Hidden Gem by Enni Amanda

Author:Enni Amanda
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lumi Publishing
Published: 2021-08-28T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

“Now it feels like a real kidnapping,” Marnie observed, lying flat on the backseat of Jason’s rental car, a nondescript Hyundai, hiding under a throw they’d grabbed off her couch on the way out.

Jason laughed, glancing at her in the rear-view mirror. “I’m so sorry. In ten minutes, we’ll be out on the motorway, and you can get out.”

“It’s okay. I quite like it in here.” She curled up sideways to make herself more comfortable. If anyone recognised Jason behind the wheel, at least they wouldn’t spot her on the passenger seat.

Marnie had packed in a hurry, and they’d hit the road in less than half an hour. This was one of the benefits of being low maintenance – she didn’t travel with a lot of stuff. As long as she had her phone, wallet and iPad, some fresh underwear and her medication, she was fine.

“Do you want a drink? Snacks? Anything else before we leave town?”

Marnie lifted her head to see his face in the mirror. “Coffee?”

“I’m too nervous about caffeine these days. But you can have one. Smelling it won’t mess me up.” His mouth curled up in the mirror.

“You slept last night, right?”

“I did! Thanks to you.”

Marnie winced. “Can you please stop thanking me for your sleep? It’s not me. I don’t have superpowers. I don’t walk around putting people to sleep with a wave of my hand. At least I hope not. Tanya says I’m the most boring person in the universe, so I don’t know.”

She felt him slow to a stop and caught the glow of the red traffic light in the corner of the window. His shoulders shook as he laughed. “Your daughter’s a riot.”

“I worry about her,” she confessed. “Or, rather, I worry about us. She despises me. I fear that one day she’ll move out and I’ll never hear from her again.”

Jason’s voice was reassuring. “She’s a teenager. They’re self-absorbed by nature. It usually passes.”

Marnie huffed. “I hope so. I feel like I have no part in her life. Other than being a chauffeur, maybe. And the one who hands out money. She doesn’t include me in anything.”

“Do you include her?”

Marnie lifted her head, taken aback. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, do you ask for her opinion, or help? One thing I learnt about teens in my teacher days is that they want to feel like they’re contributing.”

“Huh.” She’d never thought of that. Maybe her troubles with Tanya were partly her own doing. “I’ve been trying to teach her to be more self-sufficient, but that just seems to make things worse between us.”

“Yeah. Teaching teenagers is pretty hard. Sometimes counter-intuitive. At best, you can inspire them to learn about something and then let them teach you.”

Marnie’s mouth curved at the thought. What could Tanya teach her? How to spend time at the mall? How to walk and text at the same time?

She glanced at the rear-view mirror, and the concern in Jason’s eyes made her own well up.

“How is she with her father?” he asked.

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