CHAPTER EIGHT
THAT NIGHT I dreamt I was climbing a tree. Distracted by Ash saying “Hi”, I fell and he caught me - it all replayed exactly how it had happened earlier that day. The change came when he set me on my feet. Instead of letting me go, he held me tight around my waist. His cool grey eyes looked almost silver and they seemed to look deep into my soul. “You’re beautiful” he said, then leaned down and kissed me. It started out sweetly, with light kisses and tender brushes against
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE NEXT morning it took me a minute to realise where I was. I soon managed to get into my usual routine and it wasn’t long before I was downstairs chatting with Mum in the kitchen. I liked the old, cosy feel this room had, even though it was fully modern. Sunday was the one day of the week we all spent together as a family, no matter what. True to form, Dad sat down with the paper, while Mum fried some eggs for breakfast. I watched them as they talked and laughed.
CHAPTER SIX
MY FATHER shouted up that he was heading to the lab to check on some samples that were arriving and needed to be put into cold storage straight away. I realised it was almost midnight and I was starving. I headed down to the kitchen to find Mum was still pottering around in there organising - which translates as "Keep out of my way". She suggested I go into town and get something to eat. I didn't think it was such a bad idea, if I could find anywhere on this island
CHAPTER FIVE
APPROACHING the Gateway wasn’t what I expected. A lane between heavily dense woodland was hardly noticeable and if I hadn’t been sandwiched between my parents in their car and the removal truck I would have missed the turning completely. The road was basically a very thin layer of stones covering a terrain of potholes. I cursed every time I felt my car bounce; this couldn’t be doing the suspension any good at all. The trees were encroaching on either side of me and I
CHAPTER FOUR
I’D BEEN putting it off, but after staring at a pile of half-packed boxes for an age, I knew it was time to do it. Just rip the plaster off I told myself as I dialled Dee’s number.
She wasn’t her usual bubbly self when she picked up and I could hear crying in the background. “What’s going on?”
“Jamie’s upset. Her friend’s Mum died in a car accident this afternoon,” she explained. “Apparently she was like everyone’s second Mum. They’re all