“Drake—”
I held a hand up.
“I don’t care if you’re sorry. In fact, I couldn’t fucking care less what you have to say to me. I don’t think I made myself clear enough before, so allow me to remedy that.”
I leant closer and lowered my voice.
“You are not welcome in my life. I have a family and it doesn’t include you. If you wish to keep your life, then I suggest you stay away. Next time, I won’t be so nice.”
I put my hand on the table, getting even closer.
“You don’t know a single thing about me, and that’s probably a good thing. If you did, trust me, it would make your blood run cold to know what type of man I’ve become. What type of man you brought into the world. They don’t call me and the others the Four Horsemen for no reason. Just think about which one your son is next time you think it’s a good idea to darken my door, hmm? Maybe it will make you think twice.”
I didn’t let him speak. In fact, I didn’t look at him as I pulled back, turned around and walked away. My hand slid into Scarlett’s as she followed me. The reaper and his little wisp made their way out of the restaurant without a backwards glance. And I felt a lot lighter for it. I was done with my father for good.
I sucked in a breath of air when we got outside and realised for the first time my burdens were no longer hanging over me. I wasn’t alone.
Scarlett tugged on my arm. I looked down at her and smiled when I saw her eyes were full of pride.
“Let’s go see my mother.”
I pulled her away to the tube station nearby without letting her say a word. Fuck knows what had come over me. All I wanted was to re-introduce my mother to the woman I would spend forever with.
It took us thirty minutes to get across the city. Scarlett hadn’t asked any questions or even brought up my father on the journey. Instead, we talked about our childhood. The little things that made us happy. I told her about all the music I’d written for her, including the song I’d played her on the rooftop when she’d first found me up there. She wanted to hear more, to know everything. I promised her when all of this was over, I’d give it all to her. I’d play each and every song, explain to her why I wrote them and what they made me feel.
I rang the doorbell and fidgeted, suddenly wary of turning up at my mother’s house without telling her. She would be home as it was her day off. She was a nurse at the hospital nearby. The one we’d all been born at.
The door was pulled open, revealing the woman who’d given me life. May Ackley was short, with dark brown hair, brown eyes, and a stern expression on her face. When she saw it was me, she broke into a smile. I was still pissed she’d decided not to change her name after the divorce but right now, I was riding on a high. Nothing would get me down. I had my girl. The rest didn’t matter.
“Now, to what do I owe this pleasure?”
Then her eyes fell on Scarlett and widened almost comically.
“Hello, Mum. You asked to meet my girlfriend, so I brought her around for you.”
Mum was momentarily disarmed by my words and seeing the girl who had disappeared ten years ago on my arm.
“Hello, May,” Scarlett said. “It’s lovely to see you again.”
Mum cleared her throat, gave me a look, then smiled at Scarlett.
“Well, this is quite the surprise. Come in, come in, it’s chilly outside and you’re letting the draught in.”
I kept a straight face as Mum stood back to allow the two of us in. This was the house I’d grown up in. Oscar had moved out, leaving it to her.
Mum led us through into the kitchen, waving at the table for us to sit down.
“Now, have you two eaten? I was just about to make some tea, but I can whip something up for you.”
“We haven’t. That would be nice. Thanks, Mum.”
I took Scarlett’s coat and mine, hanging them up in the hallway whilst she sat down at the table. Pulling out a chair, I sat next to her and enfolded my hand in hers on the wooden surface. Mum busied herself in the kitchen but kept throwing glances at me as if she was trying to work out what happened to her son. The answer sat next to me. The girl who’d freed me from my locked cage and awoken the past version of myself.
“I’m not going to beat around the bush here. You turn up with Scarlett, tell me she’s your girlfriend and expect me not to ask where on earth she’s been.” She looked at Scarlett. “Sorry, dear, I should direct that at you. Where have you been?”
I squeezed Scarlett’s hand, reassuring her I was right here.