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Back The Lucky Escape Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. PRAISE FOR LAURA JANE WILLIAMS
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. Epilogue
  51. Acknowledgements
  52. Publishing Credits
  53. Keep Reading …
  54. About the Author
  55. Fiction by the same author
  56. About the Publisher

I clambered out of the car and slammed the door shut behind me. I was so humiliated, but empowered by saying how I felt, too. It was freeing! I must have been the most mind-numbing holiday companion in the world, talking about my ex and boring Patrick rigid, but I was right, too – he was on a free holiday, and if me being a bit repetitive sometimes was the price he had to pay, then he couldn’t hold that against me.

I went up in the lift alone, and then straight to my bedroom, fuming that Patrick was even the tiniest bit right about Alexander. Alexander had chipped at pieces of me. I’d let him. His email basically admitted to me that he’d known he’d been doing it, too. And if I was really, truly honest with myself, I’d stayed because I was scared and wasn’t sure how to ask for more. I hadn’t even been sure I deserved more. Mum always taught us that nice girls don’t beg, nice girls don’t nag. But nice girls could still get angry, couldn’t they? I wasn’t a bad person for having wants or needs or feelings.

I flopped down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. I heard Patrick come inside, run the kitchenette tap, and then go into his room.

Alexander, I could live without.

Alexander hadn’t been the beginning of the end for me – he’d been the end of the beginning. I was ready for the middle bit of my life now. I was only just getting started. Calming down, I could see how I deserved for it to be better than I’d been accepting, out here in Aus with all the perspective that brought. And I could see how meeting Patrick was a change of pace, of direction. Since hanging out with him it had altered the cadence of my days. Yeah I could survive without Alexander – happily! – but I couldn’t live without Patrick now he was in my life. I didn’t want to. I’d seen what being with somebody kind and thoughtful was like. He was fun, and yeah, also bruised, but still trying. I’d tasted non-judgement, and curiosity, and just general nice-guy-ness. I knew what steak was, now, and that didn’t make me miss the cheap hamburger of Alexander at all. I didn’t want to fight with him.

Oh my God, I realized, sitting bolt upright.

Oh crap.

I think I like Patrick!

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