“And she probably caught sight of your dance moves…!” Abbey quips at Liam, causing the others to howl with laughter again.
“Gutted…” He jokes, holding his head in his hands in mock despair.
There is a brief silence as another wave of tiredness and nausea hits the group and Abbey promises herself she will never drink so much again.
“It’s a well nice day today, man…” Liam announces, as he kicks the football up into his hands and leans on the door frame opposite Alex, “we should do something, instead of being stuck inside the flat all day…”
“Stuck inside the flat…?” Alex repeats the words back to him, “Jesus Christ I’m not keeping you all fucking hostage you know, I mean you can go home…!”
Liam laughs but ignores Alex’s comment, as he knows, just like everyone else does, that he would never ask any of them to leave. This is their home.
“Like what?” Darren yawns.
“I dunno… a kick about maybe?” The lads scoff at the idea as the girls groan in unison at the mere mention of football.
“What would we do?” Sophie asks.
“Sunbathe…”
“I’m actually liking this plan…” Lucy raises her hand in agreement.
“You’re having a fucking laugh aren’t you?” Tom groans.
“You’ll feel better for it man, trust me! When I played Sunday league I was always battered from the night before, but after a game I felt fine…”
“You played Sunday league?!” Alex tries to hide the amusement in his voice as he frowns at Liam.
“Yeah, but he was pretty shit…” Nathan jokes.
“Was I fuck! I’d run rings around the pair of you…”
“I doubt it…”
“Sounds like a challenge to me Matthews…” Liam grins, goading him.
“Alright you’re on…!” He nods.
“Oh what? You’re kidding? I can’t play football in this fucking state…” Tom drops his head into Gemma’s lap, “I’m rough as a bears arse! Which knobhead bought that bottle of Tequila last night?!”
“That’d be you, mate…” Alex laughs, “Don’t worry, you can go in goal…” And Tom hangs his arms dramatically across his face, shaking his head at the thought as he pretends to cry.
It is easily the nicest day of the year so far. There isn’t a single cloud in the sky and it is hot, really hot. The park is full of families sharing picnics, children riding bikes and teenagers impressing each other with tricks on their skateboards. There is a queue about a mile long at the ice cream van parked by the entrance and the café is heaving. All the tables outside are occupied and Abbey stares over at the arcade, smiling to herself. That’s where it all began, the first day she skipped class with Lucy, Nathan and Liam.
It is completely empty at the moment; all the games flash brightly but stand unoccupied as the weather is far too nice to be indoors. Abbey lies back on the grass, feeling grateful towards Liam for having this idea. The mid-afternoon sun warms her to the bones and it feels relaxing and comforting. The pain of this morning is slowly ebbing away as she dozes next to Gemma, who has rolled her t-shirt up above her waist. Sophie sits cross legged beside them in the shade from a nearby tree, shielding her fair skin from the harsh rays, and Lucy is lying on her stomach reading one of her magazines.
“Come on Tom, pick it up…!” Nathan laughs.
They have been playing football for almost an hour now with the occasional break in between. Abbey is uncertain who is winning, she only knows that Alex and Nathan are playing against Darren and Liam, and Tom seems to be on his own in goal. He has thrown up twice already, but is still standing… for now.
The heat had become too much almost instantly and after about 10 minutes, they had all removed their tops. Not that Abbey is paying any attention to the others; but she is certainly enjoying the game more than she expected to thanks to the view from the side lines of Alex running gracefully, with his muscles flexing and sweat glistening on his body. Sitting with her girls on a large picnic blanket, with food and drink and good music on the radio, while watching the boys battle it out on the pitch? She seriously couldn’t be more perfectly content if she tried.
There has been quite a lot of play fighting and a fair few disagreements so far, mainly between Liam and Alex, and the banter is off the scale. ‘Boys and their competitiveness’ she sighs, fondly. There is a loud cheer from Nathan as he scores a goal and Tom leans forward on his knees, coughing and spitting onto the ground in front of him.
