Paradise by Katie Price

the Chloe bag that she had her eye on for Christmas, in forensic detail. Angel just hoped that Tony had been paying attention and saving up – hell had no fury like a fashionista who did not get her dream Chloe bag on Christmas morning.
    Cal had made lasagne and garlic bread for supper. Once again, as they all sat round the kitchen table, Angel had a flashback to the past. She had sat here so many times with Cal: as a teenager when she was desperately, hopelessly in love with him, and as a couple when they’d finally got together. She found herself sitting opposite him now which made the experience even more unsettling as she was so intensely aware of him and his every move. But, as before, Cal looked every where but at Angel, focussing all his attention on his daughter and making sure she ate her pasta.
    ‘Not like your glamorous LA life, I imagine?’ Angel’s brother teased her. ‘You don’t have to lift a finger to do anything there, do you? Gem says you’ve got your own team of chefs and everything.’
    He sounded as if he did not think this was a good thing. Angel had always had a fiery relationship with Tony. They were as different in personality as in looks – Tony dark-haired and dark-eyed, with a cute, boyish face, compared to the blonde, green-eyed striking beauty of his sister. Tony was calm, level-headed,always thought he was right, whereas Angel was impulsive, passionate, often riven by self-doubt and insecurity. The differences were not surprising as she had been adopted as a baby whereas Tony was Frank and Michelle’s son, and was a lot like his dad.
    ‘One cook,’ Angel corrected him.
    ‘And a butler. And a team of chauffeurs, cleaners and gardeners,’ Gemma put in. ‘Angel is living the celeb life to the max. You just need a nutritionist, a stylist, and someone to put your toothpaste on your brush and you’ll have made it, girlfriend!’
    ‘But luckily I’ve got all you lot to keep me grounded,’ Angel replied dryly as Tony handed her the supper plates.
    ‘So how’s your boyfriend spending Christmas?’ he asked. He had only met Ethan once and it had been a slightly strained meeting, with Tony being decidedly offhand. While Tony had been stunned by Cal’s infidelity, he still believed that Angel should get back with him and they should work through it. Somehow Angel couldn’t imagine him being so understanding were Gemma ever to be unfaithful to
him
.
    ‘My boyfriend,
Ethan
, is spending Christmas with his grandmother, Loretta – she’s just getting over cancer as I think I told you,’ Angel replied, feeling a little put on the spot.
    ‘So he’s not seeing his daughter?’ Tony continued.
    Angel shook her head, and muttered, ‘He’s not met her yet.’
    Frank tutted. ‘That’s a shame. He should face up to his responsibilities. The child needs a father.’
    Perfect! This was all she needed: an in-depth analysis of her boyfriend’s failings in front of her nearly ex-husband. She was aware of Cal finally looking at her, no doubt trying to work out what she thought of Ethan’s behaviour.
    ‘It’s complicated, Dad, but I’m sure he’ll see her soon.’ Angel hoped she sounded calmer than she felt. ‘Not everything is black-and-white, you know.’
    Frank looked as if he was about to say something else, but thankfully Michelle gave him a warning look and he kept quiet. Just in case he was tempted to come out with anything, Angel stood up with the plates and took them over to the sink. By the time she returned to the table, thankfully the conversation had moved on.
    After supper Tony and Gemma headed to her parents’, who lived round the corner. Frank and Michelle watched
EastEnders
while Cal gave Honey her bath and Angel carried on wrapping presents. All the time she was aware of Cal just across the hall from her as he made Honey squeal with laughter and she squirted him with water from her rubber duck. Father and daughter hadn’t shared many bathtimes in the last six