Burning Bright by Sophie McKenzie Read Free Book Online Page A

long, pale
fingers together. ‘Or Flynn?’
    ‘Like Flynn?’ I looked at Siobhan, a chill settling on my chest. ‘Flynn would never hurt a girl. He’s never hurt me.’
    ‘Not physically, maybe,’ Siobhan said. She kept her green eyes fixed on me. ‘But he’s scary when he’s angry, isn’t he?’
    ‘He’s just passionate,’ I said defensively. ‘People don’t understand how strongly he feels about things.’
    Siobhan looked away.
    ‘Anyway, we were talking about you and Gary,’ I said, eager to change the subject. ‘Why not just give him a chance? Go to the cinema or out for a coffee with him? Something
simple. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want.’
    ‘You’re right.’ Siobhan nodded. ‘It’s just . . . just such a big deal.’ She looked up at me. ‘Um, River, you promise you won’t say anything to
Flynn, will you?’
    ‘No.’ I knew I was making a mistake promising that. But what choice did I have? ‘No. Course I won’t.’
    Flynn arrived home a couple of hours later. We talked for a bit about how ridiculous Mum was being, agreeing again that there was no way she could stop us seeing each other. I
persuaded Flynn to come home with me so we could try and reason with Mum together. I had some vague hope that if I could just get Mum to have a proper conversation with Flynn then she would realise
how great he really was.
    I don’t know what planet I was on.

8
    Mum appeared in the hallway just as we shut the front door. She had obviously been crying. I felt a pang of guilt at the sight of her exhausted, tear-streaked face.
    ‘So you’ve decided to come home, then?’
    ‘Mum?’ I said. ‘I’m so sorr—’
    ‘What’s he doing here?’ Mum shot a poisonous look at Flynn.
    I put a restraining hand on Flynn’s arm. ‘He’s come with me so we can talk to you,’ I said quickly. ‘I’m really sorry about last night, Mum. But it
wasn’t Flynn’s fault. It wasn’t his idea to do that switch thing with Emmi. That was—’
    ‘I don’t want to hear it,’ she said. ‘One lie after another. You have no idea what you’re putting me through.’
    I could feel Flynn’s arm muscles tensing under my hand. I didn’t dare look at his face. I could just imagine the thundercloud building behind his eyes.
    ‘Please, Mum,’ I said desperately. ‘I don’t want to—’
    ‘I am so disgusted with you,’ she shouted. ‘You stupid little—’
    ‘Don’t speak to her like that.’ Flynn’s voice slammed down on Mum’s like a sledgehammer.
    She turned on him instantly.
    ‘How dare you shout at me,’ she yelled. ‘Encouraging River to—’
    ‘How dare
you
shout at
us
,’ Flynn yelled back. ‘We haven’t done anything wrong. Nothing. You just can’t accept . . .’
    ‘Get out.’ Mum pointed to the front door.
    Flynn stood there, staring at her, his fists clenched.
    My heart sank. Having promised me he would make every effort to keep his temper, Flynn had lost it completely in less than a minute. I looked at Mum again, at the way her lips were pressed
meanly against each other. There was no way she was ever going to approve of Flynn. No way she was ever going to be happy about my seeing him.
    ‘Mum?’ It came out as a whisper.
    She turned to me, her eyes hard and narrow. ‘Obviously, I can’t stop you going out with him, River. Not without locking you inside the house whenever you’re not at school. But
I don’t want him here. And I want you to let me know exactly where you are from now on. I’m going to speak to your dad about it, as soon as I can get hold of him. Yes, and you’re
not getting an allowance anymore. Not until you’ve come to your senses.’ She turned to Flynn with a final sneer. ‘Maybe without River paying for you all the time, you’ll
lose interest. Emmi’s mother told me you’re well known for your ability to take from others.’
    Flynn’s jaw dropped open as Mum spun round and swept away from us into the kitchen. He took a step