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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

I’m mortified that she will see the tears which are by now coursing down my face. She can’t leave without me – she won’t cope. I know she won’t. Something will go wrong for her and it will be all my fault because I’ve driven her away. Because I haven’t been there when she needed me. Again. Just like when she was snatched. The memory of that moment when I saw the gate open, her sparkly shoe on the ground and Mum screaming has never left me. I’ve promised her many times since she returned that I’m always going to be here to protect her. She has to let me keep that promise. If I drive her away, I will have failed. Again.

‘Fuck’s sake, Jesse, get over it,’ she mutters. ‘Why are you crying? You’re being ridiculous. I’m not a child and neither are you. We’re adults – independent of each other. Or at least we should be. You need to realize that. Now let me pass, I need to get ready for the show.’

I grab her arms. ‘Please, Lola, no! Don’t go like this! Let’s talk about it!’

She tries to wrench herself away, but I don’t let her go. ‘I can change!’ I yelp. ‘I won’t be so …’ Red-hot rage courses through me – after all I’ve done for her all these years, whatever she’s thrown at me, I’ve forgiven. She can’t leave. Not like this. She can’t. I can’t protect her if she’s not with me.

‘Let me go, you’re hurting me!’ she shouts, before twisting herself to lean down and bite my arm. It hurts and I cry out, but I still don’t let her go. ‘This isn’t just about you, it’s about what I want!’ she screams.

Before I know what I’m doing, I release her arm and slap her across the face. I reel back from her as far as the tiny cabin allows, which isn’t much, silent and mortified. I know I have a temper, but I’ve never done anything like that to her before. Ever. She puts her hand to her face and stares at me. I expect to see tears, or shock on her face, but her expression is one of pure contempt. I try to reach out and touch her, but she flinches and moves away.

I am horrified. ‘Oh God, Lola, I’m so sorry,’ I moan. I am bawling like a child by now. ‘Please forgive me. I will never, ever do that again—’

‘I knew it,’ she interrupts, her voice cold and low. ‘You’re exactly like all the others. You were only ever going to let me down. I have my own mind. No one is in charge of me. Least of all you. Now let me pass.’

51

Alice

New Year’s Eve 2021, 21:30

The Caribbean