He never understood her restlessness. Didn’t understand how she could be so dissatisfied, want so much more than she had. But that’s because he doesn’t know what it’s like to have so little.

When they started going out, she marvelled at the way he always put people at ease. How thoughtful he was. But even his kindness ran thin. The further the house had slipped into darkness, the more it jarred with his goodness. Alex worried that he could see what she had become, that he was judging her. She pushed him away. Better he be mad with her than disappointed, shocked. She imagined trying to explain it to him, just how far she had fallen, but that was impossible. What they had done was impossible.

Miles has principles. He probably won’t lie outright, but he might feel he can’t explain it either, the strangeness that settled over the house. The quiet evil that took hold of his girlfriend. He might give her the benefit of the doubt. Alex can hardly blame him—she doesn’t know how to explain it either.

Funny how everyone just wants her to remember. All she wants is to forget.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

OLI SQUINTS INTO THE ENDLESS STREAM OF CARS AS SHE WAITS to turn onto the main road. She wants to discuss what Miles told them, unpack what he claims Nicole did to Evelyn’s pet rabbit, but there’s no way she’s letting Cooper think the way he acted is acceptable. Her rage is back, and she wants him to speak first, to acknowledge his audacity. Instead he sits in sulky, defiant silence. Oli guns the car and jerks through a gap in the traffic. After a few minutes of driving, she relents. ‘Want to tell me what the fuck that was about?’

He doesn’t reply, just stares stubbornly out the window.

She flicks off the heater, which is about ten times more effective than the one in her old Mazda. She’s sweaty, her shirt sticking to her back. How dare Cooper be so insolent? Jo would have killed her if she’d behaved like this. ‘I told you I would talk to Miles. You should have stayed at the office and worked on the podcast. Even parking the fact you completely ignored me, it made us look unprofessional.’

Cooper’s chest rises and falls in quick succession. ‘It was my interview. Miles called me.’

Oli hits her fist on the steering wheel. ‘You’re the one who orchestrated us working together! It wasn’t my idea, but if you want to work with me I need to be able to trust you—and that childish performance didn’t help.’

His lips bulge into a pout. ‘I can’t trust you if you steal my leads.’