The Truth About You (17 page)

‘Isn’t that your job?’ Tierney needled her.

‘Tierney, for heaven’s sake, will you just do as you’re told,’ Lainey snapped.

Tierney’s eyes flashed. ‘All right, you don’t have to shout! I just thought you were the one who organises everything . . .’

‘I am, usually, but in this instance . . . Oh for God’s sake.’ Snatching up her phone, she pressed in a text:
Maybe Kirsten would like my job as well as my husband.

‘What did you say?’ Tierney demanded.

‘Mind your own business.’

‘It is my business if my parents are behaving like idiots.’

‘Don’t you have some revising to do?’

‘I’ve done it.’

‘Then do it again, and give this to Grandpa before you go.’

Taking the glass of wine, Tierney carried it to Peter and sank on to the sofa beside him. ‘Are you OK?’ she asked, wrapping her arms around him.

Smiling, Peter patted her back. ‘Yes, I’m fine. How are you?’

‘Cool, I guess, or I would be if it weren’t for Mum.’

Peter carried on smiling and patting Tierney’s back. ‘You’ve got a wonderful mother,’ he told her, reminding Lainey of when he used to say the same to her.

‘Yeah, right,’ Tierney retorted, and planting a kiss on his cheek she treated Sherman to a hug and started to the door. ‘I’m telling you,’ she stated waspishly as Lainey topped up her and Stacy’s wine, ‘
that’s
what makes you fat, and if . . .’

‘Tierney, why do you have to be such a horrible child?’ Lainey cut in wearily.

‘Maybe I take after you. Anyway, I’m not staying where I’m not wanted. Thank God I’m out of here on Thursday. I only wish it was sooner.’

A biting retort died on Lainey’s lips as she lost the will to fight Tierney over something her father had apparently agreed to – that she could go to London as soon as term ended. Maybe it was a good thing for her to be away next weekend, particularly if things got any worse with Tom. ‘I’ll make sure your bag is packed ready for you to take to school,’ she told her.

Tierney scowled. ‘So kind,’ she snipped. ‘If you’re making Dad feel that welcome no wonder he doesn’t want to be here,’ and flipping back her hair she stalked off along the hall.

‘She really knows how to press my buttons,’ Lainey sighed, returning to the table.

‘And you owe me for that book. I’ll have to replace it now and I don’t see why I should pay when you’re the one who destroyed it,’ Tierney shouted from the stairs.

‘You’re not getting any money out of me for something that’s going to pollute your mind and pervert your morals,’ Lainey shouted back, quoting Tom.

‘I’m
sixteen
, remember. It’s not like I don’t know about sex, and half the girls in my year have already done all that stuff.’

‘If you believe that you’re even stupider than you look. Anyway, if you haven’t read it how do you know what’s in it?’

‘Duh, because everyone’s talking about it. Maybe you ought to try reading it yourself, it might loosen you up a bit.’

Lainey caught Stacy’s eye. ‘I thought it was supposed to have the opposite effect,’ she countered ironically.

‘What?’ Tierney retorted.

‘Isn’t it about bondage?’

Tierney groaned. ‘Oh God, you’re so not funny,’ she told her, and before Lainey could attempt the last word she bolted up the stairs.

‘It’s almost as much fun being a mother,’ Stacy commented, ‘as beating yourself up on a Friday night.’

Lainey had to laugh, and glanced up as Max came in from outside. ‘Where’s Dad?’ he demanded angrily. ‘He’s not answering his fucking phone and I’ve been trying him all the way home.’

Cringing at the language, Lainey said, ‘I take it your first day went well.’

Max grunted as he looked up. ‘Yeah, great, if you don’t count the tosser sales bloke who ought to stuff his fat fucking head in a microwave and turn it on. So where’s Dad?’

‘Have you tried texting? Tierney’s been in touch with him . . .’

‘When’s he back? He’s supposed to have got us tickets for Billy Bragg tonight and I bet he’s forgotten.’

Suspecting he had, Lainey tried to think up an excuse.

‘He has, hasn’t he?’ Max growled furiously. ‘He’s fucking forgotten, just like he always fucking forgets about me. I’m like a waste of space where he’s concerned . . .’

‘That is
not
true,’ Lainey interrupted fiercely. ‘He’s got a lot on his mind at the moment . . .’

‘Yeah, like I care,’ and slamming on through the kitchen, he disappeared off to the annexe.

Lainey’s eyes met Stacy’s. ‘And being a stepmother’s even more fun,’ she said drily.

‘What’s wrong?’ he asked gently. ‘You don’t seem yourself today.’

