Page 8 of Time To Learn

I clear my throat and straighten myback.

“Listen, I’m going to take a look around, see if I can find a book with lots of murder and mayhem for myself. Text me when you’re ready togo?”

Lise smiles at me andnods.

“Soundsgood.”

“Okay, then.”

I give her a chin lift and put my hands in my pockets. The air-conditioning in the shop soothes the clammy sweat on my back, and I’m glad I’m only wearing a loose T-shirt and khaki shorts today. I didn’t think the Scottish summer would be as hot as it’s turned out to be, but I can’t deny it’s a relief from the crappy weather I left in Denmark.

I meander about in the shop, not really planning to find a book like I told Lise. I just wanted to get away from her probing eyes. It’s not like I don’t enjoy a good thriller, I do, but books are so far from my mind today. Once we’re back in her house, I plan on heading straight to bed again.

My mobile vibrating in my pocket causes me to stop in the Children’s Books section, and I pull it out and look at the screen. The name shining back at me doesn’t ring a bell, and I don’t remember asking for any bird’s number lately.

Kristy: Hey, sexy. Thanks for last night. Are you up for some more fun today?

Frowning, I delete the text. I don’t even remember her face that clearly—but she had one fucking sexy mouth on her—but if she managed to find my phone and put her contact info in it after I crashed, I’m running as far away in the opposite direction as possible.

I’m being an arsehole, but I don’t go back for seconds. Not anymore.

As I put the phone back in my pocket, a child’s loud voice makes me lookup.

“Mum, please? I need this. Pleeeeease?”

Standing not that far away from me is a young girl and a woman. I can’t help but smile when I see the little one—she can’t be more than eight or nine years old—standing with her legs firmly planted on the floor, her fisted hands on her waist. The girl’s face is turned up, tilted slightly to the side, and I smile when I notice the way she’s batting her blue eyes at her mother.

Someone wants to get her way. Cheeky.

“Ailith, you can’t have both, okay? You have to choose.”

My attention is grabbed by the woman in front of the child, and despite my hangover, I grin when I see her stance mirroring her daughter’s, only her right hand is clutching a couple of books. While I can’t see her face because her back is to me, I can’t help but take in her long, wavy, dark-brown hair that falls to the middle of her back. She’s wearing a short denim jacket and a white skirt with blue flowers that flares out at her waist, stopping at her knees. She’s not very tall—I doubt her head would even come up to my shoulders—and the word delicate comes immediately tomind.

“But Mum, I really need them. You can take the money from my allowance, okay?”

“No, Ailith Margaret.” The frustration in the woman’s voice is clear, and since this is the most fun I’ve had in a couple of weeks, I don’t want to risk missing the outcome of their tiff. I walk slowly towards the couple, trying to be subtle about the fact that I’m eavesdropping, and I pull down a random book from the shelf to my right. I open it and look down, trying to appear as if I’m reading, but when my eyes land on the woman’s right calf and notice a long, reddish nasty-looking scar, I frown, puzzled.

“Why not?” The child’s petulant voice catches my attention again, and I wonder if I should do the polite thing and leave the couple alone.

“Because we can’t afford it!” the woman shouts, and I freezeup.

Ouch.

“But, Mum…”

I turn my head just as the woman bends down in front of her daughter. She puts the books on the floor before cradling the child’s face in her hands.

“I’m sorry I shouted at you, sweetie.” Her voice cracks on the endearment, and I know I should definitely turn around instead of still lurking like I am, but I can’t. I need to hear therest.

I take another step closer, wanting to see the face of the woman. When I see her upturned profile, I have to suppress a gasp at the long scar that starts at her eyebrow, all down her cheek only to end at the tip of herlips.

“But you know how it is, yeah?” I narrow my eyes as the woman’s lips quiver. “So please…please juststop.”

I can’t stay where I am, and as I clear my throat, I take a step closer to the couple.

“Excuse me, Miss?” I ask, trying to form a friendly smile.

The woman’s head jerks as she turns her face and looks up at me. She blinks, and I do my best to ignore her dampeyes.