BooksBarbecue
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

The front door opens. Her mom comes out. “Oh, hey. Everything go okay at Alix’s last night?” Then Lynn sees the frightened look on Bonnie’s face. “What happened? Bonnie! Say something!”

“I burned myself with coffee. I bought some for you.”

Lynn takes Bonnie’s sore wrists in her hands. “Let’s get you inside. What happened?”

“Nothing,” says Bonnie, breathless. “It’s nothing.”

She knows someone tried to grab her and that she should say something . . . but she can’t bring herself to do it. When she’d been kidnapped by her birth father almost two years ago, she felt as though it was her fault. She got into the car with him. Believed his lies. They kept her drugged, but sometimes she acted like she was drugged even when the effects of whatever they’d given her wore off. She spent so much time silent and confused it was embarrassing. She was ashamed of herself, like she is now. It doesn’t make any sense, this feeling. She did nothing but come home.

“Mom, I think . . .” She stops.

Lynn puts Bonnie’s hands under the kitchen tap and runs the cold water. “What?”

“Nothing,” says Bonnie. It all seems so stupid now. Maybe the guy hadn’t been reaching for her at all. Maybe it was just in her imagination.

Lynn leads Bonnie to the kitchen table and sits her down. She pulls two ice packs from the freezer, placing one on each of Bonnie’s outstretched wrists. “Now,” says Lynn. “Tell me what happened.”

“Someone tried to grab me. Then there was this car . . . Mom? What are you doing?”

But Lynn’s phone is already out and she’s calling 9-1-1.

32

I drop Whisper off to spend some time with “Uncle Leo,” as he’s taken to calling himself. Uncle Leo is sober, but it’s only the morning. So this isn’t a huge accomplishment. There’s a moment of self-recrimination when Whisper looks back at me as I stand in the doorway of Leo’s friend’s place. Then she gets over it and remembers that it’s best to keep one’s options open in life.

I wait down the street in front of the Sylvia Hotel until a sleek dark car pulls up and a driver in a black suit takes me to the south terminal of the Vancouver International Airport. The terminal reserved for private flights. Check-in is a breeze. They look at my passport with none of the scrutiny exhibited by the border agents when I left Detroit. I’m told Lam already arranged for the return voyage, so those details were taken care of.

I have never been treated better in my life.

“The purpose of my trip is pleasure,” I lie, addressing the attendant at check-in. I’m so off-balance I offer this information without being asked.

“You look ready for some sunshine!” the attendant lies back.