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Back Forgive Me Save as PDF
Chapters (65)
  1. Cover
  2. Prologue
  3. Chapter One
  4. Chapter Two
  5. Chapter Three
  6. Chapter Four
  7. Chapter Five
  8. Chapter Six
  9. Chapter Seven
  10. Chapter Eight
  11. Chapter Nine
  12. Chapter Ten
  13. Chapter Eleven
  14. Chapter Twelve
  15. Chapter Thirteen
  16. Chapter Fourteen
  17. Chapter Fifteen
  18. Chapter Sixteen
  19. Chapter Seventeen
  20. Chapter Eighteen
  21. Chapter Nineteen
  22. Chapter Twenty
  23. Chapter Twenty-One
  24. Chapter Twenty-Two
  25. Chapter Twenty-Three
  26. Chapter Twenty-Four
  27. Chapter Twenty-Five
  28. Chapter Twenty-Six
  29. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  30. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  31. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  32. Chapter Thirty
  33. Chapter Thirty-One
  34. Chapter Thirty-Two
  35. Chapter Thirty-Three
  36. Chapter Thirty-Four
  37. Chapter Thirty-Five
  38. Chapter Thirty-Six
  39. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  40. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  41. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  42. Chapter Forty
  43. Chapter Forty-One
  44. Chapter Forty-Two
  45. Chapter Forty-Three
  46. Chapter Forty-Four
  47. Chapter Forty-Five
  48. Chapter Forty-Six
  49. Chapter Forty-Seven
  50. Chapter Forty-Eight
  51. Chapter Forty-Nine
  52. Chapter Fifty
  53. Chapter Fifty-One
  54. Chapter Fifty-Two
  55. Chapter Fifty-Three
  56. Chapter Fifty-Four
  57. Chapter Fifty-Five
  58. Acknowledgments
  59. P.S. Insights, Interviews & More . . .*
  60. About the Author
  61. About the Book
  62. Read On
  63. Praise for Susan Lewis and Her Books
  64. Also by Susan Lewis
  65. About the Publisher

Claudia regarded her incredulously. Had she already forgotten the letter they’d just been discussing? Surely she realized what a mistake it would be for Claudia to allow anyone to come too close again, and not only because of how wrong she’d gotten it the last time. What bothered her just as much was the mere thought of inflicting the specter, much less the potential reality, of Marcus on anyone as decent as Dan. “That really isn’t going to happen,” she said shortly, and before anyone could argue she went through to her room and closed the door.

Chapter Nineteen

Dan’s gone and tried blackmailing me in a way that I could easily make backfire on him, but I’ve decided not to. Although I had a bit of fun at first when he said that if I didn’t tell you the truth about my ma he’d wash his hands of me and I told him there was a lot of shit to get off so he ought to start scrubbing.

He didn’t laugh and I don’t blame him because it wasn’t all that funny; I just wanted him to look a bit less bleak than he did when he came in. I get the feeling something’s eating him. Well, I suppose I know what it is; coming here to see me has got to remind him of what he’s really dealing with, and that can’t be a good place for him to be. Not much of a good place for me either, but hey, I’m the psycho bastard who did this, so no sympathy for me.

Anyways, to keep him happy, and because he’s right about owing you the truth, I’ll tell you the real deal about my ma. Her name’s Maria and she’s all the stuff I said before, a bit of a junkie, a hooker (because sometimes it’s the only way she can pay the rent), an ex-con for stiffing the council tax and a spot of dealing, and a nutjob. She also happens to be the person I love most in the world.

Did that surprise you? I guess not, given the way I’ve gone on about protecting her, but it’s something I’ve always tried to keep hidden. Dan didn’t seem surprised the first time I told him, but then he always thinks people like me are hiding their best sides, and that’s where he’s wrong, because some just don’t have one.