I’d ever seen in my life. ‘Here. Give this to your sister, and you and I can hit the road.’
‘I’m taking classes …’
‘This is the school of life, princess. You’ll learn more on tour than you will in any classroom. Come on. This is the chance of a lifetime.’
I broke into a huge grin and leapt on him, throwing myself into his arms.
I felt like I’d been dipped in gold. Bathed in bright light. My handsome prince had come to get me.
‘Is that a yes?’ Michael said, laughing.
I nodded against his neck.
Michael whispered in my ear, ‘Get your things. Let’s get on the bus.’
‘I have to talk to my sister,’ I said. ‘Will you give me a minute?’
Dee appeared behind me then.
‘Lorna,’ she said. ‘What’s going on?’
‘I was just going to talk to you about—’
‘This is your sister?’ Michael asked.
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘This is Dee.’
‘A pleasure to meet you,’ said Michael, reaching out his hand to shake hers. Dee didn’t take it.
‘Lorna, please don’t do what I think you’re going to do,’ said Dee, arms crossed.
‘Listen, I’ll take care of your sister here,’ said Michael. ‘You have my word. And I’ll make sure all her rent is covered – whatever you need. I won’t leave you in a hole.’ He offered the big roll of cash to Dee.
Dee didn’t take the money. Instead, she fixed him with hard eyes. ‘You’re married. Right?’
Michael scratched his nose. ‘It’s complicated. Diane and I are apart more than we’re together. But let’s not get into that. Bits of paper and legal crap.’
‘Lorna has a life here,’ said Dee. ‘She has exams coming up. And she’s still recovering. Did she tell you she had cancer?’
‘She told me all about it,’ said Michael. ‘The full story. I will take care of her.’
‘Lorna, don’t do this,’ said Dee. ‘This is running away from your life. Not towards it. This is escape. Distraction.’ She turned on Michael. ‘Don’t you care that she’s studying? That you’re taking her away from her education?’
‘Sometimes real life is the best education,’ said Michael, stroking my arm and looking at me like I was something precious.
‘And what’s in it for you?’ Dee asked, arms still crossed. She knew the answer, of course. Sex on tap with a pliable, stupid teenager. But I have to hand it to Michael. Looking back, he never promised me anything. He was always upfront about who he was and what he was offering. It was me who filled in the blanks.
‘I want to go with him,’ I told Dee, nodding and nodding.
‘Lorna, I do not approve of this. It is not okay with me. This isn’t about rent or anything like that. It’s about your education and me caring about you. I swear to god, Lorna, if you go with him now, don’t come back when it all goes wrong.’
‘Fine,’ I said. ‘Rent my room out.’
Michael turned to me with soft eyes. ‘The tour bus is parked right up outside. Shall we get going?’
I laughed in happy shock. ‘Your tour bus is outside right now?’
Michael put hands on my shoulders. ‘We took a detour to come get you. To steal you away in the dead of night.’
‘What if she’d said no?’ Dee asked.
‘Soul mates don’t say no,’ said Michael with a flicker of a wink. ‘Go pack a suitcase, princess. Let’s get going.’
As I flung things into a bag – some clothes, books I was reading for school and all my make-up – Dee stood behind me. ‘Please. Please don’t do this.’
But when her words had no effect, Dee swung the other way again.
‘Fine. Be that way. Leave me all alone. Just don’t come crawling back to me when it all goes wrong.’
‘It’s not going to go wrong,’ I promised her. ‘This is destiny, Dee. Last night was the most amazing night. I’ve never felt this way about anyone. It’ll be fine. Better than fine. Don’t you think after everything I’ve been through I deserve my happily ever after?’
Dee let me go with a face that told me I’d broken her heart.
As far as I know, she never took Michael’s money.
I pace the kitchen, phone hot against my ear.
I’m calling the only other mother I know – Helen. And I don’t know her that well. She used to bring her daughter, Julianne, here for playdates when Liberty was younger, but Liberty hasn’t talked about Julianne in years. I know I’m clutching at straws. I need a Coke for all the straws I’m clutching at.
Liberty’s breakfast fruit plate sits on the breakfast table. I’ve left it there because clearing it away is like admitting Liberty’s gone. And that’s too painful.
Nick is on his way home. He was on his way to a personal training client when I rang him. Good guy that he is, he turned his car right around and came home, promising his client a month of free sessions.
The police have come and gone. They told me that Liberty is legally allowed to visit her father. There is no reason to suspect that Michael Reyji Ray would hurt anyone. There’s nothing on record. It’s all fine. Leave her to it.
‘Michael Reyji Ray is not a good person,’ I said over and over again. I got the familiar looks of disbelief.
Michael Reyji Ray. Environmentalist. Music legend. Happily married to his childhood sweetheart. And what a dancer. A bad guy? You’ve got to be kidding – I have three of his albums. And I had the biggest crush on him when I was a teenager …
I pace by the gate as the phone rings and rings. Eventually a voice clicks on the line.
‘Hello?’
‘Hello?’ I start gabbling like a maniac. ‘Helen? Liberty’s gone. Might Julianne know where she is?’
‘Miss Miller?’
I hesitate. ‘Julianne? Is that you? When did you grow up? You sound just like your mother.’
‘Yes, it’s me, Miss Miller. Mum left for work already.’
‘Do you know where Liberty is, Julianne? She … she
