Casting Shadows Read Online Free PDF Page B

mean, you coming to live here is one conversation. But
we were talking about you and Flynn, which is another. So—’
    ‘I know.’ I nodded eagerly. This was the whole point. ‘Flynn could move in too,’ I said.
    Dad’s eyes widened. ‘
What?
’
    ‘We could both live here,’ I went on breathlessly, the whole plan unfolding in my mind as I spoke. ‘I’ll be here, which you wanted for the summer anyway. And Flynn too.
It will be a fresh start for him. He can go to a counsellor at Gemma’s therapy place. Come September, we can both go to the sixth form college. He can earn his rent here doing extra chores.
You should have seen him last year. He did about four jobs after school, trying to help his mum and—’
    Dad held up his hand. ‘It’s out of the question, River,’ he said. ‘What about Flynn’s mum? What about yours? She’ll never agree to him living here
too.’
    ‘But you said it was okay for us to be back together.’ I flew across the room and sat down beside him. ‘Flynn’s mother would be pleased if he had somewhere proper to
stay. And Mum doesn’t get on with Flynn
that
badly.’
    This last point was a total lie and Dad knew it. Mum had disliked Flynn from the first moment she met him last autumn. She thought he was rude and moody and aggressive – not to mention a
bad influence on me.
    Dad raised his eyebrows. ‘You and I both know that your mother isn’t exactly Flynn’s biggest fan.’ A small smile crept across Dad’s face. ‘I told him that was
one thing we had in common – as well as you, of course.’
    I stared at him. ‘But
you
liked him, didn’t you?’ I said, sensing it was true.
    Dad turned away. ‘In spite of myself, I did,’ he admitted. ‘I mean, I could see how angry he is but there’s this hurt kid there too, who has had a really raw deal in
life. It’s very rare for someone his age, who’s lived through what he’s lived through, to be prepared to face up to the consequences like he’s trying to do.’
    ‘Oh, Dad.’ My heart was hammering. ‘So it could work then. I mean, you’d like
me
to live here, wouldn’t you?’
    Dad wiped his forehead. ‘Of course I would, but we’ve already established that your mum won’t go for it, so . . .’
    ‘Mum can’t stop me living here if it’s what I want,’ I said. ‘It was actually her idea, remember? She was on the verge of making me come here last term.’
    Dad’s eyes widened. ‘That was only because she didn’t like you being with Flynn, she . . .
we . . .
said you would have to come here if you refused to stop seeing
him.’
    ‘But Flynn’s changed,’ I insisted. ‘Come on, Dad, at least say you’ll think about it.’
    ‘No, River.’ Dad crossed his arms. ‘There’s no way.’
    I glared at him, fury boiling up inside me.
    ‘But Flynn doesn’t have anywhere else to go,’ I said. ‘You heard him this weekend. He’s living on people’s sofas and holding down three jobs
and
he
just took his AS levels. He managed that okay because there was study leave for weeks and
now
it’s all right because it’s almost the summer holidays, but how is he going to
cope with A2s next year?’
    ‘I know how hard he’s worked, Riv—’
    ‘It’s not fair. He got all A*s in his GCSEs and he’s predicted top grades for the ASs but he says the work now is much harder. And he can’t stay on people’s sofas
forever.’
    ‘Where would he stay here?’ Dad said. ‘There’s no room. Stone comes every other weekend and we can’t permanently give up our living room.’
    ‘He’ll share the storeroom with me,’ I said.
    ‘No.’ The word shot out of Dad’s mouth like a bullet. ‘No, I’ve said “no” and that’s an end to it.’
    I stared at him. I’d never seen him so emphatic about anything. So much for that laid-back exterior of his. Scratch the surface and he was really just like Mum underneath.
    I stood up and backed away from him. ‘You’re not giving him a chance, Dad. He