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Back The Bad Place Save as PDF
Chapters (72)
  1. Cover
  2. THE BAD PLACE
  3. Contents
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Epigraph
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  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. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. Acknowledgements
  71. About the author
  72. An Invitation from the Publisher

Sasha believed she would never be able to face the world again, but she did, and she had Kev’s strength and attentiveness to thank for that. He would hold her until she fell asleep, or bring her other children to her, when all she could think about was that she would never hold Jake in her arms again. He let her mourn for as long as she needed, and after a few months that all-consuming grief began to abate. Life went on, she found her feet. She planted one foot in front of the other, and then the other – and her life resumed. She didn’t forget, she could never do that, but the world kept turning.

But she realized now that she had taken Kev’s own strength for granted. Something was eating away at him. When the party was over, she’d speak to him about it, force him to discuss whatever it was.

And then the doorbell rang. Sasha put down her wine to answer the door, but Ursula hotfooted it around the counter and shoved the glass back into her hand. ‘You go and relax!’

Sasha followed her, curious to see who had arrived, and when the door opened, she couldn’t believe her eyes.

32

As soon as Karin felt his body judder and he moaned, she pushed him off. Louis lay on the bed staring up at the ceiling, getting his breath back, and she sat up to look around the floor for her underwear.

‘That was good,’ he said, ‘but it always is.’

His knuckles brushed against her spine, so she lifted herself from the bed to slip her knickers on. What she wanted to do was lie on the tangled sheets and let him hold her for a few minutes more. But that wasn’t the deal she’d made with herself, that’s not how it worked. When it was over, when they were both finished – whether it was Louis or one of the others – she just wanted to get out of there.

Particularly tonight. He’d been tense in the bar, as if he was building up the courage to say something. Whatever it was he wanted to say, she didn’t want to hear it. Karin reached for her phone on the bedside cabinet and checked for messages, but there was nothing from Becky.

‘You’ve been looking at your phone all night.’

She pulled on her jeans, then dropped to her hands and knees to search for a shoe that had been kicked under the bed. ‘Have I?’

He propped a pillow behind his head. ‘Going already?’

‘Looks like it.’ She was eager to get out of that hotel room before he got dressed and insisted on leaving with her. ‘Things to do.’

‘Look, Karin, there was something I wanted to—’

‘Don’t.’ Pulling the shoe out, she looked over the top of the mattress.

Louis made a face. ‘You don’t know what it is yet.’