Don't Come Looking by AJ Campbell (top 100 novels of all time TXT) 📕

jump up to investigate the disruption, but he hauls me back. ‘For Christ’s sake. Where are you going?’

‘I need to see what’s going on.’ I try to shake my hand from his grip, but his hold is too strong.

‘You’ll get hurt.’

‘I can hear Sasha.’

People are helping each other up from the floor. Others are running towards the exit of the close. Reluctantly, Jim lets me go, and I rush over to the mayhem. And there, in the middle of the frenzy, stands Harry, his hands tugging at his dripping hair. Strands stick to his face. ‘Just go. Everyone, go.’ Sasha is crying while trying to console him, but he continues his offensive barrage of abuse. ‘How could you?’

Luke appears and grabs Harry’s shoulder. ‘Come on, mate, calm down, let’s go inside.’ Luke steers Harry towards the house, pushing willing helpers away and telling them they should go home, with such maturity it’s hard to believe these two young men are the same age.

Harry wrestles with Luke’s forceful grip, but Luke is too strong.

‘Calm down, Harry,’ Sasha says.

‘Calm down! Calm down!’ Harry yells, lunging for his mother. ‘You fucking lied to me, so now you can tell me the truth. Where has my dad gone?’

Seventeen

‘Oh, God, help me,’ Sasha cries, pressing her fists into her sunken cheeks. The rain has stopped but left its stain. Black splodges smear her face where her eye makeup has run. Harry lashes out, catching the side of her mouth. Blood thickens her lip. Sasha stumbles backwards, but I manage to catch her fall. The tiles below are a smudged rainbow of soaked party poppers and streamers.

‘Cut it out, man. That’s your mum.’ Luke forces Harry towards the house as Hannah, her clothes wet through, comes bounding over.

‘What’s going on?’ Her voice is high-pitched. She looks from Harry to Luke to her mum.

George appears, puts an arm around his sister and roars at his brother. ‘I saw you belt Mum. You leave her alone; do you hear me?’ He launches himself at Harry.

Luke holds his arm out, blocking George’s attack. ‘Don’t make things worse, mate.’

Guiding George out of the way, Luke steers Harry into the house. Sasha and the twins follow. They stand by the front door, a knot of confused people in disarray. Harry is hurling accusations at his mother while Luke is telling him to control himself so they can talk it through. Hannah is wailing, pulling at her hair, while George is yelling, ‘Calm down!’ at everyone.

Art and Annie, and Pete and Pen, have taken charge outside, ushering people homewards. Jim is helping. I catch his attention and wave, indicating I’m going into the house. He nods, and I mouth at him to come inside too.

I stand in the hallway, unsure of how much I should get involved. I’ve faced similar circumstances many times before, but not with people I know. It’s not for me to meddle here, but Sasha thinks otherwise. ‘Tell him, Eva. Tell him.’

It’s time to defuse this situation before it blows into another storm they will all regret getting caught up in. I pummel my fist on the back of the door. ‘Quiet!’ Stunned, they all silence their outbursts and spin around to stare at me. ‘Let’s go into the kitchen and talk this through rationally.’

I corral them all into the kitchen, still arguing like primary school children. Sasha demands everyone take a seat at the dining table as she opens a drawer and pulls out a stack of clean tea towels. She orders everyone to dry their hair as she swipes kitchen roll from its holder. Wrapping it around her hand, she dabs her lip and barks an order for silence.

‘You might want to put some ice on that,’ I tell her, reaching for the freezer door.

Harry, Hannah and George follow her order to sit, scraping their chairs along the floor, but Luke steps backwards and stands with his hands laced behind his back, observing the situation like a security guard, ready to step in if needs be. Sasha, holding a piece of ice to her swollen lip, joins her troubled kids at the table while I fill the kettle and search for some sugar. A few spoonfuls are needed all round. I open the fridge for milk. The birthday cake sits on the bottom shelf, lonely and untouched.

Harry is the first to break the shocked silence. The whole ordeal seems to have sobered him up. ‘I’ll never live this down. The whole school will be laughing at me.’ He shakes his head fast, scattering drops of water across the table.

‘I wouldn’t worry,’ Luke says. ‘You’re leaving in a few days.’

Harry turns to Sasha. ‘You have to tell me where he’s really gone, Mum.’

‘Where who’s gone?’ Hannah asks, frowning as she glances from one family member to another.

‘How do you know?’ Sasha asks her son, ignoring her fretful daughter.

‘I overheard Art and Annie discussing it. Annie said Dad has walked out on us.’ He turns to Luke. ‘Did you know?’

Luke raises his hands. ‘I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about.’

Hannah stands. ‘Can someone please tell me what’s going on? You’re all scaring me.’ Luke steps forward and guides her to sit back down, caressing her shoulders.

‘Hannah and George, can you two leave your brother and me alone, please.’

Harry reaches out and slaps the table directly in front of Hannah and George. ‘No, you two stay where you are.’ He turns to Sasha. ‘They need to know the truth too, Mum. You can’t lie anymore, to any of us.’

Sasha slides down in her chair, deflated yet again. But Harry is right. It’s time to come clean and wash away the lies floating about in this family. Harry’s outburst has made a start. She takes a deep breath. ‘Your father walked out on Monday. I don’t know where he’s gone or who, if anyone, he’s gone with. But he’s made it pretty clear he doesn’t want us looking for him.’ Harry tries to butt in, but she silences