The Trouble with Love by Cathy Cole Read Free Book Online Page A

happiness she had been feeling for the past two hours, but it had gone. Sensing her mood, her father quietly helped her put on her coat. They left the restaurant in silence.
    Polly stared out of her dad’s rental car window, but she didn’t see the houses, or the sea, or the gulls, or any of the things she normally loved about Heartside Bay. She picked at the buttons on her dress, finding a crack in one of the shell buttons with the side of her finger. She took hold and tugged until it came away in her hand, then wound down the window so she could throw it away.
    The shouting started as soon as her dad had parked the car.
    â€œThis is typical of you,” her mum hissed, jabbing her dad hard in the chest with a stiff finger. “Irresponsible. Underhand . You have no idea what Polly went through when you left. And you think you can just swan in and out of her life whenever you feel like it—”
    Polly kept her head bowed. It’ll be over soon , she thought.
    Her mother rounded on her. “I thought more of you than this, Polly,” she said. The disappointment in her voice made Polly want to curl up and disappear. “I told you I didn’t want you seeing your father. And what do you do? You lie to me. You’re as bad as he is!”
    â€œDon’t blame Polly for this,” her father shouted, his cheeks mottled red with anger.
    â€œDon’t worry,” her mother shouted back. “I’m very clear exactly who to blame here. Go to your room, Polly.”
    Her father caught Polly by the wrist as she moved slowly past him. “I’m in the UK for a few days on business,” he said, trying to smile at her. “We’ll catch up again before I leave, OK?”
    â€œYou can’t just ‘catch up’ on six years of her life—” Polly’s mum raved.
    Polly trudged up the stairs, her dress flapping open where she had ripped away the button. Locking her bedroom door behind her, she flopped on to the bed and stared at the ceiling. She could still hear them tearing each other’s throats out downstairs. All her unhappy memories of California came flooding back. Could she really go back to the place where everything had turned sour?
    She turned up her music full blast to drown out their voices. Then she took off her dress and stuffed it to the back of her cupboard. Slipping into her favourite pyjamas, she picked up her current sewing project and tried to focus on her needle. When she pricked her finger and marked the fabric with a splash of blood, she threw the whole thing in the bin. Then she buried her head in her pillow and cried.

TEN
    Polly slept in on Sunday morning. She felt completely exhausted after the dramas of the day before. If she stayed where she was, she reasoned, then she wouldn’t have to face any of it.
    After her dad had gone, her mum had given her a strict lecture.
    â€œYou can’t trust him, love,” she said, laying a hand on Polly’s stiff shoulder. “I couldn’t bear it if he broke your heart again.”
    Polly wondered how many times a heart could break before it stayed broken for ever. She pictured it in her chest, covered in a maze of fracture lines that didn’t quite match.
    Her mum had been angry with her yesterday, but not angry enough to confiscate her phone. She rolled over and sleepily poked around on her bedside table until she found it. Yawning and squinting in the bright light pouring through her thin curtains, she looked at her phone and saw she had two texts.
    Â 
    Suns shining so were going sailing.
    Leaving the harbour at 2. Dont be late.
    E
    Â 
    The text read more like an order than an invitation. It was as if Eve couldn’t imagine anyone saying no. Her family owned a luxurious yacht. Typical , thought Polly. Given how they had parted on Friday, Polly was surprised she was on the invite list at all.
    She checked who Eve had sent the message to. Lila, Ollie, Rhi, Max, a couple