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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

“You didn’t answer my question,” Leo says sharply.

“I’m going to lay low and let the police do their jobs. Simone is boosting the video and making the connections between that and when he assaulted the protester.”

He nods. “Good. Getting his identity out there and the nature of his crimes. Still at Brazuca’s?”

“For the moment.”

“Can Whisper stay with Uncle Leo tonight?”

I look at her on her belly, enjoying his rubs. Can’t bring myself to deny her more. “Yeah.”

“I’m sorry I asked you to meet me here,” he says, looking at Seb’s plain headstone. “I thought I was ready to see it, but this was a mistake.”

“You still miss him.”

“I don’t even know if that’s it. When he asked me to leave, it shook me. I was angry—but I’m not angry with him anymore,” Leo says. “I used to be. When he died, I was even angrier. Now I understand his reasons and I’ve accepted them. He gave me no choice.”

“Maybe he thought he was doing what was best for you.”

“No, he was doing what was best for him. He wanted to do this without me. He asked me to leave the house, but in truth, he left me. People leave you, and you learn to live without them. When you learn to live without someone, that’s the end. You figure out you don’t need them, and no matter what happens, it can never be the same. The Seb that I knew and loved, I hold him in my heart and I won’t ever let go of that memory of him. But he left me, in more ways than one. He lay down the night he died with Whisper at his side, and he never called, never texted. He wanted to be alone.”

I pat Whisper on the head and bid her to stay. She has been through so much but seems to understand her new life very well. Maybe even better than me. I imagine she even likes the variety of it. Me, Brazuca, Uncle Leo. She belongs to all of us and to herself most of all. I leave her there with Leo, who is still lost in contemplation of Seb’s grave.

I’m suddenly cold. It must be all that sun I’ve gotten used to, to feel this way due to a little snow. I pull my hood up to ward off the chill.

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