Chapters (49)
Amy smiles tightly without looking at me, and the two of them kiss Bethany goodbye. ‘I hate to leave you like this, but we’ll see you in a day or two, as soon as you’re ready to fly home,’ she says.
After Chloe and Amy have gone, I wander round the small room until Bethany tells me I look like a caged animal in a zoo and I’m making her feel nauseous.
‘A tiger?’
‘More like a pygmy hippo,’ she whispers and closes her eyes as if, when it’s only me here, she doesn’t have to pretend any more.
I sit next to her and fidget. I cross one leg over the other and then lean over my knees. I wish Maddison were here; she’d have known what to say. I can’t recall why I ended our relationship now. She was nice. Is nice.
‘Bee, can you remember who did this to you? Anything about him? Even a tiny detail, a scrap of information could give the police something to go on.’
‘The police?’ She opens her eyes and tries to look at me.
I move so that I’m in her line of sight.
‘Yes. They’ll want to interview you, now you’re awake. Catch whoever did this.’
‘I was walking along the beach. I don’t remember anything else. Sorry, Nick.’ She squeezes my hand.
‘Nothing at all? His shoes, maybe? The colour of his shirt?’
A tear rolls down her cheek and I feel like a complete tool for pushing her. I’m useless at sounding sympathetic or even showing anyone how I feel.
After a few moments I say, without thinking, ‘I miss Amy.’
Bethany clears her throat. ‘She’s only in the bar down the street.’
‘I mean, I miss how she used to be. She was always kind, warm. Had time for me. For us. Like, she didn’t even ask me anything after Maddison and I broke up, and that’s not like her. Sorry. I’m a selfish twat.’
I do know Amy can’t be that person any more. Obviously. I wish I hadn’t said anything.
Bethany doesn’t speak for a few minutes and then she says, ‘We all miss our mum. That’s the real problem.’
The nurse reappears and speaks sharply to me. When I don’t respond, he holds the door open and looks as if he’s going to drag me out by the scruff of my neck.
‘I guess I’ve overstayed my welcome. I’ll come back in the morning.’
I hesitate at the threshold. I want to ask her why she lied about the appointment she made for Dad at the hospital. I turn back, but Bethany closes her eyes as if she’s exhausted. Something vital drains from her face and I remember what Dr Virgili said: she’s not out of the woods yet.