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Back The Library Save as PDF
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. THE LIBRARY
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  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. EPILOGUE
  54. Questions for your Book Club
  55. Acknowledgements
  56. About the Author
  57. Become an Aria Addict

‘Would she? Or would she help you?’

Paul spluttered out a sob. ‘Bloody hell. I’m sorry.’ He blew his nose. ‘I’m not usually soft like this.’

‘It’s not a weakness, Paul.’

He exhaled. ‘There’s plenty would disagree with you.’

‘Well I’m used to that,’ said Maggie with a wink. ‘It’s the wonder of getting older; you can say what you think and get away with it. On that note, I’ll simply say, Tom is free to go home whenever he wants to but that’s what is key. He needs to want to. I’m not going to force him and nor should you because he’ll only fight it harder. And you have a lot to deal with at the moment. You need to focus on kicking your addiction. That’s the best thing you can do for Tom right now.’

He nodded solemnly. ‘I’m getting help.’

‘That’s brilliant. Take everything that’s offered to you. In the meantime, Tom will be fine. I can promise you that.’

He balled up the tissue. ‘Thanks.’

‘You’re welcome. I’m here if you want to talk more.’

He seemed to straighten his shoulders and slip back into his previous dispassionate air. ‘No you’re all right.’ He stuffed the used tissue in his pocket. ‘We should be getting back,’ he said.

‘I think it’s probably not a good idea to go head to head with Tom today.’

He appeared to consider this. ‘If you think that’s best.’

‘I do.’ Maggie stood up. ‘I’ll give you a few minutes with your wife,’ she said giving his shoulder a brief squeeze before walking away.

35

TOM

‘How are you?’ asked Maggie, when I came in from school on the Monday and took a piece of cake from the cake tin. It had been that kind of day. I wasn’t even in the mood for yoga or reading. ‘Come on. Out with it.’ She put her hands on her hips.

‘I think I’ve stuffed up biology and Dad keeps texting me.’ Rusty came to greet me, wagging her tail hard like she’d been waiting to see me all day. Dogs are awesome. They don’t care if you’re clever or not; they just like to hang out with you. I want my own dog.

‘Right.’ Maggie pulled out a chair and looked like she meant business. ‘Biology. Is it one of your essential subjects for A level?’ I opened my mouth but she replied for me so I carried on eating cake. ‘No, it’s not. Forget about it. But recognise how you feel right now about biology.’ She left a pause. ‘And think what you need to do so you don’t feel like this about a subject that is essential for your A levels.’