‘No, I’m cool,’ Tierney assured him, tilting her head as she smiled. No way was she going to tell him she’d just had a bust-up with her mother, it would seem so juvenile. ‘Are you still flying back tomorrow?’ she asked shyly.

He nodded, and the way his smoky dark eyes gazed from the screen made her heart flip right out. He was totally, mind-blowingly drop-dead; she could hardly speak she was so mad about him, and nervous, and excited. ‘What have you been doing today?’ he asked, sounding as though he really wanted to know.

She tried a nonchalant shrug. ‘Nothing major,’ she replied, not wanting to remind him that she’d been at school.

‘Have you done any reading?’

Her breath caught as she nodded. Just him mentioning it was making her feel as though she was on fire down below. Was he really going to do to her what the characters were doing to one another in the book?

He smiled, and she felt she might faint.

‘Have you thought about what you’re going to wear on Saturday?’ he asked.

Had she thought about anything else? It was keeping her awake at night, taking her attention from whatever exam she was sitting, dominating every conversation she had with Skye. ‘I keep changing my mind,’ she admitted, ‘but I’m going shopping in London with Skye on Friday.’

He appeared interested in that. ‘I’d like to buy you something,’ he told her. ‘Who’s your favourite designer?’

Who was her favourite designer? Was he serious?
‘Um, well, I like D&G, but they’re kind of really expensive . . .’

‘It doesn’t matter. I’ll get you something from D&G. How about shoes? Do you prefer Louboutin, or Jimmy Choo, or Hervé Léger?’

Her mouth almost fell open.

‘Leave it with me,’ he said with a smile. ‘Just text me your sizes and I’ll have a nice surprise waiting for you.’

Wondering how she was going to get through the next few days, she asked, ‘Where shall we meet?’

He gave it some thought. ‘Send me Skye’s address and I’ll pick you up at the end of the road. I can hardly wait to see you.’

Boldly, she whispered, ‘I can’t wait to see you either.’

His eyes narrowed romantically as he said, ‘You’re so beautiful. I keep imagining us together and it’s blowing my mind.’

It was blowing hers too.

‘Do you want to get that?’ he asked, as her mobile started to ring.

She glanced at it quickly. ‘It’s only my friend,’ she told him. ‘I’ll call her back.’

‘I should go now anyway,’ he said. ‘Don’t forget to text me those details. I’ll Skype again before the weekend,’ and with a knowing lift of one eyebrow that just about flipped her mind he broke the connection.

‘Oh my God,’ she cried down the line to Skye moments later. ‘He is so totally, unbelievably to die for. I can’t wait till Saturday. Please tell me it doesn’t hurt. No, don’t go there, it’ll only make me more nervous.’

‘It’ll be awesome,’ Skye assured her. ‘Anyway, I can’t stay. I’m trying to get hold of Max, do you know where he is?’

‘I think I heard him come in a while ago.’ Tierney went to the window to check. ‘Yeah, his car’s there, but his music’s on so I don’t expect he can hear the phone. Shall I give him a message?’

‘Yeah, tell him I can get out tonight if he can come and pick me up.’

‘OK. I guess that means you’ll be coming here?’

‘I should think so. I’ll have to be back by eleven, so it’ll depend what time he comes for me.’

‘Right, I’ll go and tell him now.’

A few moments later she was rapping on the annexe door, but since the music was too deafening for anyone to hear she pushed it open and picked her way through the flotsam of Max’s world to lower the volume. ‘Max!’ she yelled. ‘Where are you?’

‘What do you want?’ he growled, coming through from the bedroom wearing only boxers and an open shirt. If he weren’t her brother she might get what all the girls saw in him.

‘Skye’s been trying to ring you,’ she told him. ‘Apparently she can get out tonight . . .’

‘Yeah, I got her messages, but Christie’s managed to find some last-minute tickets for Billy Bragg so I’m not available.’

Tierney shrugged. ‘So, you could at least call Skye back and tell her.’

‘What’s the point? If I don’t ring she’ll know I’m not free,’ and changing the subject as though Skye’s feelings didn’t matter at all, he said, ‘Lainey told me you’ve heard from Dad today. Where is he, do you know?’

Tierney shrugged. ‘I think he’s in London sorting out one of the scripts, and by the way Mum’s been going off at me they’ve obviously had some sort of row . . .’

‘Sorry T, don’t have time for this now,’ he interrupted, glancing at the time. ‘I need to be out of here. Do you have any money?’

‘Sure, but I’m not lending it to you, you never pay me back.’

He looked pained as he threw out his hands. ‘You know I will, as soon as I get paid.’

‘No I don’t, and anyway, I thought Mum gave you fifty quid this morning.’

‘She did, but I’ve got commitments, T, and believe me fifty quid doesn’t go far.’

