He's the One (9 page)

The revelation that Cory was getting over a broken heart hit Liberty hard, but she wasn’t yet ready to admit defeat, still clinging on to her belief in Cory. ‘I really don’t think it’s for you to say what’s right for your son any more. He’s an adult.’

‘Of course he is, but do you really want him to squander his talent by having to work and being unable to go to art college and fulfil his dream? At the moment everything seems golden to him because he’s never had to struggle. Do you think he could do what you do, for instance? Work in a restaurant and put his dream on hold? Because I don’t. He needs to be free to be an artist, and I’m afraid to say we’ve always rather spoiled him.’

Liberty had a feeling of walls closing in on her, of all hope being squeezed out. ‘But why won’t you let him study in London?’ She already knew the answer – because Melissa wanted her out of Cory’s life. A clean
break, a fresh slate. Brooke and Liberty wiped away as if they had never been there. They weren’t good enough for him.

‘There are better colleges in the States and Cory needs the support of his family,’ Melissa said evasively.

Every word from her was like another puncture to Liberty’s dream, but she wasn’t ready to give up yet. ‘What about if I came over to New York with him?’ she said defiantly. ‘I’ve had some modelling success, I could get work out there too.’ She wanted to add that a major TV director was interested in her, but she still hadn’t heard anything from Zac, so maybe his interest had just been a whim.

Melissa looked at her as if she was unbelievably stupid. ‘Cory will have enough money to pay for a room in a student dorm, which he’ll most likely have to share. They don’t provide space for families. And, honey, a word of advice: the streets of New York are lined with beautiful girls who want to make it as a model, actress or whatever. Beautiful girls who don’t come with a small daughter in tow.’

Brooke chose that moment to approach them.

‘Mummy, I’m hungry.’ The little girl had taken off her shoes and socks and her legs were covered in sand.

‘Oh, aren’t you beautiful?’ Melissa exclaimed over her as Liberty rifled through her bag to find Brooke some rice cakes. She was still reeling from the onslaught, and trying to work out what to say, when the other woman got up from the bench.

‘Well, I’m glad we’ve had this conversation, Liberty. I’ll be telling Cory of our decision this afternoon. We fly back tonight. Goodbye.’ And without waiting for a response, she turned on her designer heel and walked briskly out of the playground.

Chapter 9

Liberty’s first thought after Melissa left was that she had to see Cory. But she couldn’t because he would be with his parents. Her next was that she had to see Em. Praying that her friend would be in, she managed to entice Brooke out of the park and practically jogged with the buggy all the way to Em’s flat. To her dismay she discovered that her friend was already packing up, and the sight of her possessions being put away in boxes was like a slap in the face to Liberty. She really was losing her best friend.

‘Hey, Brooke, do you want to see if
The Tweenies
is on?’ Em asked the little girl, realising that Liberty needed to talk. They settled her in the living room in front of the TV, and went into the bedroom. Em had taken down all her film posters, photographs and the fairy lights that had hung round the mirror, and now the room seemed very bare. Liberty sat cross-legged on the bed and relayed what Melissa had said, very aware that there might not be many more occasions when she could do this. So often before she had sat in this very place, chatting to Em, asking advice, giving advice, giggling, swapping
stories, and the thought of not being able to was almost unbearable to her. Talking on the phone and writing letters would never compensate for not being with her best friend.

‘What do you think I should do? I mean, Melissa’s right, Cory is too young to be a parent. And I didn’t even know he was only nineteen, or about the girl in the States who broke his heart. Maybe I’m just a complete rebound for him.’ Liberty chewed at her nails, a habit she’d thought she’d got out of months ago.

‘First of all, calm down. Melissa has her own agenda – you thought that right from the start. But Cory’s not like her, not in any way. When his parents have gone, you can talk to him and work something out. You don’t have to look so desperate, I’m sure it’s going to be okay.’

Liberty didn’t share Em’s conviction, though. She could feel the happiness she’d had with Cory slipping through her fingers, slipping away.

He had left several messages asking her to call him when she returned home. She dialled his number and he picked up after one ring.

‘Can you come over? I have to talk to you?’ There was an urgent note in his voice.

