Chapters (75)
- Cover
- Praise
- About the Author
- Title Page
- Intoroduction
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EITHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- CLIMATE EMERGENCY
- Copyright
She smiles at me from time to time, but her attention is on the screen: an old film about some people who keep meeting on a long journey – I’m not really paying attention. She laughs at the jokes in it, and when she does, her eyes light up in a way I haven’t seen before. I’m used to angry Dana, or anxious Dana, and I know the determined, fulfilled Dana from the garden, but I’ve never seen this Dana before. I think she’s relaxed. Maybe even happy.
When the film ends, she throws the remote at me, ‘Next!’
We move on to the second half of some comedy quiz show. I go and get ice cream.
When I come back, she pulls her legs up and makes space on the sofa, then pushes her bare feet underneath me. The clinking of our spoons and the audience’s laughter fills the room.
While I fill the dishwasher and tidy up, Dana goes upstairs. When I walk into my room, she’s stepped out of the joggers and is taking off my hoodie.
‘Oi! Get out, perv!’
I back out quickly and shut the door. ‘I… I thought you were in the bathroom. Sorry.’
‘You can come in now,’ she says, a few seconds later.
She’s wearing a pair of my boxers and an old T-shirt. It looks very different on her than it does on me.
‘What do you think?’ She turns around and strikes a pose. ‘Hope you don’t mind.’
‘Er… nope. No. That’s fine.’ I try and fail miserably to look anywhere in the room but at her.
She notices. ‘Josh. You’re sweet. But not now. I—’
‘Oh. God. No. Of course not. I didn’t—’
‘Have you got a blanket? I’ll sleep on the sofa.’
‘No, you stay in here, I’ll go downstairs.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yeah. Yes. Yup.’ The sleeve of my jumper is caught on the door handle. I yank it free. ‘I’ll be fine.’
‘Thanks for tonight, Josh. We’ll go to the station tomorrow. First thing.’
I look blankly at her for a moment.
‘The police?’
‘Oh, yeah. Yes. Of course.’
‘Good night, Josh.’
‘Yes.’ I don’t move.
‘Goodnight hug?’ She holds her arms out, takes a step towards me.
‘Er… OK. Yeah.’
I stand awkwardly in the doorway as she approaches and winds her arms around my waist. I put mine over her shoulders and try to apply the lightest of squeezes.
She looks at me, her hands still on my waist. ‘So, good night then.’
There’s a ringing in my ears as she stands on her tiptoes and brushes her lips against mine, then I’m standing on the landing looking at the closed door.
SIXTY-ONE
SIXTY ONE
I wake early, still dressed in last night’s clothes. I watch some TV for a bit and make myself breakfast.