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Back Because She Loves Me Save as PDF
Chapters (50)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Dedication Page
  4. Contents
  5. One
  6. Two
  7. Three
  8. Four
  9. Five
  10. Six
  11. Seven
  12. Eight
  13. Nine
  14. Ten
  15. Eleven
  16. Twelve
  17. Thirteen
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. Sixteen
  21. Seventeen
  22. Eighteen
  23. Ninteen
  24. Twenty
  25. Twenty-one
  26. Twenty-two
  27. Twenty-three
  28. Twenty-four
  29. Twenty-five
  30. Twenty-six
  31. Twenty-seven
  32. Twenty-eight
  33. Twenty-nine
  34. Thirty
  35. Thirty-one
  36. Thirty-two
  37. Thirty-three
  38. Thirty-four
  39. Thirty-five
  40. Thirty-six
  41. Thirty-seven
  42. Thirty-eight
  43. Thirty-nine
  44. Forty
  45. Forty-one
  46. Forty-two
  47. Epilogue
  48. Letter From the Author
  49. Acknowledgements
  50. About the Author

It was as if a chemical explosion had gone off in my flat, Charlie and I the willing, happy victims. She didn’t have to go back to work till January 4th, which was now only two days away. I was going to have to call Victor, start doing some work too. I was dreading it. I wanted to stay with Charlie in our little bubble forever.

My phone chirped and Charlie, who was closest to the bedside table, leant over and picked it up, passing it over. I read the text message.

‘What’s up?’ she asked, reading my expression.

‘It’s Sasha. She wants to see me.’

‘Oh – is she all right?’

‘I’m not sure. Sounds like something’s wrong. I’d better call her.’ I kissed Charlie’s cheek. She smelled of fresh sweat and lavender soap. ‘I feel terrible. I haven’t spoken to her all week. I didn’t even send her a happy New Year message.’

Charlie and I had been planning to go out for New Year but had spent the night inside instead. Charlie said she wanted to be making love to me at the stroke of midnight, that it would be the best possible way to start 2014, and I had to agree.

Charlie sat up and pulled on a long T-shirt. ‘I’m going to take a shower.’

I sat up too. ‘Are you annoyed with me?’

‘No, of course not.’ She sounded irritated. ‘Why do you ask that?’

‘Oh, no reason.’ I smiled at her and watched as she left the room, worrying a little about her sudden change in mood. But I set the worry aside – it was probably just me being paranoid. Harriet was always telling me that I was too quick to guess her moods and try to fix problems that didn’t exist.

I called Sasha. She answered on the second ring. We arranged to meet that night.

‘So?’ Charlie said, when she came back into the room, damp from the bath, a towel wrapped round her. ‘What’s up with Sasha?’

‘Boyfriend problems, by the sound of it,’ I replied. ‘She’s been seeing this guy called Lance. He’s married.’

Charlie pulled a face. ‘Messy.’

‘Yeah, it is. Anyway . . . I’m going to meet her at seven in Herne Hill.’ I checked my phone. It was three now, just gone.

Charlie lifted the towel to dry her hair, giving me a full view of her naked body.

‘That’s cool,’ she said, rubbing her hair. ‘I have some stuff I need to do, anyway. Like ironing all my work clothes.’ She groaned. ‘I’ll get dressed and go now.’

I reached out for her. ‘Don’t get dressed yet.’

She looked hesitant, just for a moment. Then she pulled the quilt aside and slipped underneath with me, her damp hair cold on my hot skin as she trailed kisses down my torso.