‘Have your parents gone?’

‘They have, thank God! And if they hadn’t, I would have told them to. Please, come now. Get a taxi, I’ll pay.’

Should she tell him that she knew about the place at art school in America? No, she couldn’t do it over the phone; she had to see him.

As soon as she arrived Cory pulled her into his arms and kissed her, and kissed her, and she felt the familiar tingle of desire, which ignited whenever she was with him.

‘I’ve missed you so much,’ he murmured, smoothing back her hair and gazing at her as if he couldn’t quite believe she was here in person. ‘I need to tell you about the little bombshell my mom dropped.’

‘I know all about it, she met me in the park this morning.’

Cory shook his head in disbelief. ‘She’s a piece of work.’

They sat together on the sofa and, as with Em earlier, Liberty had the feeling that this might be one of the last times she did this and was trying hard to stay strong and keep it together.

‘So you know that they’ve promised to pay for me to go to art college, but only if I go in the States?’

She nodded.

‘I’m sure my mom thinks that I’m just going to roll over and accept whatever she says, just like my dad. Well, I’m not going to, Liberty. I want to study in England so that I can be with you.’

‘But how will you afford to? Your mum said they wouldn’t pay.’

He shrugged. ‘Then I’ll get a job like you.’ He reached for her hand. ‘The point is, I’m not leaving. I want to be with you. I
have
to be with you. That’s all that matters.’

He was saying everything she had hoped he would, and she wanted to let the happiness in, but there was something stopping it. ‘Cory, you’re only nineteen, why did you lie to me?’

‘I thought you’d take me more seriously if I said I was twenty-one. And that’s only two years out.’

‘And what about this girl you broke up with – your mum pretty much said that you were on the rebound from a broken heart.’

‘Oh, she did, did she? Yeah, I was cut up when she
dumped me, but I don’t suppose my mom told you that she dumped me for my best friend? I think
his
betrayal hurt more. My mom is saying all these things to undermine you and make you think that what we have isn’t real. But we know it is, don’t we?’

He looked and sounded so convincing and she so wanted to believe him, to believe in the dream that he could stay in the UK and they could be together …

‘Yes,’ she murmured, pressing her lips to his. ‘Yes, it is real.’

Melissa was as good as her word. When Cory met Liberty after work the next day he revealed that his parents had stopped his regular allowance. He wouldn’t have enough to cover his rent. She really was a witch, Liberty thought. How could someone do that to their own son?

‘I’m going to have to get a job,’ he said, as they sat on the grass in the Pavilion gardens, catching the last rays of the September sun.

‘I should be getting paid from that modelling job soon. How about I lend you some money, just to tide you over?’

He shook his head. ‘No way are you doing that. You need that for you and Brooke. And I want to prove to my parents that they don’t have to bankroll me, that I can make it on my own. It’ll be good for me.’ Cory grinned at her, ‘I know you think I have been a bit spoiled, admit it, so now comes the reality check.’

‘But what about your painting?’

‘I can do that whenever. That’s what other artists have had to do.’

A day later Cory got himself a job at a popular bar along the seafront. His shifts started at six p.m. and didn’t end until after midnight. Liberty couldn’t
imagine when she would ever see him. But Cory was upbeat and didn’t seem to share her concern.

‘It’ll be cool – I’ll give you a key and you can call by when your shift finishes at the restaurant, whenever your mum can babysit, or I can come to yours. This doesn’t have to change anything.’

Liberty didn’t want to tell him that she wouldn’t be able to do that all the time. She didn’t want to point out that she had other responsibilities, that she had to get up at half-past seven every morning without fail so as to see to Brooke. She didn’t want to put a downer on everything as she could see how much getting the job meant to Cory. But as soon as he started work, it was like the unravelling of their brilliant summer together. His first shift didn’t finish until one-thirty a.m. Liberty had done as he’d suggested and let herself into his flat. She stayed up until half-past midnight, taking a long bath, listening to music, planning to surprise him by lying on the sofa in her sexiest underwear. But the evenings were getting cool, and after lying there shivering for a few minutes, she retreated into the bedroom and under the duvet.

