Page 53 of The Man Upstairs

“I’ll take a shower,” I told him. “And then I’ll head downstairs. Scottie will be gone now.”

“Yes,” he said. “I’m sure he will be.”

He hovered as he passed me, and I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to pull him close and tug him back to the bedroom, begging him to show me my first time and make me like the girl in the photos, but I couldn’t. It was too bright, and too early, and I was too gawky as I stood there.

“I’ll see you again soon,” he said and kissed me on the forehead before he walked on by.

Soon. It sounded quite vague.

“Wait…” I said, my bowl still in my hand as I followed him through to the living room. “When you say soon, do you mean… do you, um, want to see me again? As in have me here? Because I’d love to be up here with you and away from Scottie.”

“I’d love to have you here with me again,” he said. “But we need to make sensible choices. Let’s see how you feel about things when you are back at home this evening after work. Maybe things will be considerably calmer for you downstairs.”

I doubted that somehow. Scottie would be holed up with Mum, still in the stupid loved-up phase, rushing around after him like he was king of the world. I didn’t want to be a part of that. I didn’t want to see the nasty prick for the rest of my life. The thought of coming face to face with him again gave me shivers.

“We’ll see, then,” I said, not wanting to put more pressure at his door. I wanted to be here because he wanted me here, not because I was a little stray girl with nowhere else to go.

His eyes were smiling as he placed his hand on the doorhandle.

“Have a good day, sweetheart.”

“You, too.”

The apartment was so quiet without him. It felt almost forbidden to wash my bowl in his sink and put the kettle on for a coffee. The urge to know him only increased in his absence.

I looked around through new eyes, trying to get a feel for the man who’d treated me like a goddess last night. There was a pull into the mystery of everything. His past, his present,andhis future. I wanted to be here a whole lot more…

I wanted to be with him.

I’d known it since before he’d played a tune with my body, but his touch had cemented it firmer than words. I wanted Julian. Crazy age gap or not. Seedy games, and a twisted family past or not. None of it would make any difference. My heart was already too invested in my saviour to want out.

I helped myself to a towel and took a shower before facing the music downstairs. I knew Scottie would be gone for work, but I’d have to see Mum as I got dressed for college, and I’d have to brave the deceit of playing down the truth. Scottie had more power over her than I did. He’d whisper in her ear and have her believe any lies he wanted to spin. I didn’t want to throw her into that drama. She dealt with enough already.

“Hi, Mum!” I called out as I stepped into our hallway.

I found her on the sofa with a coffee. She didn’t look at me, her fingers too busy tapping on her phone.

“You ok?” I asked, nerves spiking at the realisation she might ask me where the hell I’d been, but as it turned out, she didn’t. She was too caught up in her own news as she looked at me.

“Scottie’s got a job in Scotland. A new one. He got the offer this morning. On a load more money. He had to leave today, straight off.”

“Whoa.”

I sat down next to her, with a mash of different emotions. Relief for me, but hurt for her, because she’d no doubt hit the floor with him leaving. I couldn’t believe he was upping and leaving and dumping her already.

“Shit,” I said. “I’m really sorry.”

I expected sobs, but she smiled as another message came through.

“No, it’s ok. He’s not leavingme,he’s just leavinghere.The job offer was just too good, and if he loves me, which he does, then it’ll be better for us. We’ll have a much better future when he’s settled up there. I might even go up there with him, when you’re finished at college. He says he wants that more than anything.”

Scottie was a liar.Wanting that more than anythingmeant nothing, and things felt off. Really off. I wanted to quiz her on what exactly he’d said, but I didn’t want to stab her with my words. She was happy for now. That’s all that mattered.

She put a hand on her heart like she was reading a marriage proposal when another message came through. I was blind as to what loved-up bullshit he was spinning her, but it was working. She seemed like she’d been pulled into an imaginary fairytale. I was just grateful that neither of us would have to see his nasty, weasel face in here for a while. Fate had been kind.

Mum didn’t notice that I’d already taken a shower when I disappeared into my room to get ready for college. She didn’t so much as ask where I’d been, just sat there in the same spot, still burning up as the messages kept buzzing. She barely noticed when I said goodbye and set off with my bag on my back.

I’d have happily called up Scottie’s new employer myself and given them a massive thank you, begging them to keep him up there for all time. Maybe miracles can happen. For the time being, a mini miracle was certainly a massive godsend.