have tried to shake her awake. Quite hard probably. But Eve looked so vulnerable – all curled up on the bed. I was seized by this fierce need to look after her. To protect her from anything bad that might happen.
I wrapped my arms back around her and buried my face in her hair.
Nothing and no one are taking you away again. Ever.
8
Running away
I couldn’t work out what the noise was. Some kind of banging or thumping. Like a hammer on a plank of wood. It was dragging me up from a deep sleep, forcing me to notice it. Forcing me to wake up.
Where was I? I was dimly aware I was lying down, holding something. Some one . Eve. The memory of her, of everything that had happened flooded through me.
The thudding sound was louder now, but I wasn’t focusing on it at all. For a few semi-conscious seconds I lay there, wrapped round her, enjoying the sensation of not being able to work out where I ended, where she began.
And then I realised that the noise wasn’t going away. That someone was outside, banging on the door.
‘Luke. Eva. Get up.’ It was Alejandro. There was something desperate about his voice.
Eve stirred slightly, moving against me.
The thumping on the door started again.
Reluctantly I disentangled my arms from hers and staggered out of bed and across the room. It was still dark outside.
I pulled open the door. Alejandro was standing there, a look of total terror on his face, his bag in his hand.
‘Jonno,’ he hissed. ‘Here. Now. Downstairs. Come on.’
I stared at him, suddenly wide awake.
‘Here?’ I gasped.
Eve’s father’s here?
Alejandro gritted his teeth, barging past me into the room. He raced over to Eve on the bed and shook her roughly. ‘Get up.’ He picked up her trainers from the floor. ‘We can get out down the fire escape.’
Eve blinked sleepily up at him. ‘What?’
‘Your dad,’ I said, tugging on my jeans. ‘He’s here.’
Eve sat bolt upright, her eyes wide. ‘No. How . . .?’
I shoved her sweater into her arms. ‘Come on.’
As I turned round I met Alejandro’s eyes. ‘He’ll kill us,’ I said.
‘ Yo se .’Alejandro opened the door. ‘I know.’
‘Jesus. Oh God, Luke.’ Eve scrambled into her jumper, then raced across the room and picked up her bag.
‘Eve,’ I said. ‘Hurry up.’
‘I need this,’ she said, clutching the bag.
‘Let’s go.’Alejandro whispered.
Holding my shoes in one hand and our jackets in the other, I followed him out onto the corridor. Eve crept beside me.
The unmistakable sound of Jonno’s voice roared up from the lobby downstairs. ‘I don’t care how early it is. She’s my bloody daughter. I know they’re here – the man at the car-hire place told me he recommended you. For God’s sake, I can see the sodding hire car outside.’
‘Oh, God,’ Eve whimpered.
I grabbed her wrist and pulled her down the corridor towards Alejandro and the fire escape. I glanced at her as Alejandro pushed open the fire door. Jesus. Her whole body was shaking.
I had time to feel a stab of pure hatred for Jonno before the door scraped loudly open and we were running down the iron steps outside.
How dare he terrorise her like this?
It was freezing outside and still completely dark. My breath misted in the air. The steps and the dark, tarmac ground were icy cold under my bare feet.
We were at the side of the building. The hire car was in the car park at the front. To reach it we just had to run round an ivy-clad brick wall. Eve pulled her arm out of my grip as we raced along. I looked over my shoulder. She was standing still, rummaging for something in her bag. She took out her pencil case, then hoisted her bag back on her shoulder.
‘Eve,’ I ran back, grabbing her arm again. ‘What the hell are you doing ?’
Alejandro had reached the wall. He peered round it, then beckoned us forwards.
I ran, heart racing, dragging Eve behind me. She was now fumbling in her pencil case. I could hear her pulling things out and them
I wrapped my arms back around her and buried my face in her hair.
Nothing and no one are taking you away again. Ever.
8
Running away
I couldn’t work out what the noise was. Some kind of banging or thumping. Like a hammer on a plank of wood. It was dragging me up from a deep sleep, forcing me to notice it. Forcing me to wake up.
Where was I? I was dimly aware I was lying down, holding something. Some one . Eve. The memory of her, of everything that had happened flooded through me.
The thudding sound was louder now, but I wasn’t focusing on it at all. For a few semi-conscious seconds I lay there, wrapped round her, enjoying the sensation of not being able to work out where I ended, where she began.
And then I realised that the noise wasn’t going away. That someone was outside, banging on the door.
‘Luke. Eva. Get up.’ It was Alejandro. There was something desperate about his voice.
Eve stirred slightly, moving against me.
The thumping on the door started again.
Reluctantly I disentangled my arms from hers and staggered out of bed and across the room. It was still dark outside.
I pulled open the door. Alejandro was standing there, a look of total terror on his face, his bag in his hand.
‘Jonno,’ he hissed. ‘Here. Now. Downstairs. Come on.’
I stared at him, suddenly wide awake.
‘Here?’ I gasped.
Eve’s father’s here?
Alejandro gritted his teeth, barging past me into the room. He raced over to Eve on the bed and shook her roughly. ‘Get up.’ He picked up her trainers from the floor. ‘We can get out down the fire escape.’
Eve blinked sleepily up at him. ‘What?’
‘Your dad,’ I said, tugging on my jeans. ‘He’s here.’
Eve sat bolt upright, her eyes wide. ‘No. How . . .?’
I shoved her sweater into her arms. ‘Come on.’
As I turned round I met Alejandro’s eyes. ‘He’ll kill us,’ I said.
‘ Yo se .’Alejandro opened the door. ‘I know.’
‘Jesus. Oh God, Luke.’ Eve scrambled into her jumper, then raced across the room and picked up her bag.
‘Eve,’ I said. ‘Hurry up.’
‘I need this,’ she said, clutching the bag.
‘Let’s go.’Alejandro whispered.
Holding my shoes in one hand and our jackets in the other, I followed him out onto the corridor. Eve crept beside me.
The unmistakable sound of Jonno’s voice roared up from the lobby downstairs. ‘I don’t care how early it is. She’s my bloody daughter. I know they’re here – the man at the car-hire place told me he recommended you. For God’s sake, I can see the sodding hire car outside.’
‘Oh, God,’ Eve whimpered.
I grabbed her wrist and pulled her down the corridor towards Alejandro and the fire escape. I glanced at her as Alejandro pushed open the fire door. Jesus. Her whole body was shaking.
I had time to feel a stab of pure hatred for Jonno before the door scraped loudly open and we were running down the iron steps outside.
How dare he terrorise her like this?
It was freezing outside and still completely dark. My breath misted in the air. The steps and the dark, tarmac ground were icy cold under my bare feet.
We were at the side of the building. The hire car was in the car park at the front. To reach it we just had to run round an ivy-clad brick wall. Eve pulled her arm out of my grip as we raced along. I looked over my shoulder. She was standing still, rummaging for something in her bag. She took out her pencil case, then hoisted her bag back on her shoulder.
‘Eve,’ I ran back, grabbing her arm again. ‘What the hell are you doing ?’
Alejandro had reached the wall. He peered round it, then beckoned us forwards.
I ran, heart racing, dragging Eve behind me. She was now fumbling in her pencil case. I could hear her pulling things out and them
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