Chapter 51: Lori - The Foster Child

Now that I’m away from Jacob it’s as if it was all just a bad dream. I’ve switched on my phone a couple of times to see if he’s contacted me. There’s loads of messages from him and voicemail, but I don’t open any of them. I don’t want him to know that I’ve read or listened to them. There’s also a couple of messages from Saffy and some other friends asking me if I’m okay and telling me that Jacob is beside himself with worry.

I decide to send them a brief reply. They’re my friends, I should let them know that I’m safe, but I’m not going to tell them where I am. I don’t want Jacob to know. I don’t trust him not to turn up here and try to talk me into going back to him.

I’m fine, I promise. I’m staying with a friend. I don’t think I’m coming back to uni. I’m going to be switching off my phone again for a while so don’t worry if I don’t reply to your messages. Have a good Christmas. Xxx Lori.

Then I switch off my phone. I don’t want to hear from anyone. I want to clear my head, think carefully about what to do next. One thing I do know is that I’m not going back to Exeter. I’m too scared. I need to keep right away from Jacob. I don’t trust him. The memory of that last violent argument still keeps me awake at night. I really didn’t think I’d get out alive.

I’m hoping that Mum and Elliot won’t mind me staying with them for a while, just until I sort something out. I know they’ve only been living together for a couple of months and I hate to intrude on them but I don’t know what else to do. I can ask Dad, I’m sure he will let me stay with him and Selena, but they’ve got Sasha, and I’ll probably end up as an unpaid babysitter. I prefer to stay with Mum. This village feels so safe and peaceful. And far away from Jacob.

I’ve got such a lot of decisions to make about my future. I need to take some time to decide what I want to do. And I also need to talk to Mum, explain what’s going on. Although she’s guessed Jacob bruised my face she doesn’t know all of it. I’ll wait until after Christmas though.

We’re going to the carol service tonight, around the village Christmas tree. I’m looking forward to that. Me, Mum and Dad always went to a carol service, it was part of our tradition. I miss us as a family but both Mum and Dad are happier apart and I’m old enough to realise that if you aren’t happy together you’re better off apart.

‘Are you ready, Lori?’ Mum shouts up the stairs.

‘Coming!’ I’m wearing my usual outfit of a thick jumper and jeans, it keeps me warm. I pull on a hat and scarf and go downstairs. Mum and Elliot are in the hall, all wrapped up too. I take my coat off the hook and slip into it, fastening it then pulling on my boots before taking the gloves out of the pocket and wriggling my fingers into them.

‘Ready!’

Elliot opens the front door and a blast of cold air hits us. We all shiver. ‘I think it might be cold enough for snow,’ he says.

‘Oh, I hope so. That would be perfect.’ Mum steps back to let me out then pulls the door shut behind her. Elliot tests it to make sure it’s locked.

I’ve noticed that he’s very security conscious. Not only does he have the doorcam and the security cameras he had fitted yesterday when we were at Nan and Grandad’s, but he’s always checking that the doors and windows are locked and parks his car in the garage as soon as he gets in.

* * *

There’s a lot of people gathered around the Christmas tree and quite a few wave and shout hello to Mum. Some wave to Elliot too, but far more wave to Mum. I guess it’s because she works at the local school.

Gabby and Scott are there too, they call us over to join them and we all sing the carols together. I’m really pleased that Mum met Elliot and came to live in this village. I’ve been worried about her since Dad left her for Selena, it’s nice to see her happy.

Violet is there too, with a posh-looking couple and a little girl. I guess they’re the Taylor-Browns. She waves. The teenage lad beside her catches my eye, he’s really scowling at Mum. I frown. Why is he looking at Mum like that?

I nudge Mum. ‘Who’s that lad over there, the one in the black parka?’

She follows my gaze and her smile is replaced with a frown. ‘That’s Caleb, his sister goes to the school. Why?’

‘He was giving you a real dirty look.’

She shrugs but I notice that she looks a bit nervous. ‘His little sister was waiting in the office when I was on the phone a few weeks ago, she was really playing up and ended up falling off the chair and hurting her ankle. It caused a bit of trouble with her parents, and Caleb still seems to resent me,’ she says.

Caleb’s eyes meet mine and I shudder. He seems to have a lot of anger in him. Like Jacob.