BooksBarbecue
Back Bad Friends Save as PDF
Chapters (59)
  1. Bad Friends
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. AFTER: DECEMBER
  6. BEFORE: JUNE
  7. Chapter One
  8. Chapter Two
  9. Chapter Three
  10. Chapter Four
  11. Chapter Five
  12. Chapter Six
  13. Chapter Seven
  14. Chapter Eight
  15. Chapter Nine
  16. Chapter Ten
  17. Chapter Eleven
  18. Chapter Twelve
  19. Chapter Thirteen
  20. Chapter Fourteen
  21. Chapter Fifteen
  22. Chapter Sixteen
  23. Chapter Seventeen
  24. Chapter Eighteen
  25. Chapter Nineteen
  26. Chapter Twenty
  27. Chapter Twenty-One
  28. Chapter Twenty-Two
  29. Chapter Twenty-Three
  30. Chapter Twenty-Four
  31. Chapter Twenty-Five
  32. Chapter Twenty-Six
  33. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  34. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  35. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  36. Chapter Thirty
  37. Chapter Thirty-One
  38. Chapter Thirty-Two
  39. Chapter Thirty-Three
  40. Chapter Thirty-Four
  41. Chapter Thirty-Five
  42. Chapter Thirty-Six
  43. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  44. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  45. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  46. Chapter Forty
  47. Chapter Forty-One
  48. Chapter Forty-Two
  49. Chapter Forty-Three
  50. Chapter Forty-Four
  51. Chapter Forty-Five
  52. Chapter Forty-Six
  53. Chapter Forty-Seven
  54. Chapter Forty-Eight
  55. A CONVERSATION WITH CLAIRE SEEBER
  56. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  57. About the Author
  58. By the same author:
  59. About the Publisher

‘I just think – you have to trust your instincts.’

‘Your instincts,’ she repeated slowly. ‘Yes, my instinct.’ She shoved the envelope back into her bag and headed towards the door. ‘You know what, Maggie, you’re quite right. I’ll let myself out, okay? See you soon,’ she called from the hall.

‘I really hope not,’ I muttered as the front door slammed. As I hunted for the Yellow Pages to track down the florist who’d sent the stinking lilies, I heard a car start up outside, and Digby barking in agreement. He never liked strangers on his patch.

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

While I was still recuperating from the crash, Bel finally plucked up the courage to tell me Johnno wanted her and Hannah to move back to Australia with him after their wedding. I cried, though I tried not to let her know. She said it was temporary, just to try out ‘Down Under’ – but it was yet another final straw; the same one that broke the camel’s back, you know. Bel and I had been inseparable since her mad family had moved in next door to my quiet one when she was eight. We’d soon found a loose board in the back fence to clamber through and we lived in and out of each other’s houses. She became the sister I’d never had, her brothers like mine too. The idea of her not being around was truly painful.

Eventually I pulled myself together and offered to help her sort things out, to look after her house when it was let, to mind Hannah while they packed up, that kind of thing. But Bel said that all she wanted, all her and Johnno wanted (such a very close couple now, inextricable), was for me to help sort the wedding and the goodbye party. For me to be there too. She knew I’d say I wouldn’t come to the party. I couldn’t. Of course Bel took no notice, deep down I guess she knew I’d be there – but the very thought made me feel a bit ill.

I didn’t do parties any more. Not since Alex; not since the summer. But your best friend doesn’t get married and go across the world to live every day. And I’d hidden away as long as I dared, concealed behind my injuries, wallowing in my pain and misery, trying not to remember things best forgotten. Now Charlie had started to lose patience; he was on the phone almost daily. If I didn’t go back to work soon, I’d have no job to go to – whatever deal we’d made.