“At least you can use your hangover as a reason for being so shit!” Liam laughs.
“He might be shocking in goal Dobson, but we’re still kicking your arse…”
“Don’t be getting cocky Ireland. It’s not over ‘til the fat bird sings…!”
The girls laugh as they watch Liam and Alex break out into a play fight in the middle of the field and Tom uses the distraction to rest for a moment, sitting down and leaning forward on his knees.
“Still with us mate?” Sophie shouts over, and he waves half-heartedly while taking deep, steadying breaths.
“Yeah… fine…! Just gonna go find a fat lass… ask her to sing…” He pants, shaking his head with absolute exhaustion as he collapses onto his back with his arms outstretched.
One thing Abbey can’t fault about living up North, are the sunsets. The sky over Leeds is painted a beautiful, deep pink with streaks of orange and red illuminating the delicate whispers of cloud. It is late evening but still pleasantly warm, and she closes her eyes as the gentle breeze swirls around her. She loves this time of day - particularly at this time of year - and the view from the flat balcony is breath taking.
Alex places two glasses of red wine on the outdoor table and wraps his arms around Abbey’s waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.
“Wow…” He states, taking in the scenery.
“I know. It’s hard to believe there isn’t more beyond this life, when you see something like that…” She contemplates, out loud. Alex stares at her thoughtfully and she turns to face him, feeling a little embarrassed by her deep and meaningful insight, but he smiles and nods in agreement.
“I certainly hope there’s more…” He whispers thoughtfully, “Although I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be than right her, right now…”
“Well, that makes two of us…” Abbey leans forward and as their lips touch, Alex reaches up into her hair, pulling her body tightly against his with a longing intensity. The others, for once, have actually gone home and they are completely alone. Apart from Tom, who is currently comatose in his bedroom, snoring so loudly that the walls are vibrating. It has been a long day. One filled with fun and laughter, completely trouble free, relaxing in the park in the glorious sunshine without a care in the world. It is exactly how it should be for people their age.
Alex begins to laugh as he grudgingly breaks away from Abbey, moving inside and switching on the sound system so that it drowns out Tom’s rhythmic snores. He turns up the volume and the soft acoustic melody of Damien Rice starts to play.
“That’s better…” He laughs again, “It’s a good job I don’t need much sleep, living with him all these years would have driven me fucking crazy!”
“He’s had a rough day…” Abbey jokes, “Being monstrously hung over and having a football repeatedly kicked in my face, isn’t exactly my idea of fun either…!”
“Oh? And what is your idea of fun?!” Alex smiles mischievously, tracing his thumb across Abbey’s bottom lip.
“These days…? Anything that involves you…” She answers without thinking, and his expression softens.
“You really feel that way?” He asks, surprised.
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“I’m not exactly a catch am I? Teenage runaway, hooligan, criminal…” He shrugs, sadly, “You could do better…”
“That isn’t who you are… ” She frowns, “Besides, I’m messed up too in case you hadn’t noticed! Who isn’t…?”
“You’
re anything but messed up, Abbey. You’re beautiful…” He rests his forehead lightly against hers, “and you make me want to be better…”
Alex’s whispered confession warms Abbey from the inside out and she smiles as he tilts her chin up to look at him. Without another word, he steps forward and gently places his right hand in her left while sliding his free arm around her waist and they begin to dance, slowly and sweetly from side to side as the sunset lights up the city behind them.
Alex never breaks eye contact and Abbey can see the self-doubt and insecurity that he manages to keep so well hidden play out across his face. He looks so vulnerable, and his guard is completely down as he slows to a stop and they stare at each other for the longest moment.
