She still didn’t get it, did she? We were in this together. ‘Dying is bad enough, but dying alone … That’s too lonely. No one should have to go like that.’

‘Sometimes you don’t get to choose,’ said Libby. ‘Sometimes you just— Oh God, I’m sorry, Troy. You’re thinking about your dad, aren’t you? What’s wrong with me? I never get it right.’

‘Don’t beat yourself up.’ I shrugged. ‘And you and me and this situation we’re in – we sink or swim, fly or fall together. That’s just the way it is.’

Libby nodded. ‘Thanks. So go on then. What d’you fear the most?’

‘Aren’t you supposed to ask me – truth or dare?’

‘Truth or dare?’ Libby said, exasperated.

‘Truth.’

‘For Shaka’s sake, Troy! Why didn’t you just answer my question the first time? What d’you fear the most?’

I thought about not telling the exact truth, but what was the point? ‘Losing my Nana Meggie,’ I said. ‘She’s … she’s not doing too well at the moment. She doesn’t drive any more and she sometimes walks with a stick. It’s like I blinked and she was suddenly old. My other nana, Nana Jasmine, died before I was born.’

‘You and Nana Meggie are very close?’

‘Yeah. The two of us definitely have the most in common in my family,’ I admitted.

‘You’ll just have to cherish every moment you have with her. Make new, happy memories every day you’re with her that’ll last a lifetime,’ said Libby.

Silence.

‘The truth kinda sucks,’ I decided.

‘Welcome to my world,’ Libby agreed.

We carried on digging.

twenty-six. Callie

A sepia-grey sky threatened rain, and a great deal of it. How I would welcome that. Oh, to sit on this park bench and let the rain caress my face, flowing over me like a waterfall down a cliff. Enough rain to carry me away, along with all my fears and regrets. Whichever way I turned, I was being manipulated. Too many people were trying to label me helpless and treat me like a puppet, and it didn’t sit well. At all.

These were the labels I owned:

Callie Rose Hadley.

Woman.

Dual heritage.

Barrister.

Loyal friend.

Passionate lover.

Gullible fool.

Why didn’t I hate Tobey for what he’d done to me? His first instinct had been to blackmail me into continuing as his defence counsel. That right there told me so much about the man. I should’ve despised the tainted air around him. But I didn’t.

I’d tried. I couldn’t. Quite the opposite, in fact. How pathetic was that?