Scared Yet? Read Free Page A

the second knuckle of the middle finger. Her broken digit was buddy-taped to the index finger, the arm secured in a sling and she was given a prescription for painkillers, directions to the pharmacy and left to find her own way.
    She had a gown now to cover her torn clothes so she left her unsalvageable jacket in the exam room and walked unsteadily, blinkered by the swelling that had spread down the left side of her face, self-conscious in three-inch heels and a hospital robe. There was another wait at the pharmacy so she found a chair and thought about her dad.
    She wanted to sit at his battered old kitchen table and listen to his worn-out voice for a while but she couldn’t because he was already here, in another ward and in morepain than she was. Going to see him at night with her face mashed to a pulp wasn’t going to make him feel any better. Her eyes filled with tears again as she heard him in her head. Tough it out, luv . It was what he always said, it was all he knew. It’s what we’re built for, Liv . He’d done it all his life. She’d been doing it for a year.
    Okay, Dad. She wiped the tears with the heel of her hand, saw the lift opposite open, her husband step out and thought, Why does it have to be so fucking tough?
    Maybe it was the familiarity of his face after a horrible night but she was filled with a quick, warm pulse of relief. A moment later, the hurt and anger and humiliation she felt whenever she saw him now was back. She stood, tried to dig deep for some of her father’s fight as Thomas strode across the space between them.
    He looked like he’d lost some weight and the smattering of grey at his temples had disappeared. The twenty-six-year-old sharing his bed mustn’t have approved. Liv fingered the bruise on her face and felt old, ugly and adrift.
    â€˜God, Liv, what happened?’ He made no attempt to touch her, just ducked his head to get a better look at the damage. He was trying for concern, but it was stilted and awkward – same as he always was these days.
    She averted the bruised side of her face. ‘Well, I almost made it without seeing you. How did you know I was here?’
    â€˜Phil Dawson phoned. He was called into Emergency and saw your name. I came down as soon as I heard.’
    And she should be grateful for that? ‘Phil Dawson isn’t my doctor. He shouldn’t have called.’
    â€˜All right, you’ve made your point but he did ring and I’m here now. What happened?’
    She wanted to tell him it was none of his business but didn’t have the energy to argue. ‘I was attacked in the car park at work.’
    â€˜What, mugged?’
    â€˜No. He didn’t take anything.’
    â€˜Are you okay?’
    She stared at him in disbelief. ‘How the hell do I look, Thomas?’
    He pressed his lips together. ‘I mean the sling. Did you break your arm?’
    â€˜I’ve got a broken finger and bruises and I just want to get out of here, so if you’ll excuse me . . .’ She picked up the garbage bag of her belongings.
    â€˜Give me that. I’ll drive you home.’ He reached to take it.
    â€˜No.’ She swung it away. She wasn’t going anywhere with him. She wasn’t getting in their old family car and she didn’t want to hear what he had to say about the townhouse she’d bought with her share of their life.
    â€˜Don’t be ridiculous, Liv.’
    He made a more determined grab for the bag and she flinched at the sudden force, the police-kid’s voice echoing in her head. Has he ever been violent towards you?
    â€˜Everything okay here?’
    Liv turned, saw Daniel Beck at her elbow and took a step back. Next to Thomas’s tall, sophisticated facade, he looked like a heavyweight boxer poured into a businessshirt. She eyed her husband’s hostile posture and took another step back from both of them.
    â€˜Are you all right,