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Back Broken Hearts Save as PDF
Chapters (79)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Prologue
  5. PART ONEEdinburgh November 2008
  6. Chapter One
  7. Chapter Two
  8. Chapter Three
  9. Chapter Four
  10. Chapter Five
  11. Chapter Six
  12. Chapter Seven
  13. Chapter Eight
  14. Chapter Nine
  15. Chapter Ten
  16. Chapter Eleven
  17. Chapter Twelve
  18. Chapter Thirteen
  19. Chapter Fourteen
  20. Chapter Fifteen
  21. Chapter Sixteen
  22. Chapter Seventeen
  23. PART TWOLondon November 1988
  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. PART THREEEdinburgh November 2008
  43. Chapter Thirty-Six
  44. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  45. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  46. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  47. Chapter Forty
  48. Chapter Forty-One
  49. Chapter Forty-Two
  50. Chapter Forty-Three
  51. Chapter Forty-Four
  52. Chapter Forty-Five
  53. Chapter Forty-Six
  54. Chapter Forty-Seven
  55. Chapter Forty-Eight
  56. Chapter Forty-Nine
  57. Chapter Fifty
  58. Chapter Fifty-One
  59. Chapter Fifty-Two
  60. Chapter Fifty-Three
  61. Chapter Fifty-Four
  62. Chapter Fifty-Five
  63. Chapter Fifty-Six
  64. Chapter Fifty-Seven
  65. Chapter Fifty-Eight
  66. Chapter Fifty-Nine
  67. Chapter Sixty
  68. Chapter Sixty-One
  69. Chapter Sixty-Two
  70. Chapter Sixty-Three
  71. Chapter Sixty-Four
  72. Chapter Sixty-Five
  73. Chapter Sixty-Six
  74. Chapter Sixty-Seven
  75. Epilogue
  76. Acknowledgements
  77. About the Author
  78. By the Same Author
  79. About the Publisher

I knew that it was what Joe wanted–was that enough? On top of everything, I’d watched what Lavender and Eddie had gone through last year and it had broken my heart. They had wanted that baby so badly, we all had, and when Lav had had the miscarriage, I had felt so hopeless. Now, every day was a day closer to the baby she was desperate to have–but the pain wouldn’t stop there, would it? She’d be terrified all her life, never knowing if she could truly protect it. I didn’t think I was strong enough to cope with that, and I didn’t know whether I had enough love in me.

Joe wouldn’t give in. He persevered, told me we were made for each other, and I wanted to believe him so badly–and every so often we fell back into bed again. Were we going to follow that pattern forever? This was part of it–me, alone in the kitchen in the early hours of the morning, thinking about things too much and being torn between those thoughts and yet wanting to just think about how much I…loved him. I did. I loved him. I’d be buggered if I’d tell him, though.

‘You thinking about me?’ came the voice from behind my left shoulder.

‘That you, Louisa?’ I asked, refusing to let myself soften at his words.

‘No offence–but do I look or sound like that weird wee lassie? Nice weird wee lassie that she is,’ Joe answered.

‘Want a coffee?’

‘No. I want to talk to you.’

‘Want a coffee?’

‘You’re not funny, Brodie,’ he answered. ‘Well, you are–but not at times like this.’ He pulled me back from the kettle to the barstool I had just left. ‘Sit.’

‘Woof,’ I barked back at him.

‘Remember. You’re not funny.’ As I sat on the high seat, I was closer to his eye level than usual and my feet dangled nervously, knowing the lecture I was in for. ‘We can’t keep on doing this. I can’t keep on doing this. Do you want the whole speech or just the highlights?’ he asked, not waiting for an answer. ‘We’re not getting any younger. Life isn’t getting any easier. But it could be, if we were together. You could have everything, Brodie–so why won’t you let yourself?’

‘I’ve got everything I need, thanks,’ I muttered.