of an overdose. It had devastated his family and Liberty knew she could never be casual about drugs again. She was a single mum; she couldn’t afford to make any mistakes.
‘So how about it?’ Zara repeated. ‘It’s either that or aforfeit, and the forfeit is to strip off and run round the circle three times.’
‘Just say no to the drugs!’ Hugo bayed.
‘Fuck that, Zara!’ Cory exclaimed. ‘Why are you picking on Liberty? The reason she doesn’t take drugs is because someone she knew died of an overdose. She’s not going to take a line of coke in some dumb-ass juvenile game.’
He stood up and held out his hand. ‘Come on, Liberty, we’re going.’
They were almost at the door when Zara shouted, ‘Oh, that’s it! Run off to your girlfriend’s council house. Your little experiment in slumming it. I can see through that. You’re only with her for the novelty value. Fuck! You used to be interesting to be with. Now you’re so fucking boring and under her thumb.’
Liberty felt her heart racing and a surge of anger rushing through her as she looked at Zara, seeing the girl’s pretty face twisted with spite and jealousy.
‘You’re pathetic, Zara,’ she said. ‘We weren’t all born with a silver spoon in our mouth, a trust fund and a rich daddy to bankroll us.’
The other guests were open-mouthed as they gleefully listened to this exchange. Not one of them stood up for Cory. They were all spoiled rich kids, just like Zara.
‘Come on, Liberty,’ he repeated. ‘We’re out of here.’
In a way it was a relief that Zara had behaved like this – now her dislike was out in the open Liberty wouldn’t have to pretend to get on with her any more.
‘I’ll find somewhere else to live as soon as I can,’ Cory told her later as they lay in bed together. ‘She’s a psycho bitch and I’m not having you exposed to her. I’m sorry I ever told her about the drugs incident. I never realised she would use it against you.’
Liberty snuggled up to him. ‘It’s okay, I just wish you’d intervened before I had to kiss that wanker Hugo.’
‘Yeah, sorry about that. How about I kiss you and make it better?’
‘Yes, please,’ she murmured, the incident with Zara already fading from her mind at the feel of Cory’s lips on hers.
Chapter 12
But it proved easier said than done for Cory to find somewhere else to live that he could afford. Liberty wondered if he should move in with her, but it seemed too soon. Besides, it wasn’t up to her, it was her mum’s house. But then Zara apologised to him and whenever Liberty went round, his housemate was always out. So that was something. But work seemed to be getting Cory down. He obviously wasn’t used to living to such a strict routine and on such a tight budget.
Worse still, he stopped talking about the future and his plans to go to art school. He never seemed to do any painting any more. To Liberty it seemed as if a light had gone off inside him. He had radiated such confidence and delight in life when they had first met. He’d been the golden boy with a glorious future stretching ahead of him. Now he seemed older, more weary, as if ground down by life, accepting that things were the way they were and would never change. And it looked like her life wouldn’t either as there still had been no word from Zac.
Cory seemed to cheer up dramatically as Liberty’s twenty-second birthday drew closer, saying that hehad all kinds of plans. ‘Promise me you won’t spend too much money – you need it for college,’ she told him, worried that he would blow all his savings in one extravagant gesture. It would be so like him to do that. ‘Seriously, I’d be happy if we went out for a pizza. I don’t need lots of money spent on me.’
He just grinned and tapped his nose. ‘It’s a secret. Wait and see.’
She might have guessed that Cory wouldn’t listen to her. On the morning of her birthday an extravagant bouquet of pale pink roses and stargazer
‘So how about it?’ Zara repeated. ‘It’s either that or aforfeit, and the forfeit is to strip off and run round the circle three times.’
‘Just say no to the drugs!’ Hugo bayed.
‘Fuck that, Zara!’ Cory exclaimed. ‘Why are you picking on Liberty? The reason she doesn’t take drugs is because someone she knew died of an overdose. She’s not going to take a line of coke in some dumb-ass juvenile game.’
He stood up and held out his hand. ‘Come on, Liberty, we’re going.’
They were almost at the door when Zara shouted, ‘Oh, that’s it! Run off to your girlfriend’s council house. Your little experiment in slumming it. I can see through that. You’re only with her for the novelty value. Fuck! You used to be interesting to be with. Now you’re so fucking boring and under her thumb.’
Liberty felt her heart racing and a surge of anger rushing through her as she looked at Zara, seeing the girl’s pretty face twisted with spite and jealousy.
‘You’re pathetic, Zara,’ she said. ‘We weren’t all born with a silver spoon in our mouth, a trust fund and a rich daddy to bankroll us.’
The other guests were open-mouthed as they gleefully listened to this exchange. Not one of them stood up for Cory. They were all spoiled rich kids, just like Zara.
‘Come on, Liberty,’ he repeated. ‘We’re out of here.’
In a way it was a relief that Zara had behaved like this – now her dislike was out in the open Liberty wouldn’t have to pretend to get on with her any more.
‘I’ll find somewhere else to live as soon as I can,’ Cory told her later as they lay in bed together. ‘She’s a psycho bitch and I’m not having you exposed to her. I’m sorry I ever told her about the drugs incident. I never realised she would use it against you.’
Liberty snuggled up to him. ‘It’s okay, I just wish you’d intervened before I had to kiss that wanker Hugo.’
‘Yeah, sorry about that. How about I kiss you and make it better?’
‘Yes, please,’ she murmured, the incident with Zara already fading from her mind at the feel of Cory’s lips on hers.
Chapter 12
But it proved easier said than done for Cory to find somewhere else to live that he could afford. Liberty wondered if he should move in with her, but it seemed too soon. Besides, it wasn’t up to her, it was her mum’s house. But then Zara apologised to him and whenever Liberty went round, his housemate was always out. So that was something. But work seemed to be getting Cory down. He obviously wasn’t used to living to such a strict routine and on such a tight budget.
Worse still, he stopped talking about the future and his plans to go to art school. He never seemed to do any painting any more. To Liberty it seemed as if a light had gone off inside him. He had radiated such confidence and delight in life when they had first met. He’d been the golden boy with a glorious future stretching ahead of him. Now he seemed older, more weary, as if ground down by life, accepting that things were the way they were and would never change. And it looked like her life wouldn’t either as there still had been no word from Zac.
Cory seemed to cheer up dramatically as Liberty’s twenty-second birthday drew closer, saying that hehad all kinds of plans. ‘Promise me you won’t spend too much money – you need it for college,’ she told him, worried that he would blow all his savings in one extravagant gesture. It would be so like him to do that. ‘Seriously, I’d be happy if we went out for a pizza. I don’t need lots of money spent on me.’
He just grinned and tapped his nose. ‘It’s a secret. Wait and see.’
She might have guessed that Cory wouldn’t listen to her. On the morning of her birthday an extravagant bouquet of pale pink roses and stargazer
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