Chapter 28
28
I don’t apologise because I’m not sorry. In fact, I’m not going to apologise for being me ever again.
‘What happened at school?’
Emotions flick across her features. Hostility, pain, panic. ‘I got bloody suspended.’
‘Don’t say bloody!’
‘ Mum! ’ She stamps her foot, and the gesture is so very childlike.
I scoop my hair back and redo my ponytail, trying to compartmentalise the before and the after so I can listen to my daughter. ‘I don’t like it when you swear. Why did you get suspended?’
‘Because of Léa, why do you think?’
I stand and make my way to her, giving her shoulders a reassuring squeeze. ‘There must be more to it than that?’
‘I don’t know ! All I know is I’m not going back to that school, like, ever! I want to go back to London.’
I sigh. ‘We’ve talked about this. I’ll have to call the principal.’ I find my phone next to the daybed and check the time. It’s probably too late to call the school now, it’s just past four, when the office closes.
‘ Wait. ’ She grabs my wrist. ‘What was going on with that old Jude Law guy?’
‘I stopped overthinking, and it was’ – glorious – ‘nice.’
‘Great, now we’ll never get back to London.’