Trust Me - Sheryl Browne Page 0,13

not to launch into a confrontation with her flew out of the window, though, as her eyes lighted on her daughter, who was creeping unsteadily towards the stairs.

‘Millie!’

She stopped in her tracks but didn’t look round. It was obviously catching, Emily thought angrily.

‘Do you realise what time it is?’

‘Need the loo,’ Millie mumbled, and took another step towards the stairs, almost reeling into the hall wall as she did.

Emily’s heart skipped a beat. ‘Where in God’s name have you been?’ she demanded, moving towards her.

Millie met her eyes at last, her own slightly unfocused, Emily noticed. ‘Anna’s,’ she said shortly. ‘Why?’

‘Why? It’s way past the time we agreed,’ Emily pointed out, staring hard at her. She’d obviously been drinking, and Emily doubted very much she’d been doing that at Anna’s house. ‘I’ve been trying to ring you. I’ve left you umpteen messages. I also called Anna. She didn’t answer either.’

‘We were watching TV.’ Millie shrugged indifferently. ‘It’s no big deal.’

Shocked that her daughter was apparently lying to her face, Emily attempted to call her bluff. ‘What were you watching?’

Millie widened her eyes indignantly. ‘The Sinner, a rerun. What is this? The Inquisition?’

‘It’s a school night.’ Emily’s voice rose. ‘We discussed this, Millie. If you’ve any hope of getting the five GCSE grades you need, you have to apply yourself to your school work.’

Folding her arms, Millie rolled her eyes languorously. ‘Right, so I’m not supposed to chill out occasionally then?’

‘You can chill out as much as you like.’ Emily tried hard to hold onto her temper. ‘But you do not stay out late without clearing it with me or your father first.’

Millie’s expression was now one of belligerence, which only increased Emily’s annoyance. Did she not realise how worried she’d been? Yes, she was only an hour late, but anything could happen in an hour, as Emily well knew. ‘And you do not lie to me, ever,’ she added. ‘Understand?’

Millie boggled at that. ‘That’s way out of order, Mum,’ she muttered, her face creasing into a scowl. ‘I am not lying. I’ve been round at Anna’s. Ring her now if you don’t believe me.’

‘I just might,’ Emily threatened. ‘But I think I’d much rather talk to her mother tomorrow. How much have you had to drink?’

‘I haven’t been drinking.’ Millie dragged her hair from her face and eyeballed her defiantly. ‘What the bloody hell is up with you anyway? It’s not like I’ve been out the whole night.’

Enough. Emily saw red. ‘That’s it, Millie. No more going out during the week, no TV …’

‘What?’ Millie laughed, disbelieving.

‘… no mobile top-ups and no computer time, unless it’s for homework. Not until you learn to act like an adult.’

‘You have to be joking.’ Millie gawped at her, stunned.

‘I’ve never been more serious in my life,’ Emily assured her. ‘You can carry on up the stairs now, assuming you can negotiate them.’

‘God! You’re being totally unfair. Ben’s still out.’ Millie splayed a hand towards the front door.

‘He’s older than you,’ Emily argued, stopping short of pointing out that she would also always worry more about Millie simply because she was a girl. She was acutely aware that this was partly because of her own experience at the hands of the man who’d manipulated her and then taken what he wanted anyway when she’d said no. The fact was, though, that Millie was young, beautiful and vulnerable – more so for having been drinking.

‘I’ve only been at my friend’s,’ Millie retaliated, her cheeks flushing furiously. ‘I rang Dad on his mobile and told him I was going to be a bit late. He said it was fine.’ Her gaze went past Emily to where Jake was making an appearance now he’d finished talking to whoever it was he was perfectly happy to take calls from this late, leaving her to deal with their daughter. ‘Dad?’ Millie appealed to him.

Jake glanced at Emily, as she turned to face him, and then uncomfortably back to Millie. ‘I said it was fine as long as you checked with your mum, Mils,’ he said, at least backing Emily up.

‘Right. Thanks for your support, Dad.’ Swiping a tear from her cheek, Millie threw him a mutinous scowl, and then flounced onwards to the stairs. ‘I hate it here. I’ll be glad when I can leave,’ she growled, thundering up them, half tripping. ‘You treat me like I’m three years old and then expect me to act like an adult? How does that work?’

Shaking his head, Jake gazed despairingly after