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Leigh was bug-eyed with astonishment. ‘Oh, I see. You did me afavourby promising me the earth and then buggering off before the sun came up, did you?That’syour spin?’

‘It’s just the truth. It wouldn’t have worked,’ Alex said confidently.

Leigh’s anger was renewed. ‘You’re so full of shit.’

Alex nodded vehemently. ‘Yes, I am. I always was. And you found that out quickly. That was best in the long run. That’s all I’m saying. I could have wasted a hell of a lot more of your time, and I’m glad I had enough self-awareness to know that, at least.’

That confused Leigh. ‘What does that mean? Waste my timehow? You were never going to stay. You were just drunk. How does that involve self-awareness—’

‘I don’t want to talk about this anymore,’ Alex said, waving the bill.

She caught a waiter’s eye, and he came over with a card machine. She tapped in her details and paid up.

When he left, Leigh couldn’t help herself. ‘Alex, just tell me what you mean.’

Alex got her stuff together and started to stand. ‘I’ve got to go.’

And she almost did. But then her phone rang.

Twenty-Three

Alex was freaking out. She needed to get the fuck out of this restaurant. Everything was going sideways. Her mouth, her oldest, most reliable friend, was doing her wrong. It was saying the real things, letting things slip that were never supposed to be said, ever.

Alex didn’t even like to think about that time. And now here she was, loose-lipped in front of Leigh, her mouth running away from her.

Was it the steak? Was she meat drunk? This was the last time she ordered medium rare, she vowed.

She started to get up from the table, fully intending to flee the restaurant at speed when her phone rang. She checked the screen. It read LYING THEIVING SPERMDONOR. What the hell? He never called.

‘Who isthat?’ Leigh asked, catching sight of her screen.

‘My dad,’ she said, now standing.

‘Are you going to get it?’ Leigh asked.

The phone stopped ringing, and the decision was taken out of Alex’s hands. ‘I guess I’ll call him later,’ she said, no intention whatsoever of ringing him.

He was probably doing his gambler’s anonymous amends and had worked his way to his child. Well, sod that. He could tell it to her answering service.

‘Anyway, I guess I’ll see you at the party…’ Alex started to say.

Then her phone buzzed, and a text preview lit up the screen.Call me! It’s urgent!

Alex felt panic. ‘Urgent?’ she muttered.

Leigh heard it. ‘What’s up? Something wrong?’ She sounded more concerned than Alex had any right to expect.

‘I don’t know. Maybe,’ Alex admitted. ‘I don’t know if… I…’

‘Sit down and call him right now. Find out,’ Leigh instructed her.

Since Alex wasn’t sure what to do, the command was a mercy. She sat down, ringing her dad back. ‘What’s up?’ she asked.

Her father spoke uncertainly. ‘Alexandra, Ummm, hi. I just… I’m sorry. I didn’t know if you knew… Well, you can’t know, can you? It only just happened…’

‘What?’ Alex demanded.

‘Your mum’s in the hospital. She fell and hurt her head. She went into a coma.’