Hannah’s chest tightened at those words. “What do you mean?”
“She punched Caz. Then she shoved her. Caz nearly went over the wall into Mrs Trenton’s garden.”
“R-right.” Hannah turned her face away from Edie, closing her eyes. “I just need to call Nanna, okay?”
“Why?”
Hannah took a calming breath. “Because I know you were supposed to be staying here tonight, but I think you may have to stay with her. I need to speak to Caz.”
“I don’t think she likes me anymore. I am sorry. But Kirsty left, and you always tell me not to go with people I don’t know. And really, I don’t know Kirsty now. She scared me today.”
Hannah tried to exhale the most calming breath she could manage, but this evening, she was furious. At Kirsty. At the position she found herself in. At the sheer thought of someone laying a finger not only on Edie but on Caz, too.
And then there was the idea that Caz was home alone…and hurt. God, she needed to be with her.
“You did the right thing. And you’ve done nothing wrong either with Kirsty or Caz. I know we should have been having a girls’ night in, but you know you need to be alone when you’re upset?” Edie nodded. “That’s what Caz has to do, too. That’s all.”
“She’s upset with me?”
“No. She’s just upset. Maybe a little bit hurt, too. But don’t worry; I’ll go and see her. And if she needs to be looked after, we can do that together, right?”
“Yeah. I can help you look after her.” Edie got to her feet. “Should I make something to eat?”
“No, no. Nanna can feed you tonight. Once the police have been by, I’ll drop you off.”
Edie tentatively lowered herself back to the couch. “Okay. I’ll wait here for the police.”
“When they get here, I want you to be honest with them. Tell them everything you saw. It doesn’t matter if you don’t want to upset anyone. I need you to be honest.”
“I will.”
Hannah got to her feet and sighed. “I’m sorry Kirsty came to the school, Edie.”
“I hate her.”
Hannah’s brows rose.
“I do. She hurt Caz, and I hate her.”
Hannah stared down at Edie, feeling the very same thing. It was going to take time for their anger to subside, Hannah’s more so since she wanted to find Kirsty and hurt her, but they would be okay. They had to be. This budding relationship meant too much to Hannah to even consider the possibility of losing it.
Go to Caz and make things right.
Chapter29
Hannah stoodat Caroline’s garden gate, looking up at her dimly lit home. She loved being here with Caz, it was a sanctuary for them, but the day’s events—especially now that she’d heard Edie relay everything in her police statement—left her feeling dreadful.
Caroline still hadn’t contacted Hannah. But Hannah couldn’t blame her. Hannah’s ex had assaulted her, and Hannah had doubted the initial information Caroline had given her about it. Why the hell had she done that? Because she wanted to believe Kirsty could redeem herself in some way? Because she wasn’t sure someone she’d shared three years of her life with was capable of that? Hannah knew people, when challenged, were capable of anything.
And now she had to repair the damage she’d caused.
She considered knocking, but if Caroline was resting, she didn’t want her to have to get up and answer the door. So Hannah looked down at the keys in her hand, pushing through the gate.
Hannah opened the front door, nothing but silence greeting her. She would check downstairs, hoping that Caroline wasn’t in a bad way. “Caz?”
Nothing.
Hannah went through to the living room, smiling weakly at the sight before her. Caroline sat propped upright on the couch, frozen in place. “Babe, why didn’t you answer my messages?”