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Back The Cruise Save as PDF
Chapters (97)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Michael has never …
  4. Prologue
  5. PART ONE
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. PART TWO
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. PART THREE
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. PART FOUR
  32. 24
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. PART FIVE
  44. 35
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. 44
  54. 45
  55. 46
  56. 47
  57. PART SIX
  58. 48
  59. 49
  60. 50
  61. 51
  62. 52
  63. PART SEVEN
  64. 53
  65. 54
  66. 55
  67. PART EIGHT
  68. 56
  69. 57
  70. 58
  71. 59
  72. PART NINE
  73. 60
  74. 61
  75. 62
  76. 63
  77. 64
  78. 65
  79. 66
  80. 67
  81. 68
  82. 69
  83. 70
  84. 71
  85. 72
  86. 73
  87. 74
  88. 75
  89. PART TEN
  90. 76
  91. Epilogue
  92. Acknowledgements
  93. Keep Reading …
  94. 1
  95. About the Author
  96. By Catherine Cooper
  97. About the Publisher

But we both know there’s no way I’m going to say no to her. I never do. ‘And it will work even better if you come as well so we can work on routines together straight from the start!’ she continues. ‘We’ll be the best in the class and have the pick of the jobs, I’m sure of it.’ She claps her hands like an excited five-year-old.

‘It’ll be so fun! Can you imagine? I think I’m going to have a stage name. Too many people already know about me being Laura, the girl who stayed at home. I need another new start. I’m going to be Lola. Much more exotic than Laura. Who will you be?’

I imagine Jay, Jay and Miller will let me postpone my traineeship, on the off-chance I get selected. But even if they don’t, I don’t care. Being with Laura is way more important. I’m not having her go off round the world on her own if I can possibly help it.

‘I’ll be Antonio,’ I tell her. It sounds suitably sexy and exotic like Lola, and is a much better name than plain old Tony.

PART SIX

48

Antonio

17 January 2022, 02:30

The Caribbean

Opening the door when I return to my room after the drill, at first I think I must be hallucinating.

She is lying on my bed, her head propped on her elbow, dressed like a boy but looking at me, smirking, as alive as anything. ‘Lola!’ I breathe.

I slam the door shut behind me, almost as if I think she might float away if I let her. What’s going on? How is she here? I was convinced that she’d gone overboard and been swallowed up by the sea! ‘But what … why … how …’ I stutter.

She gets up onto her knees on the bed, and I rush over to her to hug her. Oh God. She’s alive. She’s here. I can feel her. She’s real. ‘Where have you been? What happened? I thought … I thought …’

I start to cry. Not just tears running down my face but huge, hiccupping sobs that make it difficult to breathe. ‘Oh God, Lola, I can’t believe you’re here …’ I moan as she pats my back and shushes me like a mother might to a child. I try to rein it in – Lola hates neediness. But I can’t. Oh God. This is the best thing ever. I don’t think I can cope.