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Back The Bad Place
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

‘I bet you would,’ Lydia said. ‘You’d love to meet him and tell him nasty things about me, tell him lies to chase him off, so he’ll never want to see me again.’

‘I would never do that.’

‘I’ve always been a burden to you. Someone to be put up with, to be kept happy, kept close. That’s what Matt says.’ Agitated, she paced around the room. ‘He says you’re only my friend because you have to be. But we’re in love, me and him, and you can’t stand it!’

Karin stepped closer. ‘I’m worried about you.’

‘You have no right to be worried about me, yeah, because I don’t belong to you!’ Lydia’s eyes flashed triumphantly. ‘Matt loves me, he really does!’

‘Will he look after you, Lydia, care for you? I hope he does.’

‘You’re always twisting everything!’ Lydia threw up her arms. ‘To keep me close, control me!’

Karin frowned. ‘How long have you known him?’

‘He takes me to nice places.’ Lydia was becoming hysterical. ‘He treats me like a proper person, a lady, not someone to be kept down and pitied. Sit, Lydia, heel, Lydia!’

‘I’d love to meet him.’

‘You’re jealous, that’s what you are, and you want to get rid of him!’

‘It’s only natural for me to want to meet him,’ said Karin. ‘I want to make sure he’s going to look after you.’

Tears fell down Lydia’s cheeks. ‘You want to scare him away!’

Karin’s phone dinged, a message had arrived, her heart leapt, she wanted to reach for it immediately, but Lydia rushed to the door. ‘Lydia, wait!’

But Lydia flew out of the house, the front door juddering against the wall as she flung it open, and ran down the path.

‘Lydia,’ shouted Karin. ‘Please, come back!’

When she had disappeared, Karin went back inside and snatched up the phone.

u dont ♥ me no more

BeXxx 😥😥

She was desperate to call her, to hear Becky’s voice. But she knew it wouldn’t be possible. If it was really Becky, if it was her, she would have rung already. She would have come to Karin and let her explain what happened, how everything turned out the way it did.

But she dabbed at the screen with her thumbs. Making a mess of the text, correcting, writing it again.

I do. I still love you.

XXX

The ellipsis pulsed…

…

…

…

u got a nu ♥ now…

…

…

…

An image dropped into her phone and Karin expanded it and saw a photo of herself sitting talking with the policewoman, Sasha Dawson, at the café on Victoria Avenue. The shot was taken from across the street. They were leaning across the table towards each other in what looked like an intimate way. Karin felt sick.

And then another message arrived:

do u ♥ her more than me? 😥😥

Karin typed:

No! XXX

And waited…

…

…

…