like if you were to add bubbles.

Hayley, my closest friend, is lying beside me. She snatches the bottle and does the same, giggling when some of it spills out of the side of her mouth.

“The stars are spinning,” she slurs, waving her arm in the air.

She’s not wrong.

“Hey girls!” A warm body lands over us both and I feel a head squishing my breasts.

I grunt and grab his hair, laughing when he grins wickedly at me. “Get off my tits, Riley.”

“Get
on
my tits, Riley,” Hayley giggles, shoving at his legs.

“Can’t… too tired,” he laughs, moving off Hayley and climbing fully onto me. “You’re looking very hot tonight, Elle.”

I grunt and shove at his chest, not liking the fact that I’m being pressed harder into the ground, which hurts even with a blanket beneath me. He rolls off and snatches the same bottle Hayley and I just shared. In three gulps the rest of the bottle is gone and he’s throwing it across the car park.

Riley is cool, but I would never date him, not unless I want a taste of Hayley’s sloppy seconds. No thank you. Besides, no decent male would ever try it on with their ex’s best friend, especially in front of said ex. Not that Hayley cares.

Wow… my head is spinning.

I hear a yelp beside me and watch as Riley is yanked to his feet and goes flying several metres away from me.

Oh shit.

“Daddy,” I smile. It’s no doubt wonky and shows I’m clearly intoxicated.

I’m airborne for a moment before I feel my feet hit the ground. The jolt rattles my bones and forces me to fall to the side, straight into my dad, who is picking up Hayley. “Grounded! Both of you!” He bellows, grabbing our arms and dragging us to his car.

Bugger. “It’s just lemonade!” I try, but the look he gives me tells me I’ve failed. I’m thinking that came out “issjusslemnade”. Bollocks. “Dad, come on. I’m, like, legal in ten months anyway.”

He lets out a growl-like noise, one that reminds me of a wolf protecting its dinner. A giggle bursts forth before I can stop it and my foot catches on the curb, causing me to trip.

“Please don’t tell my mum, Mr. B.” Hayley begs, but her attempts are futile. As soon as we’re in his car, he picks up his phone and starts talking quietly into the receiver. I can’t hear what he’s saying, but from the look on his face as he paces by our door, it’s nothing good.

Yikes.

“You’re half an hour past your curfew,” he shouts after climbing into the driver’s seat. “We’ve been worried sick! To find you like this…” Turning towards us, he waves his hand between the both of us. “I’m disgusted. What the
hell
is going on with you at the moment, Elle?”

I purse my lips and look away. Nothing is going on with me. I’m just having fun. What’s wrong with that?

“Sorry.”

“No, you’re not! That’s the problem,” he hisses and turns the key in the ignition. “You have no fucking remorse for anything you do at the moment! You have your first exams in just a few months and the way you’re going, there’s no way you’re going to pass.”

Rolling my eyes heavenward, I let out a sigh and kick off my shoes.

“Are you paying attention?”

No. “Yes.”

“Less of the attitude!” He bellows. I’ve clearly pushed him to the limit. “You’re grounded, not including work or school.”

“Whatever,” I respond and rest my forehead against the cool window.

He smacks his hand against the steering wheel in anger but doesn’t say anything else for a while. Not that I blame him. I wouldn’t say anything else to me either.

“I just don’t know what to do with you anymore,” he says softly after a few minutes, almost calmly, but not quite. “You’re going to ruin your life and, right now, you need to focus on school. You’re going to become an adult and there’s
nothing
you can do to stop it. Grow up, Elle. Just please… for your own sake. Grow up.”

“It was just a few drinks, Dad,” I sigh, wondering why he has to be so dramatic. “It’s not going to ruin my life. Or your life would have been ruined three Saturdays ago when you fell through the door giggling like a little girl.”

He only growls again. I stifle my laugh with my fist and nudge Hayley with my elbow.

“Darren,” she mumbles, her head lolling onto my shoulder.

“What, Hayley?”

“Puke,” she gasps and then retches violently.

I scream and press myself against the door as my dad pulls over and drags Hayley from the car. There’s a splat and a loud groan, followed by my dad cursing and looking at me as he holds my best friend’s dark hair back. “This is coming out of your allowance!”

“Sorry, Darren,” Hayley chokes out between heaves. “I’ll get you new shoes.”

There’s another splat two seconds later. Disgusting.

“I told you not to eat that burger, Hayley. You never listen.”

She flips me off, her body still hunched over and heaving.

I smile and relax back into the seat. Even though the night has ended completely wrong, it was still a good night.

Isaac

I pull out, my body covered in a thin layer of sweat, and roll onto my back, my chest heaving with each breath. “Fuck.”

“Yeah,” Kim, the beautiful brunette smiles as she also tries to catch her breath. “That was great.”

“Hmm,” I lean over to the table beside the bed and grab a cigarette and lighter. “Want one?”

“You asked me that last week,” she frowns. “I don’t smoke.”

