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Back No Going Back: a Novel Save as PDF
Chapters (84)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Part 1
  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. Part 2
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. Part 3
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. Part 4
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. Part 5
  60. 53
  61. 54
  62. 55
  63. 56
  64. 57
  65. 58
  66. Part 6
  67. 59
  68. 60
  69. 61
  70. 62
  71. 63
  72. 64
  73. 65
  74. 66
  75. 67
  76. 68
  77. 69
  78. 70
  79. 71
  80. 72
  81. Acknowledgments
  82. About the Author
  83. Also by Sheena Kamal
  84. About the Publisher

His telescope, the beauty he’d bought secondhand, is set up at the living room window, pointed up at the sky. Looking through the eyepiece, he roams, searching for nothing but the feeling this activity brings him. After a while, calm settles over him. There’s a text from Nora waiting when he finally pulls himself back into the room. She went to see her daughter.

Right.

He’d forgotten to ask Nora how it turned out, but it must have been alright if she’s seeing the girl again. Another thing he hasn’t remembered until this moment is taking his antibiotics. There’s too much to keep track of. He pushes it all out of his mind for now, showers, and goes to bed.

The sheets don’t smell like him, but that can only be a good thing for a bachelor. Crawling into a bed that smells like a woman who’s just been in here with you. So that even when she’s gone, you’re not alone.

During the six years he was married he didn’t sleep well beside his wife, especially toward the end. But it was the thing he missed the most about her presence in his life. Having a living, breathing reminder that at least someone would notice if he didn’t wake up. Now that he’s divorced, even this small reminder is enough. A woman he’d never thought he’d have in his bed has been here and left behind traces of her presence. Her scent, the groove on the other side of the bed. A warmth that still seems to linger. He’s shocked that he’s thinking of Nora—goddamn Nora, who has in the past done everything she could to push him from her life—in this way. But he is.

48

Whisper is in the back seat of the car, fast asleep. I’m following Everett’s Audi on the Sea-to-Sky Highway.

Before we set off for the Whistler cabin, he casted a dubious look at the Corolla. “You got snow tires on that thing?”

“Yes.”

“Because to travel on that highway after October, you need snow tires.”

“I’m aware.”

He was about to say something again about the snow tires, which I don’t have, when Bonnie came out of Everett’s place with her backpack and a rolling suitcase.

“Can we go now?” asked Bonnie, saving me from having to lie once again.

Who has the time to change tires for a different season? In any case, Everett insisted that Bonnie ride with him and Lynn in his Audi. Bastard. I wouldn’t drive badly with my dog in the car.