LITMIR.BIZ

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arguing with my drunken brother about what time to leave.

       ‘I can walk home,’ Liam said.

       ‘I have a feeling you won’t be walking in a straight line by midnight,’ Bryn answered. And then to me he said, ‘I’ll pick you up together or separately, whatever you want, Scarlett.’

       Seriously, that should have been within five minutes of stepping into the house, which was already full of schoolkids who were pissed before they arrived. I’d been invited for pre-drinks with Linus and a few of the others, but there was no way I’d say yes to him. I wanted Linus to know I wasn’t interested in him, but he didn’t do subtle.

       ‘Here, you look like you need it,’ he said as he handed me a pint glass full of gin and lemonade.

       I must have downed it in a couple of minutes and I did start to relax after that, a bit too much, if I’m honest. A couple of hours later I ended up sitting on Linus’s knee while a group of us talked about life-and-death decisions, like what was better, Burger King or McDonald’s. Linus hadn’t started trying to grope me yet, but it was like only a matter of time.

       Anyway, I was messing about on my phone, which was much better than watching Eva and Liam sucking the faces off each other. I wrote out a message and dared myself to send it.

      What are you doing?

       The reply came maybe ten seconds later.

      What are YOU doing?

       I told you I’d hate this party and I do

      Want to talk about it?

       Yes

      Want to meet?

       Linus was stroking my leg and he kept slipping his hand under my pirate’s jacket. I took one look around the room and asked myself what the hell I was waiting for, but I did hesitate, I swear. I didn’t want to let Mum down, she trusted me. But then I reminded myself how she hadn’t thought about me when she decided to bring Bryn into our lives. Maybe that didn’t justify what I did, but I couldn’t help myself. I sent the reply before I could change my mind.

       Yes

      Now?

       Yes! Yes! Yes!!

       Slipping out of the party was easy enough, I just said I was going to the loo and never went back. He was waiting at the top of the road where no one would see me getting into his car. We didn’t really speak until he’d parked up on some quiet country lane that was miles away from anywhere. All I could hear was my heart thudding.

       ‘I was waiting for your message. I knew you’d want to escape.’

       ‘I suppose you think you know me so well now.’

       He unbuckled his seat belt and turned towards me. ‘I don’t know. Do I?’

       I didn’t know what to say. I wasn’t daft. I knew what might be about to happen and part of me wanted him to take control and tell me what to do, but he’s not like that.

       ‘What would you like to talk about, Scarlett?’

       I told myself to stop panicking and use my superpowers. ‘Tell me about you,’ I said.

       ‘What you see is what you get.’

       I can’t believe I had the nerve to say what I said next and it was a good job it was dark because I was blushing so much. ‘Really?’ I said. ‘So what am I getting?’

       He took hold of my hand and kissed it. I could feel the tip of his tongue licking my skin and you have no idea what it did to me.

       ‘So what now?’ I asked. I was desperate for the teasing to stop and to just get on and do it.

       ‘I think you know.’

       ‘Then say it. Are you too scared?’

       ‘Are you?’ he asked.

       ‘I’m on the pill.’

       He stretched his spine and groaned. He didn’t look nervous one bit, while I was starting to shake like an idiot.

       ‘Why don’t we move to the back seat?’ he said. ‘There’s more room there.’

       When I got out of the car, I stumbled. It was the fresh air making my head spin, but no way was I going to back out and make an idiot of myself again. We got into the back and sat next to each other like two strangers sitting on a bus. It was just too funny and I had to stop myself from giggling.

       ‘You’re a beautiful woman, Scarlett,’ he said. ‘Any man would be lucky to be in my position, but I need you to think very carefully about what might be about to happen. This is serious stuff and I’m trusting you. No one can know about this. You do realize how many lives we could destroy, and all because …’

       ‘Because what?’

       ‘Because it’s Halloween and you’ve put me under your spell.’ It was such a corny line that I really was about to laugh this time, but what he said next sobered me up straight away. ‘I want you so badly, Scarlett. Do you want me?’

       ‘Yes,’ I said, and it was so weird because I suddenly wanted to cry. I don’t know why. I wasn’t frightened. I think I was just shocked that someone could want me so much that they would like, put their life in danger for me.

       ‘I’m a virgin,’ I blurted out.

       He smiled. ‘I know, and I’m not going to do anything you don’t want to. You’re the one in control, Scarlett.’

       ‘But I don’t know what to do.’

       ‘Why don’t you start by taking those off,’ he said, patting my leg.

       I took off my leggings.

       ‘And your knickers.’

       9

       The Accusations

      Nina loved her husband and that love ought to be absolute, with no doubts and no uncertainties. It didn’t make sense that her skin should crawl as she looked at the man standing in the kitchen doorway. She had felt a similar sensation the day before when Bryn had tried to comfort her, reacting as if he were a stranger or, worse still, a threat. Her ears had strained each time he had gone upstairs. At one point she had thought she heard him go into Scarlett’s room and she had crept to the bottom of the stairs to listen. When Bryn had come out of the bathroom and caught her, she had given him a spurious excuse about trying to work out if Liam had got up, but she wasn’t sure he had believed her.

      How had she failed as a parent so badly? She had assumed that, by giving her children more freedom, they could establish their independence, and if they made mistakes, they would learn from them. Now it would seem that the mistakes that had been made weren’t all of her children’s making, and there were some harsh lessons ahead for all of them.

      Bryn was watching her intently as if he could read the thoughts turning in her mind on an endless reel of regret and recrimination.

      ‘Are you going to keep Scarlett off school too?’

      Nina reached out for her cup of coffee in search of comfort, but it was stone cold. ‘No,

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