Oops.

“Right,” I say, lighting the end and inhaling a large pull before blowing the smoke towards the ceiling. “Same time next week?”

Kim sighs and sits up, not bothering to take the sheet with her, but then again I wouldn’t give it to her anyway. She has a body made for admiring, so that’s what I’ll do. Lie here and admire.

“Maybe you should get that,” she tells me, forcing me to look away from the amazing globes that make up her arse.

“Get what?” I finally register the sound of my mobile ringing and lean over to look at the screen.

I groan when I see whose name is on the display.

My dad… Ugh, I’ve been avoiding him, but not for lack of love for him and my mother. As I decide whether or not to answer the call, I remember that he’s actually called me five times this week, which is four times more than usual. He’s either worried or something is wrong. Well, it’s either that or Mum wants me to visit and won’t relent.

I just hate that stupid town and its lack of interesting things to do and places to go. It wouldn’t kill them to visit me once in a while instead of me always having to go to them.

Kim pulls on her jeans and buttons them at the front. I answer the phone as she looks around for her bra. She won’t find it in here. I think we lost it in the hallway. “Dad,” I clip, hoping he hurries up so I can undress my lady of the day again.

“Well it’s nice to finally hear your voice, Son,” he says gruffly and I fight the urge to roll my eyes. “We need you home.”

What the fuck? That’s not quite what I was expecting. “Why?”

I hear the long sigh he releases and frown. That doesn’t sound good. It’s not his usual sigh of exasperation, but a sigh of sorrow. “Your mother’s ill.”

My heart falters for a second. “What?”

“She’s just not been herself for a while now.”

My heart restarts with a jolt and my palms become clammy. “I’ll call her.”

My dad, even though I can’t see it, is definitely frowning, “You’re an arse, Son. You always were.”

“Why do you need me home?” I choose to ignore his insult; no use in denying the truth.

“I have to go,” Kim whispers, not bothering to kiss me goodbye. I give her a small wave and turn my attention back to the conversation I’m having with a man I’ve spoken to twelve times in twelve years.

“It’d be nice to have the family back together. We miss you and I’m going to need help with your mum.”

“Well, I’m sorry, Dad, but that’s not happening. I’m happy here. Besides, she’ll probably be better again in a few weeks,” I look around my large, expensively furnished flat and confirm my words. “I have a life here.”

“You have an existence there and that’s it,” he snaps. “Please Son, come home. Even for a short while.”

“I’ll think about it. I’ve got to finish up the school year; I’m on contract. I’ll visit more often or something.”

“Yeah right,” he snorts and lets out a long sigh. “I’ve never asked you for much; I’ve left you alone since you left. Trust me, the last thing I want to do is force you home when we spent so long trying to get you out of this shitty town.”

Stubbing out my cigarette, I climb from the bed and glance at the family photos on the wall in the hallway with a wince. He’s right. He hasn’t asked me for anything since I left, but… I don’t want to leave my job or my life and home. The job that I spent so long kissing arses for and working my own arse off for. “I’ll come down for the six weeks holiday. She’ll probably be better by then anyway.”

“She won’t,” he responds gruffly.

“What do you mean, she won’t?” My hand goes to my short hair. Whatever he’s about to say, I have a horrible feeling it’s not going to be good. Cancer comes to mind. I pray it’s not that.

“She has Alzheimer’s disease.” He chokes on the word and clears his throat as I collapse back onto the bed and rub my chest with my hand. “There’s no chance that she’s going to get better and we don’t know how long it will be before she gets worse.”

Now I’m wishing it was, in fact, cancer. At least with cancer she’d have a chance. “I…” My words become lodged in my throat and my head slumps forward. Memories of a childhood long since passed come to mind: Mum making cookies in the kitchen, the smell as I opened the door, the stories she’d tell me at bedtime as she ran her fingers through my hair. These have always been
our
memories, but if what dad tells me is true, all too soon they will only be
my
memories. I push them away and focus on the present. “I’m so sorry, Dad.”

“Not your fault, Son.” He clears his throat again and continues, “Your mum doesn’t want to force you home and neither do I, but we need you.”

“I’m under contract until the end of the school year. I’ll come for the six week holidays.”

“We really need somebody to fill your mum’s slot at the school. She can’t go back to work for obvious reasons.” He exhales a shuddering breath and I close my eyes for a moment. “Think about it. We don’t know how long we’ve got her mind for.”

“Dad,” I say, though I don’t know why. I just needed to say it. After a moment’s silence, I calm my thudding heart and shake my head to help clear the mist from my mind. “I’ll think about it.”

“Good, keep in touch.”

I place the phone on the desk and fall back into my pillows. Like hell am I going to move back to that dead end town.

Like hell.

“I’ll just visit more often.” I say to myself to relieve the guilt hammering at my soul.

She’s my mum and she was always there for me.

Always.

BOOK: Distraction: The Distraction Trilogy #1

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