She must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew Cory was sliding into bed next to her, and kissing her neck. Sleepily she turned round to kiss him.

‘This is the best thing ever, getting into bed with you already there,’ he murmured, sliding his hands over her body. Sleepy as she was, she instantly responded to his touch and soon she was gasping with pleasure.

She expected to fall asleep after that, with his arms round her as they always did. Instead he sat up. ‘D’you want a drink? I can’t sleep yet, I’m totally wired.’

She stifled a yawn. ‘Okay, but I’ll just have a cup of tea.’ She pulled on one of his t-shirts and followed him into the kitchen, where he poured himself a large
measure of Jack Daniel’s, topped up with a small amount of Coke, and made her a cup of tea.

‘So how was it then?’ Liberty asked, folding her arms to try and keep warm.

He shrugged. ‘Okay, better than I thought. The time seemed to go quickly and the other bar staff are all really friendly. It felt more like a night out than work.’ He kissed her. ‘It’s all going to be cool, don’t look so worried.’

Yes, it probably did seem like fun on the first night as it was all new to him … She wondered what his answer would be in a couple of weeks’ time, when the novelty had worn off.

Chapter 10

Sometimes Liberty hated being right. Cory’s working hours meant that they hardly saw each other in the weeks that followed. When they could snatch some time together she had to stay up late, so inevitably she was exhausted the next day, snappy with her daughter and the most sullen waitress at work. Everyone commented on it, from her mum, who told her she had to slow down, to Marco, who insisted that her attitude had to improve. She felt as if she was being torn in too many directions, wanting to be a good mum and wanting to see Cory. And on top of everything Em was leaving at the end of September.

They had a special week where they crammed in all the activities that they had loved doing together over the years: rollerblading along the seafront, swimming in the sea, having fish and chips on the beach, going on the amusements on the Pier, and having one last ride on the dodgems and the Waltzer, and afterwards making themselves feel sick by eating too many doughnuts. They rounded everything off with a girls’ night out together on Em’s last Friday, calling in at some of their favourite haunts.

First stop was the pub in one of the roads off the seafront where they’d both scored their first Malibu and Coke aged fifteen, effortlessly conning the barman into believing they were eighteen.

‘D’you remember how furious your mum was when we pitched up drunk at your house? We pretended that we’d gone to see a film but then you threw up on the sofa,’ Liberty said, as they ordered Malibu and Cokes for old times’ sake. She was determined that this night would be all about having fun. She would be sad when Em left, not before.

‘God, yeah. She grounded me for the next month, which I wouldn’t have minded except I know what a complete tearaway
she
was when she was a teenager. I wonder if you’ll be that strict with Brooke? Nah, I reckon you’re too much of a softie. She’ll be able to wrap you round her little finger.’

Em’s blue eyes filled with tears then. ‘God, Libs, I’m going to miss you and Brooke so much! You will send me loads of letters and pictures, won’t you? I want to hear all your news.’

‘No, no, don’t get upset!’ Liberty exclaimed, blinking tears away herself. ‘I know this is what you really want to do, and even though I wish I could make you stay here for ever and ever, I know you have to go. And one day we’ll be able to come out and see you, and you’ll be some gorgeous brown surfer girl.’

One Malibu and Coke became two, and then they were off to the next bar, where they went for cocktails, a Strawberry Daiquiri for Em and a Cosmopolitan for Liberty.

‘So how’s Cory liking his new job?’ Em asked, plucking the pink paper umbrella out of her drink.

‘He’s been very positive about it.’ Worryingly positive actually, acting as if it was temporary and that soon
he’d have money again, though from where Liberty didn’t know.

‘That’s good, isn’t it?’

‘The trouble is, I don’t know if he’s doing any painting. And he has no idea how to economise.’

‘Oh?’

‘When I went round the other night, he’d bought a bottle of champagne and some oysters because I’d never had them and he wanted me to try them.’

‘Just as well you didn’t say caviar then,’ Em commented. ‘But that’s so sweet.’

‘Yeah, but there was nothing else to eat in the flat, and I don’t think he had any money to buy proper food. He came round to mine last night before he went to work, and Mum had made chilli and he had three helpings.’