same about your daughter.’
‘Yes, but I also want to be there for Brooke as much as I can. My mum’s always saying that you can never get back that time when they’re little. And I love being with her and miss her when I’m not.’
‘And you’re so young that you’ve got plenty of time to get ahead in whatever career you choose,’ Jacob put in.
Now please let me off the hook! Liberty wanted to exclaim. She’d never enjoyed a meal less in her life. Although the food had been lovely, she’d barely had any appetite. The only thing she’d felt like doing was drinking wine, but because no doubt Melissa would notice and have another thing to hold against her, she’d only had one glass before switching to water.
Neither Melissa nor Jacob mentioned the fact that Cory was planning to stay in the UK and go to art school, and Liberty had the feeling that Melissa was biding her time. She was certain that Cory’s motherhadn’t just come over here because she missed her son. She was definitely a woman with an agenda.
After the meal Melissa and Jacob went off to their hotel, leaving Cory and Liberty alone at last.
‘Fuck!’ he exclaimed, running a hand through his hair. ‘Fuck, fuck, fuck! Why have they come over here? Why can’t they leave me alone!’ He stormed ahead, forcing Liberty to break into a jog to keep up with him.
‘Hey, don’t let them get to you! It doesn’t matter what they think, you’re free to do whatever you want,’ she told him.
He slowed down. ‘I’m sorry, you’re right. Only my mom has the unique ability to push all my fucking buttons!’
Liberty linked her arm through his. ‘Let’s go home.’ She needed to take Cory back to their own blissful world, the place where no one mattered but themselves …
‘Yeah, sounds good to me.’
Chapter 8
Fortunately Liberty was spared an encounter with Melissa the following day when she and Jacob travelled to London, to catch up with some old friends, and stay overnight. With any luck, they would use up all their time in England this way, and she wouldn’t have to see them again. But even though his parents weren’t around, Cory was still distracted and on edge. He had been working on a large canvas – an ambitious study of a group of skateboarders – but with the arrival of his family, he abandoned it. When Liberty was at work the next day he spent his time lying on the beach, drinking beer, and by the time she met up with him he was already drunk and only interested in carrying on drinking, ignoring her suggestion that he stop.
She had picked up Brooke on her way over to meet him, as she couldn’t expect her mum to have her again and in any case wanted to spend some time with her daughter. Brooke was usually one of the most easygoing of children, but she was grizzly when they got to the beach, and nothing seemed to pacify her. Liberty sensed that Cory was irritated. He was used to only seeing her daughter when she was being adorable.She saw him glance over enviously at the couple lying next to them on the beach – a girl of around Liberty’s age in a bikini, chilling out with her boyfriend. There wasn’t going to be much chilling out with Brooke in this mood.
‘Come on, Brooke baby! What’s so bad?’ Cory asked the little girl, picking her up and swinging her round, a gesture which was usually guaranteed to make her laugh but this time made her burst into noisy sobs. He pulled a face and handed her back to Liberty, taking a swig of beer instead. ‘See – even your daughter hates me today. I can’t paint. I’ve got the mom from hell. Everything’s shit.’
Liberty was scarcely paying attention to him as she put her hand on her daughter’s forehead. ‘She feels really hot.’
‘It’s a warm afternoon; she’ll be fine. Hey, shall I buy her an ice cream?’ He looked at Brooke. ‘Do you want an ice cream, honey? A big whirly one with a chocolate flake? Ice cream makes everything better.’
‘Actually, she hasn’t
‘Yes, but I also want to be there for Brooke as much as I can. My mum’s always saying that you can never get back that time when they’re little. And I love being with her and miss her when I’m not.’
‘And you’re so young that you’ve got plenty of time to get ahead in whatever career you choose,’ Jacob put in.
Now please let me off the hook! Liberty wanted to exclaim. She’d never enjoyed a meal less in her life. Although the food had been lovely, she’d barely had any appetite. The only thing she’d felt like doing was drinking wine, but because no doubt Melissa would notice and have another thing to hold against her, she’d only had one glass before switching to water.
Neither Melissa nor Jacob mentioned the fact that Cory was planning to stay in the UK and go to art school, and Liberty had the feeling that Melissa was biding her time. She was certain that Cory’s motherhadn’t just come over here because she missed her son. She was definitely a woman with an agenda.
After the meal Melissa and Jacob went off to their hotel, leaving Cory and Liberty alone at last.
‘Fuck!’ he exclaimed, running a hand through his hair. ‘Fuck, fuck, fuck! Why have they come over here? Why can’t they leave me alone!’ He stormed ahead, forcing Liberty to break into a jog to keep up with him.
‘Hey, don’t let them get to you! It doesn’t matter what they think, you’re free to do whatever you want,’ she told him.
He slowed down. ‘I’m sorry, you’re right. Only my mom has the unique ability to push all my fucking buttons!’
Liberty linked her arm through his. ‘Let’s go home.’ She needed to take Cory back to their own blissful world, the place where no one mattered but themselves …
‘Yeah, sounds good to me.’
Chapter 8
Fortunately Liberty was spared an encounter with Melissa the following day when she and Jacob travelled to London, to catch up with some old friends, and stay overnight. With any luck, they would use up all their time in England this way, and she wouldn’t have to see them again. But even though his parents weren’t around, Cory was still distracted and on edge. He had been working on a large canvas – an ambitious study of a group of skateboarders – but with the arrival of his family, he abandoned it. When Liberty was at work the next day he spent his time lying on the beach, drinking beer, and by the time she met up with him he was already drunk and only interested in carrying on drinking, ignoring her suggestion that he stop.
She had picked up Brooke on her way over to meet him, as she couldn’t expect her mum to have her again and in any case wanted to spend some time with her daughter. Brooke was usually one of the most easygoing of children, but she was grizzly when they got to the beach, and nothing seemed to pacify her. Liberty sensed that Cory was irritated. He was used to only seeing her daughter when she was being adorable.She saw him glance over enviously at the couple lying next to them on the beach – a girl of around Liberty’s age in a bikini, chilling out with her boyfriend. There wasn’t going to be much chilling out with Brooke in this mood.
‘Come on, Brooke baby! What’s so bad?’ Cory asked the little girl, picking her up and swinging her round, a gesture which was usually guaranteed to make her laugh but this time made her burst into noisy sobs. He pulled a face and handed her back to Liberty, taking a swig of beer instead. ‘See – even your daughter hates me today. I can’t paint. I’ve got the mom from hell. Everything’s shit.’
Liberty was scarcely paying attention to him as she put her hand on her daughter’s forehead. ‘She feels really hot.’
‘It’s a warm afternoon; she’ll be fine. Hey, shall I buy her an ice cream?’ He looked at Brooke. ‘Do you want an ice cream, honey? A big whirly one with a chocolate flake? Ice cream makes everything better.’
‘Actually, she hasn’t
Similar Books