“I love you…” He whispers with a pained expression and Abbey’s breath catches in her throat, “You are the bravest, strongest, most giving person I’ve ever met. And I’m in love with you….” Her head starts to spin as she stares up into Alex’s wide eyed expression, trying to grasp what he has just said. She struggles to find the right words and before she can answer, he speaks again, “And I’m no good for you. I know I’m no good for you. You deserve more than this, something normal, something safe… more than what I have. But you really do make me want to be a better person, Abbey. You make me want to try and I’ve never had that before. I feel like you know me… and I… I just…”
Abbey reaches up and holds Alex’s head firmly between her hands, forcing him to stop talking and look at her. She doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry at his sweet and increasingly insecure outburst but she finally manages to compose herself as she stares deeply into his beautiful eyes with a burning sincerity.
“I love you too…” She whispers.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CONSEQUENCES
“I understand your frustrations Mrs Miller, but I’m afraid our hands are tied…” The young male police officer perched timidly on the edge of the sofa, clears his throat and shifts uncomfortably in his seat. The young female officer sitting next to him appears slightly less awkward but the overly sympathetic smile on her face is starting to get on Janet’s nerves. She places her cup of tea on the coffee table and folds her hands in her lap.
“I know this must be hard…” She smiles, “And that you must be worried. But your daughter appears to be alright and if she is safe by her own admission, I’m afraid we can’t force her to return home…”
“I don’t know that she’s safe. I don’t know that she’s alright…” Janet snaps, “I don’t even know where the hell she is, my own daughter!” Her patience is crumbling fast and all the frustration she has felt during the last six months is threatening to boil over. She is finding it difficult to keep her temper under control and the two officers from West Yorkshire Police who are trying their best to help and reassure her, are currently in her firing line.
Janet blames herself for not going to the authorities sooner and bringing this situation under control. It has gotten so far out of hand and she is genuinely scared that her relationship with Abbey may be damaged beyond repair. She had thought it best to give her the time she claimed she so desperately needed. To let the dust settle and create space between them, in order to give them both a fresh perspective so they can calm down and reassess. But it has been months now, with no progress and no change. Janet, Anna and Peter have all tried in vain to get her to come home. They have asked her repeatedly to stop by the house, so that they can sit down and talk out their differences as a family and hopefully put all of this behind them. But Abbey is hesitant. She is unsure and obviously frightened and Janet feels that she may have underestimated just how much her daughter is suffering. Now it may be too late to fix what is broken, and the thought is truly heart-breaking.
She had called the police out of sheer desperation more than anything else. Hoping that they could find Abbey and convince her that running away and turning her back on her family won’t achieve or resolve anything. But here they are, sitting in her living room, politely drinking tea and explaining in a somewhat patronising way, that nothing can be done.
“She is 18 years of age, ma’am, which, although still young, technically makes her an adult and deemed mature enough to make her own decisions…” The male officer speaks again, with a little more authority.
“She’s just a child and she’s lost. Why won’t you help her?” Janet’s voice begins to crack under the strain and Anna, who has sat relatively quiet throughout the whole exchange, reaches over and squeezes her hand reassuringly.
“Is there anything you can do?” She pleads, “I just want to know that my sister is OK…”
“We can run her name through the database and flag it on the system. That way if anything comes up we will be alerted straight away, but beyond that I’m afraid we just have to be patient…”
“We understand…” Anna nods, “It’s just difficult, the not knowing. This is so out of character for her…”
“I appreciate how concerned you are…” The female officer smiles kindly again, “But as she is over 18, coupled with the fact that she has been in touch since she left home… we can’t file this as a missing persons report…”
“We’ve only had the odd text message…” Janet gasps. “That’s it. Anyone can send a text message, someone could have her phone, she could be in danger and you’re just sitting here…!”
“Mum… it’s OK…” Janet clasps her head in her hands, trembling with anger and crippled by an overwhelming feeling of uselessness, “We saw her at the hospital remember? And she was alright… she’s with friends, still in Leeds, I’m sure of it…” Anna croons, softly.
