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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

Bonnie feels uneasy. It’s just one lame pic of her in Whistler! Doing what thousands of other teens do on the daily. A selfie with duck face. One photo and she’s upset with Alix and her mom all at once. Fuck. She thinks of Nora, who she feels would somehow understand.

But Nora’s disappeared again, just when Bonnie needs her the most. Just when that video of Dao turns up. Just when Bonnie could use a little extra protection in her life.

Part 6

59

Simone comes in the door with groceries. She likes to shop late at night because of her disdain for queues. According to her, life is too short to wait around for people to rummage through their personal belongings for cash, credit cards, and coupons. She has more important things to do with her spare time. Like fill me in about the goings-on of the world.

“Brazuca was at the meeting tonight,” she tells me. I nod and wait for her to continue. Which she does, as I help her pack away the groceries.

“He did not look good. I told him what you asked me to. That you’re gone and to forget about you.” She catches my look of relief. “I’m not sure it was the right thing to do, Nora. It’s supposed to be for his safety, but that man cares about you. He’s hurting.”

“At least he’s alive.”

“If he comes to me again, I’m not going to be able to lie. It felt awful to do it this time.”

She hands me a candy cane. I give it back. She shrugs, unwraps it, and pops an end into her mouth.

“Did you share? At the meeting?”

“Nope. But I went for coffee with Angela afterward. You don’t know her, she’s new. Just got through her first month sober.”

I nod. It’s an accomplishment we both understand.

We make dinner in silence. Simone gets through half the candy cane and tosses the rest into the trash. Her stint at rehab went well, she said. At the facility they had cooking workshops and she’s developed a love for tortilla soup. We make some more now, even though we haven’t finished the last batch Simone started on, before I showed up at her door. One of us will get tired of this soup eventually, I’m sure, but it won’t be today.

“Any luck on your end?” she asks. “With your guy?”

“Not yet. But I have high hopes for tonight.”

She sighs. “One day, having high hopes for a guy tonight is going to mean something different for you and I’ll be so proud.”

A laugh escapes me. “You sound like Leo.”

“Your dog sitter seems like a sensible person.”