Trust Me - Sheryl Browne Page 0,79
any more. They might take that into account,’ she suggested, her heart dropping another inch when Louis shook his head, laughing scornfully. ‘You don’t, do you?’ She glanced worriedly at him, wondering whether he was telling her the whole truth. ‘It’s just … you seem to have been paying him off for ages.’
It was the reason they hardly ever went out. She didn’t mind, not really. She supposed she couldn’t be seen out locally with him anyway, at least not until she’d had the dreaded conversation with her parents about their age difference. She had wondered, though, on the odd occasion, whether he might still be seeing his wife. Whatever spare cash he had left he said went to her – supposedly to help with the bills on the house until they got a buyer. She’d thought that was nice of him at first, generous and caring, but she couldn’t help being a bit suspicious when she’d seen the woman leaving his flat once. Louis had said she’d popped by to drop some of his stuff off. She’d no reason to disbelieve him – he and his wife weren’t living together, after all – but she couldn’t help wondering. She’d smelled perfume on him, too, not hers. He’d explained it away, telling her it was some stuff he’d bought for his mother, and she’d liked it so much she’d sprayed it all over the place. Seeing how pleased he’d looked as he’d told her, she’d tried to believe him, but now a seed of doubt was niggling away at her.
‘I don’t, apart from the odd joint,’ Louis said. ‘I told you, I went on a treatment programme. I knew I had to when my old mum got sick. I have to look after her, don’t I? I’m not shoving her in some old people’s home, no way. She deserves better than that. It doesn’t earn you brownie points where bastards like Bear are concerned, though. He’d laugh in my face if he knew, before chopping my fucking head off, that is.’
Millie felt an avalanche of conflicting emotions. He was trying so hard to stay clean, caring for his mother. She was proud of him for doing that. She was also scared for him. And terrified for herself. If someone discovered what she was doing, she would be in deep trouble.
‘I just need a bit more stuff, Mils,’ he said, reaching for her hand and giving it a squeeze. ‘Enough to keep him happy. My ex reckons there’s a buyer for the house who’s a dead cert. I’ll be out of the woods then and we can start to make plans. Proper plans for you and me.’
‘I don’t know, Louis.’ Nerves clenching her tummy, Millie dropped her gaze to her lap. She wanted to make those plans more than anything, wanted desperately to move out to somewhere of her own, especially now, with the arguments at home and the prospect of her parents splitting. She wouldn’t have to sneak around any more then, and they could hardly tell her she couldn’t see Louis if she lived with him, but … ‘What if my dad finds out?’ she asked, her heart twisting at the thought of how much hurt she would cause him. ‘They’re bound to notice that pills are going missing soon. And they’re going to realise it’s someone with a set of keys. My mum will be apoplectic. And my dad … I don’t think I could bear to see the disappointment in his eyes.’
‘He’s not going to think it’s you.’ Louis repeated what he’d told her the first time they’d done this. ‘He’ll think it’s an inside job. That nurse, Sally, helping herself to medication to fund her Botox, or the receptionist – she likes her fancy clothes, doesn’t she? He’s never going to suspect his own daughter of stealing from him. Let’s face it, sweet cup, you look like butter wouldn’t melt. He probably thinks you’re an angel.’ He gave her a reassuring smile and chucked her under the chin. He meant it affectionately. He was always doing it, but now Millie felt about three years old.
‘But he might. They only keep so much stuff in the safe. If he realises drugs are going missing, he’ll have to call the police. There might be evidence, and then …’ She stopped, the hard knot of panic in her stomach twisting itself tighter.
‘He’s not going to find out,’ Louis said, his tone sharp. ‘Not unless someone tells him.’
Millie’s gaze swivelled