Gabriella and Vincent were kissing now, and Cynthia shook her head in consternation. What a fool she had bred, what a complete and utter fool! Gabriella would settle for a life of petty dramas and no money, a life of cleaning and cooking for a man who, once the initial sexual thrill eased off, would use her like an animal while in drink. It was so predictable really, and fucking irritating. She had brought this girl into the world, surely there had to be at least a little bit of her in the child? She reasoned her mum and dad would have made sure whatever spark the girl might have would be repressed. The last thing they would want was another child under their roof with a bit more liveliness than they could cope with, a girl with the chance to make something of her life, instead of emulating them, just existing.

Cynthia drove away quietly, not even glancing into the car where her daughter was telling her boyfriend that she thought she was pregnant and that her nana was going to kill her.

Chapter Eighty-Five

‘Calm down, Gabby. It’s a shock, but it ain’t exactly unheard of in this day and age, is it?’

Gabby couldn’t believe how well Vincent was taking the news. She had thought he would be furious with her. ‘I’m only sixteen, Vince!’

He laughed. ‘We’ll get married, so stop worrying about it, OK? I’ll tell your nana and granddad with you. They won’t be too thrilled but they’ll come round eventually. So please, stop worrying.’

Vincent made it sound so easy and, in a way, she supposed it was. She’d tell them and be damned. But she still felt that she had let them down somehow, had broken their trust. She had a bad feeling on her, although that could just be her hormones.

Vincent felt a rush of love for this girl of his. She was having his baby and she was frightened, but surely she knew that he would always look out for her, always take care of her? She meant everything to him, and she always would.

‘Look, Gabby, once the balloon’s been dropped, you can start planning the wedding, OK? Once your nana knows about that she’ll see we’re serious about each other.’