I elbow him in the ribs, but to no avail.
“See you soon,” Ryan turns on his heels and strides towards the front door. He opens it then slams it shut behind him, sending the vibration right through me.
“You’re a dick, Dad,” Evan says accusingly.
“Evan!” we both cry in unison.
“Why did you have to do that?”
“I…”
“I know what you’re doing. You always do the same thing. God! If you don’t want to stay with us, if you don’t love Mum, just leave her alone!”
I’ve never seen Evan so angry in my life.
“You know I love your mother,” Martin soothes.
“And you know exactly what I mean! Just leave her alone – actually, leave us both alone!” Evan yells, before storming upstairs, while I stand there, speechless, my mouth hanging open.
“What the hell…?”
“I’ll go and talk to him,” I interrupt. “And when I come back down, I’d rather not find you here,” I say harshly. Then I head upstairs to join my son.
I knock at the door. “Can I come in?”
“Are you alone?”
“It’s just me.”
“Yeah, you can come in.”
I approach the bed, where he’s lying splayed on his back, and sit down next to him.
“I hate him. Sometimes, I really hate him!”
“Evan.”
“You should hate him too.”
I smile at him. “I don’t hate your father.”
He scoffs, dragging himself into a sitting position. “Well, maybe you should just send him off. Don’t let him in when he knocks at the door. Don’t let him always get involved with our lives.”
“Is that really what you think?”
He nods.
“Maybe him being here has made you think that we…?”
“No, Mum. No! That’s the point. Him being here is just…useless. Actually, it’s annoying! Did you see what he was doing?”
“Evan, your father…”
“Dad decided not to live with us, to have his own life… Well, he can go and live it – as long as it’s not in here!”
“Why are you so angry? I don’t get it.”
“No, you don’t get it! He…He holds you back, keeps you tied to him.” He gets up impatiently. “Mum, you know, right, that Dad will never love you?”
