Chapter Four
We both look up.Nisha is standing in the doorway, looking as though she is about to throw herself at Bryce like an alley cat protecting itskittens.
“Whoa,” Bryce says, raising his hands. “This wasn’t me, I would never hurtLouisa.”
“Lou?” she asks, turning tome.
“It wasn’t Bryce,” I say with a sigh. “A loan shark called Smithy came to collect the money Mum owed him. He did this when I told him to fuckoff.”
“Shit, Lou. Are you okay?” She sits beside me, pulling me in for a hug. I wince when she brushes against the sore spot on myback.
“That fucking arsehole. If he comes back here I’m going to killhim.”
Bryce smiles, a look of admiration on his face. “You and me both,” he says. “I’m Bryce, by theway.”
Nisha looks from me to Bryce and back again. “Oh, I see. You’rethatBryce. Fuck, that explains a lot. I’m Nisha, Nish for short. Nice to meet you finally, I’ve heard quite a lot about you and yourbrothers.”
Bryce raises an eyebrow. “Is thatso?”
Nisha offers her hand to shake, Bryce takes it. “Good to finally meet you. Lou has been pining over you three for weeks now.” She shoots me a look, winking, and I feel my cheekscolour.
“Thanks, Nish,” Imumble.
Her hand drops away and she points at my now swollen lip. The ice pack doesn’t appear to be helping with the swelling, given the look on her face she surveysmine.
“We should call the cops. Make areport.”
I shake my head. “No, that’ll only make the situation worse. I’d rather pay them the money owed and get rid of them once and forall.”
“How much are we talking about,Lou?”
“Fivegrand.”
“Five grand?! Are you nuts? You haven’t got that kind ofmoney.”
“I have,” Bryce says, folding his arms across hischest.
“No,” I say. “Absolutely not. You can’t do that forme.”
Nisha gives me a look. “Louisa, you’ve got no money. We’re barely surviving here. The gas and electric get cut on a regular basis. We eat bloody noodles most nights. How the hell are you supposed to come up with fivegrand?”
“Nish, this isn’t on Bryce. This is my mum’s mess. I need to deal withit.”
“No, you don’t. Stop doing that. Stop trying to take everything on. Your mum used you your whole life. Sending a little kid to get her booze, using her teenage daughter to be her fucking skivvy. Even now, after she’s bloody died she’s still using you. Damn it, Louisa, when will itend?”
She’s right. I know she is, but it doesn’t mean Bryce should have to pay for it. My mum might have used me, but she is still my mum. Over the years, whatever issues she had, I would always take them on. I held her hair back when she threw up the contents of her stomach night after night. I helped her into bed when she was so drunk she could barely walk. I spoon fed her food when her face was so swollen from a beating she could barely open her mouth. Even now, even after her death, I am willing to help her because, despite everything, I still love her. This is my responsibility, no oneelse’s.
“Nisha’s right, Louisa. You don’t have to take this on. We can help. That amount of money is short change to us. Let me payit.”
“No,” I saystubbornly.
“For crying out loud, Louisa. You’re being an idiot. Think about it. If this guy can barge his way in here, slap you around over yourmum’sdebt, imagine what he’ll do to you when you can’t pay it? Have a bit of commonsense.”
“He won’t be fucking touching Louisa again,” Bryce says vehemently. “Look, Louisa, if you won’t accept the money as a gift, then accept it as a loan. You can pay it back overtime.”
I laugh hysterically. “That would be great, if I actually had a job.” Oh fuck, I really haven’t thought this through, but pride is stopping me from accepting his generous offer, even if that offer may just save me from getting beaten to apulp.
Bryce opens his mouth to speak but Nisha cuts himoff.