Cassie sent back an angry-faced emoji and Jake knew she’d do it anyway, sneak out to see that guy, and he’d pressure her, and she’d give in, and then he’d throw her away like a bit of tissue he’d wanked into. Anger swelled into him and he got up, walking round the room. The urge to smash something was strong. What if he broke one of Mike’s DVDs and put it back in the case? He was willing to bet they were never watched and that Mike spent all his time up here clicking through internet porn instead.

Nothing after that. Cassie was ignoring him, going ahead with her stupid plan, and his mother was outside on the lawn laughing too loudly, and he was alone. He’d kicked the side of Mike’s desk to relieve some feelings, but after that he’d sat down on the sofa bed and kind of got into one of Mike’s lame DVDs – The Hangover! FFS – and so he hadn’t realised things had gone quiet in the garden. Hadn’t known his mum was being attacked, until she started screaming, then Ali was running out shouting Mike, Mike. She was almost worse than Mike. So patronising, with her birthday presents and little questions. How are you, Jake? How’s the uni search going, Jakey? Got a girlfriend, Jakey? She was so fake, they both were. He didn’t know why his mum was still friends with them. Callum and Jodi were even worse, always competing over who could cook the fanciest dinner or go on the most expensive holiday. This new guy, Bill, he was alright, but the rest could go suck it.

‘Rampling?’ Back in the here and now, one of the guards was calling him. They weren’t too bad. In fact it wasn’t too bad at all in here, there were video games and TVs and you could wear your own clothes.

‘You’re in for it now,’ said his new friend, whatever his name was. ‘Don’t tell ’em nothing, y’hear?’

He stood up. The guard beckoned. ‘Your mother’s here.’

He hoped his new-found mate hadn’t heard that, but the kid was engrossed in Mario Kart. No violent games allowed. Jake was led out through door after door, clanging shut behind him until he stood in the visitors’ room, and there was his mum, the bruises on her neck standing out against the white of her skin. The anger rose up in him again, at Mike, at Ali, at his mum. All of them.

‘What do you want?’ He hated her, for letting this happen, and he also loved her, so much he’d put his hand through the glass of the window if she needed him to.

‘Sweetheart.’ She swallowed, and he saw her throat move underneath the bruises. ‘There’s something I have to tell you.’

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen