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Back The Family Next Door Save as PDF
Chapters (117)
  1. Also by
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Epigraph
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
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  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. 75
  81. 76
  82. 77
  83. 78
  84. 79
  85. 80
  86. 81
  87. 82
  88. 83
  89. 84
  90. 85
  91. 86
  92. 87
  93. 88
  94. 89
  95. 90
  96. 91
  97. 92
  98. 93
  99. 94
  100. 95
  101. 96
  102. 97
  103. 98
  104. 99
  105. 100
  106. 101
  107. 102
  108. 103
  109. 104
  110. 105
  111. 106
  112. 107
  113. 108
  114. 109
  115. 110
  116. Teaser chapter
  117. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Next door, a noise shattered the silence, the sound of a terra-cotta plant pot being knocked over and breaking. Olivia jumped, her heart pounding in her chest. She held herself still, listening to the sounds of the night, for the footsteps of an intruder. She rose from her seat, prepared to investigate.

A dark shape crossed the garden and she inhaled sharply, then laughed at herself. The badger was making its presence known.

She collapsed back into the chair, sipped her juice and typed a single word.

Hey.

Within a minute, he had replied.

Hey. How’s it going?

OK, I guess.

Only OK?

She drew in a breath, held it. What could she say? A tiny message icon appeared on her screen, sparking another powerful adrenaline rush.

Liv, I thought we weren’t going to do this. But for what it’s worth, I miss you.

A surge of elation. And then another message from him.

I’m down south for work. Do you want to meet?

Five words that might just change her future. Did she want to meet him? She was hooked on the excitement of illicit texting; she was honest enough with herself to admit that. But they had drawn a line under their affair, knowing how much it had hurt others. If she were to meet him, it would mean that her family’s move—which had come at great financial and psychological cost to all of them—would have been for nothing.

She gazed across her new garden and then up to the window above, where Evan was sleeping. He was still so young. Aster would be all right; she was tough as nails. But her son was much more sensitive. Another five years, that was all. Then she would be free.

Her phone was almost out of battery, but the charger was upstairs and she wasn’t ready to go up yet. In a couple of minutes, when she had replied to him, she would wander down the driveway to retrieve her Kindle from the car. Then she would return to the garden and sit awhile longer until her eyes grew heavy enough for sleep.

A fierce expression crossed her face. She tapped out her reply. Deleted it. Tapped another.

Can’t. I’m sorry.

It was the last message she ever sent him.

39

39

Tuesday 31st July 2018, 3:12 A.M.

26 The Avenue

A mass of noctilucents.

Fletcher Parnell pressed his face against the window and breathed out his admiration, misting the glass. Imagine if he had missed out on this.

He often had trouble sleeping. Sign of a guilty conscience, his mother used to joke. Back when she was alive. Back when everything was different. But not tonight. Tonight he was awake because it was one of his favorite events in the celestial calendar: the Perseid meteor shower.