My best friend's brother and my brother's best friend (2016)

The violent answer

I shut Cara's bedroom door as quietly as I can as I tighten my dressing gown cord and head downstairs. Funnily enough, I haven't really slept well after the explosion that was yesterday. Just as I get to the bottom of the stairs, I hear a small snuffle and the clink of a glass from the front room.

"Mum is that you?" I say quietly as I go into the front room. "Al?"

She's huddled in the corner of the couch nursing a glass of whiskey and staring blankly into the coal fire.

"Is everything ok?" I ask, sitting down next to her.

"Please don't pity me," she whispers, pressing her lips together firmly.

"You know I would never do that. Where's Marcus?"

"Who knows, I don't really care," she says, clicking her teeth angrily.

"Of course you do Al," I say gently, pulling my knees up under my chin.

"How did I not see it all these years? Am I the worst mother in the world? I mean I know they've never always seen eye to eye but how could he do that to his own son? Not only that but lie to me all this time. Not ask for any professional help!"

"Well I'm not exactly innocent in all this myself," I confess, looking down at my hands, "I mean I didn't know everything but I should have told someone all the same."

"Dani, this is not your fault," Al affirms fiercely, slurring her words, "you should have never had to feel so uncomfortable that you felt you couldn't tell anyone."

"Even so ..." I trail off uncertainly.

"Come here Danielle darling," Al says with a small smile, opening her arms and gesturing for me to come towards her.

Grinning like a small child, I shuffle towards her and she pulls me into a tight cuddle like the mother bear that she is.

"Where does this leave you two then ... not that it's any of my business."

"Of course it is darling, not that I'm even sure myself," she states sadly, "all I know is that he is not going to be around you four right now, me and your mum still see you guys as our babies."

"Pretty soon Cara will be the last of us to turn eighteen and then we'll all technically be adults," I laugh, suddenly starting to feel very old.

"Of course, why did I agree to hold her party here remind me?" She laughs, staring back to the fire.

"Because you're a pretty fantastic mum, that's why," I insist with a big smile.

"Ah, bless you sweetheart, you know even after everything ... I'm glad that they have you but especially Eli. He needs someone who's driven and fiercely protective."

"Well I've had good role models," I reply truthfully directing it at her, "I was actually coming down before to get a drink, do you want me to get you anything?"

"No, I should really be heading up to bed, I'll most likely have a busy day ahead of me tomorrow," she sighs, placing her now empty glass down on the coffee table, "in fact I might go and check on him, I doubt he's sleeping right now either. Unless of course he doesn't want to see me."

"You know he doesn't blame you for any of this," I say honestly, "I think the reason he's kept this to himself because he wanted to protect you."

"That's supposed to be my job," she blurts out.

"Look I'll go and see if he's ok if you want?" I offer kindly.

"He's lucky to have you, you know I remember my first love, I couldn't keep away from him either," she says with a fond smile.