I pulled the phone from my ear and just stared at it, the little clock ticking on. I could hear her faintly repeating her words with increasing desperation. I looked at Brodie and he squeezed my shoulder and nodded at me. I took a deep breath and brought the phone back to my ear. “Mum, it’s me.” The sigh of relief was so loud and only made me feel worse because I knew I was about to shatter any hopes she had that I was coming home.
“Esme, where are you? Are you okay? We’ve been worried sick…”
“What the hell are you playing at?” It was my dad and the anger he emulated made me want to throw the phone away and hide under the covers. “Are you listening to me? Your mother had been sick with worry.” It wasn’t as though I needed him to tell me. I already knew, and I already felt beyond guilty,
