Page 86 of Take Two

She almost broke at that.

‘I’m OK. And so are you. You’ve got this,’ she told him. ‘You’re doing so well, George. I’m so proud of you.’

He nodded, eyes shiny. ‘I know.’

‘And as soon as I land, I’ll text you my address. And you’ll visit all the time,’ she promised.

She meant it. She wasn’t leaving him. She was leaving her mother. She was leavingbeinga mother.

‘It’s one train journey to where I’m going. You can do that,’ she told him.

He rolled his eyes. ‘Yeah, of course.’

That was reassuring, his annoyance. He wasn’t worried about it.

They hugged awkwardly. Then she stood and walked out quickly; she didn’t trust herself to look back. If she saw his face break, so would she. And she couldn’t. Shecouldn’t!

Callie packed fast. Clothes, charger, passport, the envelope of savings she’d been hoarding.

She didn’t go back to the kitchen. She didn’t try to make it right with her mum. What would have been the point? She slung her bag over her shoulder and stepped out into the night like she might dissolve if she hesitated.

She had one thought.Get Mae. Get on the train. Don’t look back.

She texted her.I’m on my way to yours.

She wasn’t sure how Mae would take Callie’s sudden need to move the timeline up. But she’d talked to her dad, so that wasn’t an obstacle now. Maybe it would be OK. Maybe she’d be happy to go now. Maybe.

She arrived at the bakery and went around the side. Mae was already sitting on the bottom step of the steel stairs. ‘Mae! God, you won’t believe the little chat I’ve just had with my mother. I’ll explain it all later, but, and I know this is a bit last-minute and crazy and everything, but we need to go right now—’

That was when Callie realised that Mae’s face was blotchy and her eyes swollen. ‘What’s happened? Are you okay?’

‘I can’t go,’ Mae said.

Callie blinked. ‘What?’

‘I’m…’ Mae swallowed hard. ‘I’m not coming with you.’

The words didn’t make sense. They slid right off Callie’s brain like rain off a window.

‘We planned this.’

‘I know.’

‘We said we were leaving. Together.’

Mae shook her head, tears threatening. ‘I can’t. I want to. God, I want to more than anything, but…’ She shook her head again, slowly.

‘But what?’ Callie demanded angrily. How could Mae do this to her? She’d promised! They were in love! They were going to be in love forever! But nothere!

Mae flinched. ‘My dad’s sick.’

Callie froze. ‘Sick how?’ she said tightly.

‘Cancer.’

Callie heard the word. But her mind, still furious and chaotic in the wake of her mother’s final manipulation, twisted it.

She saw Mae’s dad lying conveniently in a hospital bed. And her mother saying, ‘I’m assuming you won’t be going anywhere now.’