Total pages in book: 150
Estimated words: 143633 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 718(@200wpm)___ 575(@250wpm)___ 479(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 143633 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 718(@200wpm)___ 575(@250wpm)___ 479(@300wpm)
It wasn’t the block seven idiots outside the garage today, it was Jayden, sitting on the bench. I wondered with the faintest hope if he was waiting to apologise and make things up with me after Mum had shouted at him, but his eyes were even more hateful than before, and I should have walked on by without a thought, screw what he would shout after me, but fuck it. I sat by him. I was done with bad feeling, from all sides.
He wasn’t expecting that. He looked awkward, staring ahead across the street and not at me.
“I know you were waiting for me,” I told him. “Don’t pretend you weren’t.”
“How could you know that? I could have been waiting for anyone. You’re not normally out of there for ages now anyway.”
“Stop trying to fool me, Jay. I know you were.”
I found I was smiling, remembering all the times we’d spent together. I could read him like a book.
“Whatever, Rosie. I do have other mates you know.”
“I know that, but you were waiting for me. I could tell.”
“How?”
“You always have a particular scowl when you’re angry at me. Your eyebrows pit, like this.” He turned to me as I pulled a face, and despite his terrible mood he couldn’t help himself. He shook his head, but he was smiling.
“I was going to tell you to fuck off.”
“Again? Wow. Aren’t I lucky.”
“Guess you’re getting immune since the whole of the estate wants you to fuck off right now.”
“Ouch.” I faked a heart wound.
“Yeah, well, true, isn’t it?”
I leant back against the bench, not letting his words get to me.
“They can want me to fuck off if they want to. Maybe I will one day.”
His eyes were piercing. His smirk was a bastard. “Maybe you’ll fuck off in that cute little car of yours. I bet it was fun going away in it.”
Ah, of course. I smirked back at him, still immune.
“It was you, wasn’t it? You’re skilled. You should be an artist.”
“Skilled enough that people know a fucked-up pervert was driving it.”
“Yeah, well. Get another can of spray paint if you want to. Do the other side.”
I got up to leave, but he grabbed my arm, but this time there wasn’t any violence in it.
“Wait a minute, will you?”
I sat back down.
“Fuck,” he said, and put his hands over his face. “Things are so fucked up.”
“With your dad? There’s a surprise.”
“Don’t be a bitch. I’m being serious. Dad’s not coming back now, for real.”
“I didn’t think he was anyway.”
Jayden dropped his head at that, and I realised he’d had dreams. Of course he had.
“He’s met someone,” he said. “Some stupid bitch from up in Wrexham.”
“Wrexham?”
“Yeah. He went to hang out with some loser mates of his, and met her.”
I wasn’t surprised. I wouldn’t want to even guess how many partners Scottie had had in his life. Largely behind people’s backs. But that wasn’t Jayden’s fault. I felt sorry for him. He’d had as many mothers as I’d had fathers.
“He says she’s different,” Jay said. “But he’s talking bullshit, as per. She’s got four kids, and went to prison for dealing last year. He already says they’re his world and call him Dad.”
“Sounds worse than here.”
“Yeah. And he’s staying there.” He sucked in a breath. “Could have at least picked somewhere posh to go. Might have had a rich stepmother.”
“Maybe.” I paused, then asked. “Does my mum know?”
“Yeah. But she doesn’t give a toss.”
“Really? Who said that?”
“She did, and everyone knows it. She’s seeing Tom Mackley now. The guy from Blackpole.”
“What the – Tom Mackley? Are you sure?”
“Yeah, Tom Mackley. Old guy. Daughter called Char who moved to Ronkswood.”
I looked at him, trying to digest it.
“Mum is seeing Tom Mackley?”
“Yes. She’s singing his praises every chance she gets.”
“At the Brewery?”
“Of course at the Brewery. That’s where she is every night, when she’s not at his place.”
My mum had a new boyfriend… and I didn’t know about it. A wave of relief washed over me, to know that Mum was with someone that wasn’t Scottie. But it was still weird. Horrible. I’d had no idea.
I knew Tom Mackley, kind of. Mum was friends with his daughter, Charlee, or used to be. They worked in the same care home when I was still in primary school. I couldn’t help but smile, because Tom was older than Julian. He had to be at least fifty-five. Probably older. He’d been married from eighteen, but his wife passed away a few years ago, which was awful. I remembered Mum going to her funeral. I also remembered how Mum had said life would have been mega different if she’d had people around her like Tom and Debbie growing up, and not her own mum and dad who’d thrown her out like she was nothing.
How ironic. Mum going for a big age gap herself…