The Lies I Told Him by Vanessa Garbin

Author:Vanessa Garbin [Garbin, Vanessa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: THE BOOK FOLKS bestselling fiction publisher
Published: 2021-11-28T05:00:00+00:00

16

Daphne

Gabriel lies on a footpath, his head resting on Leo’s lap, when we pull up at the address Leo had given me. I feel like we’ve driven onto a movie set, starring my son, starring us. It doesn’t seem real.

I scramble out of the car, slightly wobbly still from the wine, but mentally alert enough to tend to my inebriated child.

Kneeling by his side, I take his limp hand in mine, shamefully grateful for a distraction from the restaurant drama with my ex.

‘Gabriel?’ I stroke his damp, dark hair away from his forehead, marvelling at how beautiful my son is, and close to becoming a man. ‘It’s Mum. We’re here to take you home. Dad and I are here, love.’

Gabriel’s shirt is soaking wet and as I bend down to get closer, the acrid combination of white spirit – vodka, or gin perhaps, and corn chips, fills my nostrils. I gag and draw back.

‘Catelyn’s,’ says Leo, and though I’m not looking at his face I can hear the distaste in his voice. ‘This is Catelyn’s house. She did this to him.’

I glance over my shoulder at the house. It’s old, but has its charm. A pretty row of rose bushes grow on the side of the pathway leading to the green front door.

‘Is Catelyn okay?’ I ask Leo. ‘We should check on her too.’

‘She’s fine,’ says Leo, dismissing my concerns. ‘I’ve already tucked her into bed and she said that she’ll be fine. Her mum called and told her that she was coming come a day early from her trip down south. She’s probably an hour away. It’s Gabriel I’m more worried about.’

Joe and I carry Gabriel to the car and I sit in the back with him so that I can support his drunken bobble-head.

‘Why aren’t you drunk?’ I ask Leo, who’s leaning against the open car door.

He shrugs. ‘I was worried. I could tell that Gabriel was on a mission so I made sure that I stayed straight so that I could watch him. And Catelyn. She was in the same condition as Gabriel. Vomiting all over the place.’

‘We can’t leave her alone if she’s in the same state as Gabe,’ I say to Joe, my heart fluttering in panic. I can’t leave a drunken girl in the company of Leo. I don’t even know Leo that well. ‘We’ll have to wait until her mother gets home.’

Leo’s eyes widen. ‘No. No need for that. I’ve known Catelyn all my life. I’ll stay out here and keep watch until her mum shows up. Then I’ll walk home.’

‘Tell you what,’ says Joe, narrowing his gaze over his shoulder at Leo. ‘I’ll drop Gabriel and Daphne home and I’ll be back to check on you and Catelyn. It’ll take me two minutes to return. And if her mum’s home by then I’ll drop you home. If not, I’ll wait with you both.’

Leo stares at me for a second, and I can tell he wants me to say that I can come back and get him.

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