Chapter 31
Emma
I’m back to levitating. My butterfly act is in full effect. I flutter back to the office, drift on the breeze of the air con unit from desk to desk. Louise is staring at me. I can see her starting to cast her net. I feint left and right, and drift off again. Jude is the only face I see.
Evading Lou, I’m heading downstairs into the community hall area, floating about like one of the ghosts in a film Nat was watching last night. But I screech to the ground with a bump as I see Nigel's face appear on the other side of the glass door. He’s rapping on it when he spots me.
“Emma. Emma. Open up. I need to talk to you.”
He’s stood with his hands on his hips, as if I’ll be intimidated into opening. To be honest, once upon a time, I might have been. But certainly not for the last few years.
I look at him, and it’s as if I’m seeing him for the first time. Tall, thin, blondish hair that’s thinning at the crown. Good looking, but a weak chin. His eyes have no life in them. They’re blue, but just blue, nothing special. What on earth did I see in him?
Isn’t it amazing that after all the love, the tears, and being together over ten years, you can look at someone and feel not one flicker of anything. Not a thing. Weird. But that is how I feel. And to be honest, I’m pleased about it.
I walk towards the door and look at him. “What do you want? I’ve told you not to come here.” He looks totally pissed off, and proceeds to bang at the door. I simply raise an eyebrow at him. “What do you want, Nigel?” I enunciate every word clearly, because apparently he’s not getting the message.
“It’s about Noah. I’ve had a call from school. They want to suspend him.”
All my happy feelings from earlier deflate, leaving me shocked and off-kilter. I know Noah hasn’t been happy, but I didn’t think it had gotten this bad.
“I’ve had no calls. Why have they contacted you? Have I got to go collect him?”
“Is that all you’ve got to say? Is that all you’re worried about?
If you’ve got to go collect him?” He looks thunderstruck.
“It’s your fault he’s acting out. If you didn’t have a strange man in the house, he’d be fine.
His teacher said he’s gotten worse the last few weeks.
Cheeky, like he’s got someone telling him what to say. Cheeking her.”
I roll my eyes. “Don’t tell me it’s the teacher who wanted to drop him down a couple of sets. Nellis. That’s her name.”
“Ms Nellis is one of the best teachers in the school. Noah told her to fuck off. And then stormed out. If you had been in your office and not gallivanting off with Jude Greystone you’d know I’ve been trying to call you.
He’s not turned up. And if he doesn’t go back into school tomorrow and apologise, he’s out. ”
The gall of this man. As if I’m not allowed to use my time as my own. “I’ve been out to lunch. Not gallivanting. I’ll call him.”
He pulls a face. “Yeah right, lunch. Everyone in your office is talking about your behaviour. Everyone can see you’ve been fucking every lunch time. Time to get off your back and look after my sons.” He stands and gloats, obviously thinking he can insult me and I’ll crumble.
“Nigel, fuck off.” His mouth opens in shock. I have never sworn at him.
“Now I see where my son is getting it from.” He looks smug, and as if he’s been vindicated.
I spin around and walk away, refusing to give him anything else. No attention, no ammunition. He’s banging on the door like a lunatic as I walk calmly down the hall and into the stairs. Out of view.
And then I sprint.
Rushing into my office via the back stairs.
Because we’ve undoubtedly got a mole.
I grab my phone and call Noah’s number. He doesn’t answer. It just keeps ringing out. I call Ollie. He answers.
“Hey, Ollie, are you at home studying?”
“Yep, hard at it. What’s up?”
“Can you go pick up Nat from school. It’s nearly home time. Noah had an argument with a teacher and stormed out. I’m trying to call him now, but he’s not picking up. I’ve looked on the find-a-phone app, but he’s switched off the data.”
“Is that why Dad’s been ringing me nonstop for the past hour? I ignored him though. I can’t do with his drama and moaning if I’m studying. Was it Ms Nellis’s class?”
“Yes, he’s in big trouble.”
“She’s been bullying him. I’m surprised he’s lasted this long. Dad is always on at him as well about her class.”
His voice is matter of fact. But my blood is boiling. Nigel getting involved again. And not in a good way.
“Well, I’ll deal with that, but he needs to be found and we need a plan.”
“I’ll go look at the parks and things around here. And I’ll get Nat.” He pauses. Then utterly shocks me. “Mum, I know I haven’t been happy about Jude, but I think you should call him. From the things he’s said, his brother could find Noah, even if his phone is turned off.”
“What do you mean?” My brain is going up, down, and sideways. I can’t think straight.
“Jude’s brother runs a big tech company. Cutting edge stuff. I know he listens in on conversations. I’ve heard Jude telling him to get lost on a few occasions.”
