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Back All You Need Is Love Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. OCTOBER
  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. Acknowledgments
  53. More from Jessica Redland
  54. About the Author
  55. Also by Jessica Redland
  56. About Boldwood Books

‘You will come up to visit soon, won’t you?’ Jack said. ‘Isla would love to see her Uncle Sammy and I’m sure Saffron would love to projectile vomit all over you. It’s a pretty special bonding moment. I know being back in Whitsborough Bay is hard on you and I don’t want to come across as the demanding big brother, but Millie’s an only child and you’re my only sibling so you’re their only uncle. It would mean a lot to Millie and me if you could try and see a bit more of them. I know it’s harder with you being in London now and…’ He tailed off. ‘I’ve said too much haven’t I?’ Shit! Millie told me not to say anything. She said you’ll make up for it when the time’s right for you.’

A tear slid down my cheek and I slumped forwards. The nearly-empty bottle of lager slipped from my hands and landed with a soft thud on the sand as sobs racked through me.

‘Christ! Sam! I wasn’t having a go at you!’

I tried to say, ‘I know’, but the words wouldn’t come out. My whole body shook and alien agonised sounds kept spilling from my mouth.

‘What did I say?’ I could hear the panic in Jack’s voice but I couldn’t reply.

Oh shit! No! I somehow scrambled to my feet and managed to stagger a little way down the beach before I threw up.

Within seconds, Jack was by my side, with his arm round me as I sank to my knees in the sand, trembling. ‘Sorry,’ I muttered, wiping my mouth. ‘Don’t know what happened then. I’ve only had two drinks. Must be a delayed reaction from last night’s skin-full.’

‘That wasn’t the drink. That was grief.’

I closed my eyes and breathed slowly in and out a few times, trying to calm my racing heart.

‘Are you okay, Sam?’

I picked up a handful of sand in my right hand and let it slowly fall through my fingers. ‘Of course I’m not okay. My fiancée’s dead and…’

‘And what?’

I looked up into his worried eyes. I couldn’t tell him. I still couldn’t say it. I shook my head. ‘And I don’t know if I’ll ever be okay again.’

‘Come on. Back to the fire.’ Jack helped me to my feet, kicking some sand over the vomit. ‘Let’s get you warm.’

9

Jemma

‘Uh oh! Drinking alone on a school night?’ Drew closed the door to our flat behind him on Wednesday evening and dropped his backpack onto the floor with a thud. ‘This isn’t a good sign.’

I shrugged and continued to stare at the TV on mute, my eyes flicking to my phone on the armrest of the chair every few seconds.