Page 21 of The Lies That Shatter
I’m pretty sure Whitlock doesn’t want his emergency meeting disrupted by a girl screaming. Theo obviously reaches the same conclusion, as he drops his hold on me, and I can’t help but smirk. “Good, now you can show me where the kitchen is.”
I don’t wait for him to take the lead; I move down the corridor as quickly as I can. The older security man, who was with Theo, opens the door to Whitlock’s office, inviting them to move their meeting into the more secure room. If I want to get any more information, this is my chance.
Theo tries to grab hold of me again, but I’m too quick off the mark. He obviously doesn’t want me to move until they’re safely tucked away in the office, but I pretend to be oblivious to that.Making it look like I’m just following orders, I head straight to the kitchen.
“…better be good, Brandon. I flew home early for this,” Whitlock snaps, as he follows his guest into the office. I may not have caught much of the actual conversation, but now I know the person Whitlock is meeting with is called Brandon, and I have his photo. I hope that’s useful in some way to Finn. Then I won’t feel like this terrifying experience has been a waste of time.
The door to the office closes, so I can’t hear anything further, and I keep walking, allowing Theo to take me to the kitchen. Once there, he gives me instructions on how to get back to Mr Ingold’s room and leaves me on my own.
As soon as it’s safe, I head straight back to Melanie’s wing of the house. I don’t know if my heart will ever return to normal. Once I’m back in the safety of Mr Ingold’s room, talking with Aleandro, I finally feel a little safer.
On the outside, I continue talking to Aleandro like I was before, making jokes while I pretend to finish the last of the paperwork. But on the inside, I’m on the verge of having a panic attack.
My heart is racing. I’m breathing so quickly it sounds like I’ve just run a marathon, and I’m sweating in places I didn’t know you could sweat.
Is it normal to sweat at the back of your knees?That’s all I can think as I try to ignore the ringing in my ears.
I try to control my breathing. I don’t want to look like anything’s wrong, not that Aleandro would notice. He’s too busy staring at his phone to see that something’s clearly off with me. But I’m glad he’s distracted. It means he won’t be bothered too much when I leave.
“I’m finished here now. I’m gonna go home and get some sleep,” I say, feigning a yawn to add to my pretence.
Aleandro rolls his eyes at me in his typically overly dramatic way. “You are far too young to be having early nights on a Friday. One day soon, I’m taking you on a night out. I want to see you let that beautiful blonde hair down. I think there’s a secret party girl in there just waiting to burst free. I am going to set her free if it’s the last thing I do,” he declares.
“Fine. We can go out soon, if Mel lets us both have the night off,” I mutter, knowing full well I have no intention of asking her. Even if I did, I doubt she’d say yes, which is fine by me. I wasn’t lying when I said I’m not a party girl.
Aleandro throws his fist in the air and cheers loudly, which startles Mr Ingold, who grumbles in his sleep. Aleandro has the decency to look sorry, as he moves over and helps the older man get settled again. It’s not long before he’s sleeping soundly once more, but I keep my disapproving stare in place nonetheless.
“I’m going to go. Make sure you keep his chart up to date. And for God’s sake, please look like you’re doing some actual work when Mel gets home,” I chastise, handing the care chart to him as I head towards the door.
He rolls his eyes at me, but I ignore him, grabbing my jacket and bag off the chair by the door. I say goodbye to Mr Ingold, straightening out his wayward fringe that shows it’s time for his next haircut, before I pull on my coat.
Even though this job is all fake, I have actually grown to really care about the man. When he’s awake and lucid, he’s got a wicked sense of humour, and such kind eyes. It’s clear he’s a genuinely nice man, and I hate to see him stuck in a failing body.
It’s the way I feel about all the people I work with. I get glimpses of who they used to be, and I see the horror as they’re trapped in a body that no longer belongs to them, and the world they once knew fades away.
There’s nothing worse than a relative seeing someone they love so much, not even recognise them. It’s a pain that gets meevery time. It’s also what makes me put so much love into the care I give them.
I can’t imagine anything more terrifying than being stuck in a world you don’t recognise, surrounded by strangers who are acting like they’ve known you their whole lives. They deserve to be shown care and respect, so they can live out what’s left of their lives in the best possible way.
I can provide them with something care homes and NHS facilities cannot. I allow them the opportunity to live the remainder of their time in their own homes, surrounded by people who love them. I believe it’s care everyone should be entitled to, but sadly, only people who are well off can afford it. I hate that about my job, but I still give everything to the families I work with.
Just as I’m about to leave, the door to the room slams open, and Mel’s extremely expensive stilettos come clacking in. I briefly notice her sneer, but my gaze is instantly drawn to Finn, who she’s dragging behind.
His eyes are fixed on the floor, as though he’s making a point not to look at me. I try to ignore the way his hand is laced with hers, and turn my attention back to my furious employer.
“Do you care to explain what the fuck you were doing on my husband’s side of the house, McKenna?” Mel growls, her sneer growing as hatred spreads across her face.
I’m so fucked!
Everything was going according to plan, even if the thought repulsed me. Dinner was as nice as could be expected, and when Mel asked me back to her place, I knew it was time to take things to the next level.
My plan involves me having full access to the house, and the only way to do that is to get inside. But as soon as Mel received a text, her face changed into a mask of fury, and I knew my night—and plans—had been ruined.
“Fuck!” Mel yells, her posh voice echoing around the car as she throws her phone back in her handbag.
I can’t help but flinch. It’s the first time the prim and proper woman has ever cursed in front of me, and honestly, it doesn’tsuit her. Her normally perfect face is distorted with an anger I’ve not seen on her before.
“Is everything okay?” I ask, as I reach over and lay my hand on her thigh, whilst trying to keep my eye on the road in front of me. Thankfully, given the late hour, there’s few other cars around. Though I’d still prefer not to end up in an accident, if I can help it.
