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Back Cold as Hell Save as PDF
Chapters (115)
  1. COLD AS HELL
  2. PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
  3. CONTENTS
  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. 95
  99. 96
  100. 97
  101. 98
  102. 99
  103. 100
  104. 101
  105. 102
  106. 103
  107. 104
  108. 105
  109. 106
  110. 107
  111. 108
  112. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  113. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  114. ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR
  115. COPYRIGHT

‘All right,’ Áróra agreed, and felt the lump in her throat that appeared every time she had to knuckle down and do something against her will. It was only family that provoked this feeling. In fact, these days it was only her mother who could do this, once Áróra had told Ísafold that enough was enough, and they had ended all communication. Now it was only her mother who made her feel that she was being forced to do things that she didn’t want to do. ‘I’ll try and get hold of Björn or someone tomorrow, Mum.’

‘Couldn’t you try this evening?’ her mother said in a wheedling voice. ‘Just to see if everything’s all right?’

‘Tomorrow, Mum. I’ll check it out tomorrow.’

Áróra put the phone down without giving her mother an opportunity to protest. This was a little piece of her sister’s martyrdom she could do without right now. She was too tired to deal with her sister’s lies, announcing in that imposing voice of hers that everything was just fine. Absolutely, perfectly, completely fine. She would have fallen against a radiator and broken her jaw, which stopped her from speaking on the phone, or taken a tumble on the steps in the block of flats where she lived and broken a 5finger, so writing anything on Facebook was out of the question. Áróra was also too tired to have Björn sniping at her, telling her that Ísafold was his girlfriend, and Áróra shouldn’t concern herself with things that were none of her business.

She plucked a bottle of sparkling water from the fridge and took it with her to the living room, where she let herself drop onto the sofa, wrapped herself in a blanket and drank a quarter of the bottle. The programme had already begun, although that didn’t matter, as she had seen it several times before, but she found her mind was no longer at ease. Now she had to swat aside uncomfortable thoughts as they came at her, as if her mother’s phone call had opened the flood gates that for a while now she had struggled hard to keep shut. Now she couldn’t avoid feeling irritation at her mother, anger with Björn and a nagging fear for Ísafold.

6

THURSDAY

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