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Back Cut to the Bone Save as PDF
Chapters (71)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise for Cut to the Bone
  3. About the Author
  4. Also by Roz Watkins
  5. Note to Readers
  6. Dedication
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. Extract
  67. Prologue
  68. Chapter 1
  69. Author’s note
  70. Acknowledgements
  71. About the Publisher

Aunt Janet was so sure of her opinions. Bex knew she could never be that strong. ‘Okay,’ she said. ‘I know what you say makes sense.’ She couldn’t explain. Nobody would understand how good it felt not to be alone. ‘It’s not just me. And …’ She wiped a tear away. ‘Sorry, it’s silly.’

‘Oh love.’ Janet shook her head slowly. ‘You feel like it’s two of you again?’

Bex nodded, trying not to sob with the relief that her aunt was beginning to understand. ‘It never ever felt right,’ she said. ‘It being just me.’

‘Bex, I should have made this clear from the start. An abortion is absolutely not going to ruin your life, but I’m not going to make you have one if you don’t want one.’

Bex looked up, eyes blurry. ‘What then? I told Dad and Kirsty …’

‘It’s your decision. If you keep the baby, I suspect it will cause irreconcilable problems with your dad and your sister, but it’s up to you. Or I can help you get it adopted.’

‘Yes, I want to have it adopted.’

‘Okay, you can do that.’

‘And I’ll never tell Dad and Kirsty that I had the baby.’

Aunt Janet gave Bex a faint, reassuring smile. ‘I think that’s for the best.’

45

Meg – Present day

Friday

Anna came back and put more mugs of tea on the table. ‘Sorry, you probably don’t want tea. Displacement activity.’

I picked up a mug and took a sip.

‘We thought the Pale Child was a girl,’ Anna said. ‘People always spoke of a girl. And … also we thought it was a younger child …’ She shook her head rapidly. ‘But it wasn’t a girl, despite the long hair and the dress. It was a boy, and when we came back to the bonfire, Bex was passed out and this … thing was on top of her. Raping her.’

‘Oh my God,’ Jai said.

‘Lucas ran forward. I was just staring. I couldn’t believe what was happening. I was frozen. But Lucas ran forward and … I think Kirsty told him to. It was always Kirsty in control. He ran forward and grabbed a rock from beside the campfire and he … he smashed it on the boy’s head. Hard.’

Anna paused and the room felt very quiet. I could hear Jai breathing beside me, and a pulse thudding in my ear.