I stop dead at that. What sort of a family are they? He’s always so complimentary about them all. But it’s a twinge I shrug off. Right now, finding my son is the most important thing.
“Right, I'll ring him now. You get looking and I’ll call you back.”
I’m frantic, my heart rate going ten to the dozen, when Louise catapults herself into my office.
“What’s going on? Security called. Nigel is banging on the front doors. He’s been removed, but—”
“Noah swore at a teacher and stormed out of school. Nigel was called before me.” I’m dialling Noah again. Again no answer. I’m like a spinning top, unable to stop, gathering speed as I go. “We’ve got a mole in the camp. Someone is telling Nigel of my movements.”
She gasps in disbelief and shock. Same, sister. Same.
I call Jude, and he answers on the first ring. “Hey, baby. Missing me? Want to come back over?” His soft sexy voice hits me and I could cry.
“Noah stormed out of school and is missing. I can’t get hold of him. He’s not answering his phone. He—” The panic is gripping at my stomach.
“Whoa, whoa. Why did he leave school?”
“Swore at a teacher. And stormed out.” I’m starting to screech, and I can’t get my voice or my heart rate under control.
“The one who’s marking his tests at nil?” Even Jude has been informed of his running battle with Ms Nellis.
“Yes, and I can’t get hold of him. I can’t see him on find my phone, either.” My voice has hit panic mode. Where the hell can he be?
“Am I okay to call my brother? He’ll find him. Calm down, Em. He’s a bright lad.”
“But he can’t read the signs quickly. He could have, he could—”
“Noah is one bright cookie. Let me ring Jonno. I’ll ring you straight back.”
He disconnects and I flop into a chair. Where the hell could he have gone?
Louise hands me a black coffee. “Here, drink this. Stay in here. Don’t go haring around the offices. I’ll keep everyone off this floor.”
“Has Nigel left?” I ask.
She nods. “Keith threatened him with the police. He stormed off. God knows what he’s doing here. Prestige is on the other side of town.”
“Probably hopped on the tube when the school phoned. It must have been a while ago. Ollie said Nigel had been calling for an hour before he turned up here.”
My phone rings. Jude. No preamble, straight to the point.
“He’s in London. At the ice cream parlour round the corner from you. I’ve rang the owner. Told him to keep him there. I’m coming over. I’ve rang Ollie and diverted him to come straight into town with Nat.”
“The ice cream parlour. Why has he gone there?”
“Told the owner he was meeting you. Was waiting to call you after a meeting. He said he looks upset. I told him to give him a shake. Keep him busy whilst you get there.”
I blow out a breath. “Nigel has been here. Shouting at me. He’s been sent packing, but I suppose I’ll have to let him know so he doesn’t worry.”
Jude pauses. “Why was he shouting at you? It’s not your fault.” His voice has dropped and it has a bit of a hiss in it. I think he’s annoyed. “Do what you need to. But let’s get to Noah. Find out his version of events and then see what we need to do.”
He’s so practical. My stomach is still knotted, but it’s releasing inch by inch, Jude’s calm voice prizing it apart bit by bit. I pick up my coat to go find my runaway son.
“Okay, see you when you get here.”
“Already on my way. Should be there in twenty minutes.” He hangs up, and I look up to Louise, staring at me.
“Well?”
“Ice cream parlour.” I point in the general direction of the first place we all went to dinner with Jude. “Jude’s on his way. So are Nat and Ollie.” I need to get my breathing under control. “I suppose I’ll have to ring Nigel. Get him to come back.”
Louise rolls her eyes. “Yeah ‘cos he’s a great help.”
She’s not wrong, but I know I’ll have to deal with him sooner or later. So I gather myself together to deal with my family.
I walk past the window and see him with his back to the street, slurping on a shake. As I push open the door, a bell jingles, and he looks around. His eyes widen as he realises it’s me. But then his face falls and crumples.
I shoot over and pull him off the stool. He’s grown this last year and getting tall. But I still hang onto him.
“Hey, it’s okay. We’ll sort everything out.” I pull him to me and bear hug him. Talking nonsense like I did when he was little. We stand like that for a few minutes as he gets himself together.
The man behind the counter pushes a coffee towards me, and I sit next to Noah at the counter on a stool.
“What’s going on, Noey? You shouldn’t have taken off without letting me know you were going.”
He nods, looking completely defeated. His sigh breaks my heart in two.
“Ms Nellis said I told her to fuck off, but I didn’t. I said ‘get lost.’ But because I wouldn’t apologise, she went to fetch the head. So I left.” His face is crestfallen.
“Why did you tell her to ‘get lost.’”