‘You mean you spent it on weed.’

‘Maybe. So, can you load me with twenty? I swear you’ll get it back . . .’

‘No way,’ she snapped. ‘I need it for when I go shopping on Friday.’

‘I’ll remember this next time you come to me for cash,’ he called after her as she let herself out.

Ignoring him, since she’d never yet asked to borrow anything from him, she wandered on through to the kitchen to find out if her mother was in a better mood yet. She hoped so, because she was starving and she knew if she asked for food when her mother was in a bad temper, she was likely to be told to make it herself.

Finding Stacy at the Aga doing something with a tagine, Tierney glanced around the room saying, ‘Where’s Mum?’

‘She had a bit of a headache,’ Stacy replied, ‘so she’s gone upstairs to lie down. Tea shouldn’t be long now.’

In spite of knowing she ought to offer to help, Tierney said, ‘I’ll be back in a minute,’ and leaving Stacy to get on with it she ran upstairs to her mother’s room. ‘Mum?’ she called softly as she opened the door, ‘can I come in?’

There was a gentle sigh before Lainey said, ‘If you must.’

Since she was lying on her side with her back turned, Tierney went round to sit where she could see her, and instantly felt worried when she realised her mother had been crying. ‘What is it?’ she asked shakily. ‘What’s Dad done this time? Whatever it was, he wouldn’t have meant it.’

Touched by how she’d leapt to her father’s defence, Lainey reached for her hand and squeezed it. ‘Everything’s fine,’ she told her. ‘There’s nothing for you to worry about.’

Tierney was eyeing her uncertainly.

Lainey smiled. ‘I’m sorry I shouted at you earlier,’ she said. ‘Now tell me how your exam went today. What was it?’

‘French oral. It was OK, I think I got through it.’ Actually, she wasn’t sure she’d done at all well, she’d been so busy thinking about
him,
but she was hardly going to tell her mother that. She was thinking about him now, and wishing she could go back to her room to Skype him again. ‘Can I lie down with you?’ she asked.

Lifting an arm so she could snuggle up to her, Lainey closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh, lemony scent of her daughter’s hair.

‘Tell me about when you and Dad first met,’ Tierney said, hoping it would remind her mother of how much she loved him.

‘Oh, Tierney, not now,’ Lainey murmured.

Flattened, Tierney allowed a few moments to pass. What she was dying to ask was whether her parents had had sex on their first date, but she wasn’t sure that would go down very well right now. Instead, she said, ‘I know you and Dad slept together before you got married, otherwise I wouldn’t be here – or I might, but you know what I mean . . .’

‘Tierney . . .’

‘I was just wondering, how long did you know him before you actually did it?’

There was a pause before Lainey said, ‘As a matter of fact, it happened quite soon after we met, but if you’re . . .’

‘So he still respected you after? I mean, he wanted to see you again, obviously . . .’

‘Tierney, are you trying to tell me something?’

‘No! Like what?’

‘Like you’ve met someone and you’re . . .’

‘No way have I met anyone, there’s no one around here
to
meet. I’m just asking, that’s all.’

‘Who is it?’ Lainey asked.

‘I’ve just told you, there’s no one.’

‘If there is, you know you can bring him home. Dad and I would like to meet him.’

Shuddering to think how that scene would play out, Tierney replied, ‘I think we should change the subject now, because you’re totally getting the wrong end of the stick.’

‘OK,’ Lainey agreed.

After a while, Tierney said, ‘You sound really tired.’

‘I am.’

‘You’re not ill, are you? I mean, apart from the headache.’

‘No, I’m not ill.’

A few more minutes ticked by.

‘Are you sure you don’t mind about me going to London for my birthday?’

‘You know I mind, but if it’s what you want . . .’

‘It is, more than anything, and that’s not being disrespectful to you and Dad. You’ve always given me great birthdays, but I’m not a kid any more. I need to do my own thing.’

‘I understand that. I’ll miss you.’

‘I’ll miss you too, but I’ll be back on Monday or Tuesday. I know, how about we have a belated celebration at the pub we went to for Stacy’s birthday last month? You and Dad really liked it there.’

‘That sounds a good idea.’

Tierney waited to see if her mother would speak unprompted, but she didn’t. So she began running through other topics they could discuss. Perhaps not the upcoming trip to Italy, it would only lead to a row, given that she had no intention of going, though she had to admit she was quite curious to know what Granny had been hiding all these years. Probably nothing more than the fact that she’d given birth out of wedlock, and hello, what was the big deal about that? OK, it probably meant more in a Catholic country, especially back when Granny was young, but even so, it was hardly a scandal now.