The Home for Broken Hearts by Rowan Coleman

Author:Rowan Coleman [Coleman, Rowan]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781439182505
Publisher: Gallery Books
Published: 2010-09-07T07:00:00+00:00

“Oi! Charlie!” Sweat trickled down Matt’s back as he jogged to catch up with the boy before he reached the end of the road. “Hold up, mate!”

Charlie stopped and frowned, puzzled, as Matt came to a halt by his side, bending over and resting his hands on his knees as he struggled to reclaim his breath.

“Bloody hell, I need to get back in the gym,” he wheezed, nodding at the blazing sky. “It’s going to be another hot one, by the looks of things.”

“What are you doing?” Charlie asked flatly.

“Well, we go the same way, more or less,” Matt lied. “Thought I’d walk with you.”

Charlie scrutinized him through his mother’s black lashes and shrugged his assent.

“So,” Matt said as they began to walk slowly in the direction opposite his bus stop. “That was all a bit of a palaver last night, wasn’t it?”

“S’pose.” Charlie sighed wearily.

“You do know your mum was worried sick about you, don’t you, mate? You do realize that all that shouting last night at you and your aunty Hannah was all about how much she loves you, that’s all. And you know you were out of order with all the lying and shit.”

Charlie giggled at the swear word, like a little boy would.

“So why’d you do it? Not tell your mum where you were going.”

“Because I knew she wouldn’t let me go, she never does. She doesn’t like me going places. It’s like if I’m not at school or at home, she freaks out; even when I do phone her and say I’m going to the park or round a mate’s house or whatever, she pretends she’s cool about it, but I know she isn’t. I know she’s sitting at home worrying, waiting for me to come back, and that spoils everything. I can’t have any fun when I know she’s in the house, all anxious. So I thought I wouldn’t tell her—I thought if I didn’t tell her, she wouldn’t worry. I told Aunt Hannah we had to be back by five but she’s always late, that’s just what she’s like—she doesn’t worry about anything, you see. She has a laugh.” Charlie shifted his school bag from one shoulder to the other, slipping his blazer off his shoulders at the same time in one practiced movement.

“Okay, I sort of get why you didn’t tell her,” Matt said. “But you must have known she wouldn’t be best pleased about you coming home with a great big expensive present.”

“Dad would have let me have it,” Charlie muttered, kicking an empty Coke can with the toe of his shoe.

“Would he?” Matt asked tentatively. He wanted to know about Charlie’s dad, Ellen’s late husband—but he didn’t want to frighten the kid off by asking too many questions. “Big on presents, was he—your dad?”

“He liked to surprise me.” Charlie’s mouth evolved briefly into a smile. “He used to go away a lot, on business trips and stuff, and he’d always bring me something really cool back and not just something you’d get at an airport.

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