Page 154 of Falling for You

Dad glances up at me, and I can see him debating whether to lie to me or not.

‘A couple of times.’

‘For Mom?’ My heart rate starts to pick up again. Even though I know that she is safe, tucked up in a hospital bed surrounded by the best people to take care of her, I suddenly feel an immense panic that something else is going on.

‘Yeah,’ Dad nods sheepishly. ‘It’s not the first time she’s fallen, and she burnt herself just after you left.’

I gape at him. ‘Burnt herself? How?’

He gestures towards our electric cooker. ‘Stuck her hand on the hob ring. Didn’t realise it would be hot.’

We’ve had that cooker for years – fifteen years, easily. Mom uses it every day, she loves cooking. How could she forget that the hob ring is hot? That’s something you learn when you’re four years old.

‘Why didn’t you call me?’

‘I didn’t want to worry you.’

‘Well, I’m worried,’ I say, running my fingers roughly through my hair.

We drift into silence, sipping our coffees. Well, Dad is sipping his coffee, his dark eyes gazing off into the distance. I’m picking at my nails angrily.

I take a deep breath. ‘How’s it been?’

He surfaces from his trance. ‘What’s that?’

‘How’s it all been? Here?’ I move my arm to gesture around the kitchen. ‘With Mom.’

‘Oh, you know.’ Dad gives me a lopsided smile. ‘Never a dull day.’

‘Dad …’

He sighs. ‘It’s hard, Nate. You know what it’s like. You’ve been with her for the past five years.’

‘I shouldn’t have gone,’ I say, my chest burning. ‘I don’t know what I was thinking, but I’m back now.’

Dad looks at me, eyebrows raised. ‘You’re staying, are you?’

‘Yes.’

‘Your mom won’t have that.’

‘It’s not up to her,’ I say, gripping my coffee cup tightly so it singes the palms of my hands.

Dad goes to speak, and then looks up at the clock.

‘Come on then, son,’ he says. ‘Let’s get a sandwich and go see your mom. We might need to stop for another coffee too, you look like you need it.’

He gets to his feet and I frown. ‘Isn’t there coffee there?’

He laughs gruffly. ‘Yup. Terrible.’

We use up all our words on the way to the hospital – not that we shared many to begin with. But Dad doesn’t need to say much, and to be honest I’m not sure how easily I could hold down a conversation either. My head is spinning. I can’t believe this time yesterday I was getting ready to go to aballwithout a care in the world, miles away from my life here. I was wrapped up in Stevie’s world, the glitz and glamour ofmy new, exciting life in London. I danced with strangers and even met the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.

A jolt of anger shoots through me and I curse myself, not for the first time since I left the party last night.

Why didn’t I get her phone number?

It would have taken me seconds to get it. I could have explained to her that I had to go but that I’d call her the next day. What was I thinking?