My Best Friends Brother

Chapter 198

I quickly walk over to her, guiding the folders from her arm and taking them in my own, much to her relief when she can finally bring the coffee she looks desperate for to her lips. "What are you doing here Milo? When did you... ummm... get out?"

She gives me that same sad look she did at the hospital, one that reminds me I have to know what she's thinking.

"Is there somewhere we can talk, please?" I really try to keep my voice steady, I don't want her to see me as some pathetic kid that can't handle real life situations, but just standing in front of the woman that has complete control over my future is kind of fucking terrifying.

She nods and turns towards a wall lined with doors just down the corridor, opening one and leading me inside until I'm sitting in a sparse office room with nothing but overly bright lighting and a giant table with six chairs around it.

It's so... formal. Clinical even. A place for business, not emotion.

Remember that Milo.

"Just pop them down by here and take a seat Milo, do you want a coffee or something?" I lower the files in front of the chair at the head of the table, politely refusing the coffee after the swill I was already forced to drink at the station earlier.

These seats are more comfortable than the interview room but I still feel like I'm sitting on a bed of nails with all the anxiety rolling around inside of me.

I don't mean to be rude, I know this is the point where we should make some kind of pleasant small talk but we both know why I'm here, so the moment she takes a seat I just cut to the chase.

"Are you going to take Liam away from Josh... because of me? Because I was arrested?"

My directness catches Stephanie off guard but not my question, it's clear that she was kind of expecting this.

"Mr Thompson... it's not that simple." I know that she's trying to act professional but that's not what I need, what I need right now is for her to just tell me the fucking truth.

"Stephanie... I know that you care about Liam..." She sighs deeply, letting herself relax slightly into the seat, we both know we're going to be here for a while. She stretches and pulls out one of the folders from the pile, smiling as she opens it and glances down at some of the pictures the child has drawn for her.

I'd recognise those little stick men any where.

"Mr. Thompson, I can't just-"

"It's Milo, just Milo." I watch the war going on inside her as she looks between the drawings and me, I honestly believe that she's a good person but I know enough from listening to Mum talk about cases that involve social services to realise that her hands are tied a lot of the time. "Please, please don't say something to protect my feelings or some other bullshit that could cost Liam everything... I just need to know the truth."

Her eyes stay firmly glued to the little drawing that Liam has done for her folder, it looks like it's one of her and him at his school, probably one he drew during one of their meetings.

She finally glances up at the door to the meeting room, almost looking to see if there's any chance that somebody is about to walk in but there's no-one hurrying around outside, I'm guessing this time of year most people want to be with their families rather than at the office, so having big important meetings aren't at the top of their to do list, getting out of here is. It says a lot about her that she's still here doing things for the kids under her care.

"Okay Milo, while this folder is open I am Liam's social worker. I'm going to tell you exactly what I should tell you as a social worker... Then I'm going to close this folder and we are going to have a conversation as one human being with over a decades experience doing these cases, to another human being who needs to hear it. We are not going to repeat a word of it to anyone outside this room. Are we understood?"