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Back Stranger Save as PDF
Chapters (43)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Prologue
  4. SPRING
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. SUMMER
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. AUTUMN
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. Acknowledgements
  43. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

A tear tracked down over her cheek. She put her hand up to wipe it away, felt the hard bump of a spot to one side of her mouth and she remembered the first time they were alone together in this room all those months ago – the tenderness with which Corinne had popped the zit on her chin, the way Beth had thrilled to her touch.

‘I have a zit,’ she said softly and the look she gave Corinne was full of hope.

The needle was still there on the mantelpiece.

‘Look at me,’ Corinne commanded.

Nerves crackled beneath her skin as Corinne tested the surface of the pimple with her thumb.

The needle stabbed suddenly, a quick, savage motion. Beth felt the startling heat of it searing her flesh. Tears sprang instantly.

‘That hurt,’ she cried, but Corinne’s hand continued to grip her face, holding her there.

‘She liked your tattoo?’ she repeated, her voice controlled, steady, but there was wildness in her eyes. ‘And did you tell her what I had to do to pay for it?’

Corinne’s hand gripped her chin, and Beth felt the controlled fury channelling right through into her body, heat coming off Corinne’s gaze. Beth shrank from it now.

‘No,’ she said quietly. ‘I’m sorry.’

Corinne’s eyes flickered over her for a moment, then she drew herself in and released Beth’s chin. Beth touched her own face, and when her fingers came away, they were wet with blood.

‘You went too deep,’ she said quietly.

The door was open now, and just before she left, Corinne looked back at her and Beth could see the pity in her gaze, the profound disappointment, and thought she couldn’t bear to be looked at in that way.

‘I had to,’ Corinne replied, her voice flat and resigned. ‘It’s for your own good.’

27

Beth didn’t go to the cinema. Instead, she walked the route, familiar to her since primary school, to the Fergusons’ house on Victoria Road. Rain pelted the pavement, cars sending up sudden waves from water pooling by the kerb, so that by the time she reached the house, her hair was dripping, her denim jacket soaked through. She leaned on the bell, and then waited for someone to come, her Converse trainers squelching as she stood on the brushed mat.