BooksBarbecue
Back One Year Later
Chapters (49)
  1. PROLOGUE
  2. PART I
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. PART II
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. PART III
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. PART IV
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. EPILOGUEAMY
  48. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  49. BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS

‘Eleanor said she was leaving. She was going to go that afternoon. I was trying to keep you occupied, so you wouldn’t notice or get too upset. I planned a tea party in the cottage. I thought it would be a distraction, and Mum said we could have cake and orange juice…’ Her breath hiccups. ‘But then you fell. I was so upset. I’d wanted it to be a special day for you, in spite of what was going to happen. Bethany told Mum she’d been with you. She said she made you climb to the top. It sounded plausible, like something Bethany would do. She didn’t tell me beforehand – she just took the blame. You were out cold, so we didn’t think you’d remember. Mum was cross with her, but Bee was right: she wasn’t half as angry as she’d have been if she’d known it was me. And Mum stayed. For you. She was so worried about you. I know she left eventually and it was awful. It could have been so much worse, though – leaving us when you were only five and Bee was nine.’

I take a long swallow of beer and feel it track an ice-cold line through my chest. The outrage I’d felt earlier dissipates. I reckon I should stop feeling so fucking sorry for myself. I mean, look at Amy, she didn’t even get to have a childhood. What kid should know about her father’s affairs and that her mother is about to walk out on them, when she’s eleven years old? And yet all she thought about was making sure her little brother was okay. As for Bethany…

‘Are you okay?’ Amy asks.

I clear my throat. ‘They’ve brought our food over,’ I say, peering through the misted window of the pub. ‘I’ve got to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.’

‘Love you,’ she says.

‘Love you too.’

As for Bethany – what kind of child would take the blame for something like that when she’s only nine? Have I made a terrible mistake about my sister?

22 NOVEMBER, BRISTOL

41

NICK

On the drive to Bristol, Dad asks me several times where we are going. I do my best to be a good son and politely, cheerfully say the same thing each time in response: ‘Lotte’s seventh birthday party at Amy’s house.’

And every time he replies, ‘But we haven’t got her a present!’