Page 46 of All the Forbidden Things

“Yeah, poor kid’s been through a lot.”

“She has.”

“How old is she now? I haven’t seen her in years.”

“About twenty, I think. It’s been a while since I last saw her.”

We’re both quiet for a few seconds, and I think about Cal’s little sister, Billie, and the last time I saw her. It must be about five years ago. She was a cute little kid, short like Cal and his dad but has red hair and freckles like her mum.

“Anyway,” Jake interrupts my thoughts, “I’m gonna shoot home and shower and change my clothes. I’ll be back later to enjoy Mel’s culinary delights.”

“Okay, we can go through the new tracks with Cal then.”

He nods slowly then leaves without another word. I carry Layla back over to the house, feed her, change her nappy, then spend an hour on the treadmill trying to run off some of my frustrations as Layla’s arms and legs move almost in sync with mine and the music I blast while running.

I’d dressed Layla in anoutfit Mel and Cal had bought for her. A little cream-coloured dress with pink bows printed on the fabric. It came with a soft pair of matching shoes, coordinating pink tights, and a headband thing, which was just one massive bow about twice the size of her little head. My kid had never looked cuter—nobody’s daughter had ever looked cuter, and I spent at least twenty minutes earlier, taking photos of her.

“Just wait till Auntie Mel sees you, bug, all done up in your pretty dress.”

Layla’s head jerks back before coming to rest on my shoulder, and her little hand grips onto my beard and refuses to let go.

With the house tidy and the baby fed, I put on some music and dance around as I sing into Layla’s ear. Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know” is blasting through the speakers when my gate alarm sounds.

There are only a limited number of people who know the code, so I assume it’s Cal arriving a few minutes early. But because of my paranoia, caused by the press intrusion I’ve experienced lately, I go to my back door, which is where all my friends enter my house, open it, and check just in case.

Mel’s four-wheel-drive Lexus crunches over the gravel towards the side of my house. The strange sensation I’ve had in my gut all day spreads to my skin, causing it to prickle and my hairs to stand on end. It’s not fear or dread, more an awareness.

I’ve not seen Cal or Mel since they returned from the States. Like me, they’ve been laying low and waiting for the press interest in both our stories to subside, which, thankfully, it appears to have done over the past few days. There’s only one photographer currently camped along my street, and I think he’s only there to try to get the first images of Layla.

Cal steps out of the driver's side and walks around the front of the car to meet up with Mel as each of the back doors open.

Makenzie appears from the back passenger side and immediately shrieks, “Gah, baby!” and passes her parents as she moves swiftly towards me.

She met Layla just after she was born, but that’s been the only time.

“Oh my god, she’s grown. Look at all that hair. She’s just too cute.” Kenzie leans in and kisses the top of Layla’s head. “Maximus, good to see you’re only human and have let yourself go since becoming a parent. You’re totally rocking the Dad bod.” She stands on her tiptoes and kisses me on the cheek.

“Kenz, why are you here? I don’t remember inviting your ugly arse.”

“To see your daughter. Can I hold her?”

“No. One look at your face and she’ll be scarred for life—”

“Whatever. I’m washing my hands, and then I’m coming for her. Don’t fear, Layla, I’ll rescue you from the mean, moody, man,” she calls out while heading into my house. I shake my head as I turn to greet her parents.

“Yay, you brought the noise,” I deadpan. They both know I’m joking. Kenz is like the little sister I never had, and we love to rip the shit out of each other every opportunity we get. The trouble is, growing up around Cal, Jake, Jay and me, she’s now Queen of the quick comeback and often leaves us speechless with her smart-arse responses.

I move Layla to the crook of my arm and shake hands with Cal.

“She insisted on coming, even took a day off work.”

“Hey, you—oh my god, is that the outfit we bought her? She looks so adorable.” Mel kisses my cheek and then Layla’s head. “Hope you don’t mind that we brought the girls? Billie hasn’t left the house since we brought her home and I thought it’d do her good,” she says.

It’s at that point I notice Billie climbing from the car. Although, if Mel hadn’t told me, I’d never have recognised the girl standing on my drive as Billie Wild.

She closes the car door and turns towards me.

Silence.