BooksBarbecue
Back Again, Rachel
Chapters (98)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. 82
  86. 83
  87. 84
  88. 85
  89. 86
  90. 87
  91. 88
  92. 89
  93. 90
  94. 91
  95. 92
  96. 93
  97. 94
  98. Acknowledgements

Morrigan’s was closing up. ‘Time to leave,’ I said.

Luke grabbed his jacket and we stood. ‘I came on the bike,’ he said. ‘It’s out on the road.’

‘I walked here.’

As we made our way back out through the trees, he asked, ‘What you up to this evening?’

‘Committee meeting for Mum’s party. Last one before the big night. Hey. Luke. Can I ask you something?’ I said. ‘When Joey rang to tell me about your mum, did he do it off his own bat or—’

‘I asked him.’

‘Why was that?’

He stared into the middle distance. ‘Because even at my most angry, I never stopped wanting you to be okay.’ He went quiet. ‘I’m going to tell you something now and you might be…This is creepy. Stalkery. But I asked Joey to keep an eye on you.’

‘ “Keep an eye”?’

‘Yeah. Look. I needed to know you were okay. Still alive, mostly. Not small details, I’m not that bad. But the big things like you moving back to Ireland. Getting a job in the Cloisters—from that I figured out you were clean again.’

A snarl of emotions seized me—humiliation, deep interest, offence and, again, interest. So he’d still cared?

‘How did Joey do this?’

‘Instagram, mostly.’

Well, he’d have had a job of it. For a couple of years after Luke had left, I’d barely posted anything. Even now, about 90 per cent of my content was Crunchie being adorable.

‘Why did you do that?’ I asked.

‘Because I loved you. That didn’t stop straight away.’ After a hesitation, he said, ‘I knew about Quin.’ His look was mischievous. ‘Now that was hard. What? I wasn’t macho enough for you?’

‘You’re a fine one to talk. You and your Kallie.’

‘Yeah, look at us.’ He smiled. ‘We survived. We rebuilt our lives. After what we’d lost, we should be proud. Thankful, anyway.’

We reached his bike and stopped walking.

‘I go up that way.’ I pointed to a turn off the road. ‘There’s a shortcut through the fields. Luke, do you think we could try being friends? Even if it’s just to talk once a year on her anniversary?’

‘Sure. Absolutely. We could give it a go.’

I remembered another question I wanted the answer to. ‘Luke, the other night, whenever it was—Thursday?—at my house. Why did you say you’d come in, then leave immediately? What did I miss?’

‘I didn’t say I’d come in, I said I’d like to.’

What?

‘You can figure it out, Rachel.’

Could I? I ran the sentence through my head again.

Oh. Seriously?

I could hardly speak. ‘But—’

‘My mother died less than a month ago. The past, the present, it’s all mixed up in my head. I’m a mess, babe.’ He stopped, mortified. ‘Old habits. Sorry for calling you…’