“She should be at home with us…”
“I know…”
“If we hear anything at all, we’ll be in touch…” The male officer seems slightly out of his depth and even more uncomfortable since Janet’s emotional outburst. ‘It can’t be easy for them’ Anna thinks, ‘They are just as helpless as we are’.
“We’ll see ourselves out…” They both stand and Anna extends her hand to them before they turn and walk respectfully out of the living room. She sits back down next to Janet and wraps her arms around her, rocking her gently back and forth as the front door clicks shut only to burst open again a few moments later as Peter charges in.
“Oh god, what? What’s happened?” He asks, with rising panic in his voice.
“Nothing… everything’s fine…” Anna responds calmly, holding her hand up in order to placate him.
“Then what the hell were the police doing here?”
“I called them…” Janet sniffs, “And what a huge waste of time that was…” She stands and collects the empty mugs from the table, before moving wearily into the kitchen.
“Why didn’t you tell me this was happening?!” Peter whispers.
“I didn’t know, I came to check on Mum and they just turned up…”
“And…?”
“And nothing…” Anna shrugs, “Mum’s right it was a complete waste of time. They won’t do anything. They won’t look for her. Abbey hasn’t gone missing she left of her own accord and she is completely entitled to do so… apparently… despite how messed up she is…”
“I’m not sure getting the police involved is the best idea anyway…” Peter muses.
“No… I agree. Abbey might see it as a negative thing, like we’re trying to get her in trouble or something…”
“How is she?” He asks, tilting his head towards the door.
“Not great. She’s only going to get worse the longer this goes on but what else can we do?”
“I don’t know…”
The prospect of Janet having a relapse is a frightening one. Her mental health suffered so much after they lost Ryan and both Peter and Anna are concerned that the added strain placed on her recently could push her to the brink again. It is still an uphill battle; every day is a struggle and only the love and support of her family combined with the medication she is on, will keep her from retreating back into that dar
k place in her mind.
Lying awake at night, worrying about Abbey and where she is definitely isn’t helping her fragile state. It isn’t helping any of them. Like Janet, they all believed that this would be a temporary problem. That Abbey would cool off and be home within a week, with her tail between her legs. None of them ever imagined that it would go on for as long as it has.
Anna is becoming increasingly worried and even the anger that Peter had felt towards Abbey and her rebellious behaviour has faltered, replaced instead with a constant anxiety and a steady unease which suggests things are only going to get worse. Abbey is gone and it is starting to seem less and less likely that she will come back. She could be in trouble and they have no way of knowing, no way of contacting her, other than the endless calls and messages to her mobile that go unanswered. They are desperate to help her; to bring her home and get all of this resolved, but it is a feat which seems virtually impossible as they have absolutely no idea where she is.
Abbey takes another sip of red wine, savouring the smooth texture and the beautifully rich taste as she swallows. It is absolutely delicious, and should be, considering the price. As the waiter skilfully clears away her plate she stares across the table at Alex who is smirking at her in that seductive way she loves. It is obvious from his expression that he has more than food on his mind.
“Would you like to see the dessert menu?” The waiter looks at them both, curiously.
“Please…” Abbey smiles in response.
He nods and promptly turns on his heel before striding towards the kitchen, but half way across the restaurant he glances back over his shoulder, frowning at them suspiciously. Abbey would usually take offense at such rude behaviour but she can’t really blame him - or anyone else in the restaurant - for their highly transparent curiosity. They don’t exactly blend in with the usual clientele of this high end establishment.
They are dining in the extremely opulent ‘Il Gusto Elegante’, the most exclusive restaurant in Leeds. Stepping through the doors is like stepping back in time to the glamorous 1920’s era, with light, art deco style walls and beautiful, luxurious furnishings. Each impeccably laid table displays a stunning candelabra, all of which are lit to create a subtle, romantic mood. A string quartet and a grand piano are situated on a high platform at the far end of the dining area and a mixture of old and modern songs are being played by the house band. It is beautiful, lavish and incredibly expensive.
Even Angels Fall Page 21
