Chapters (67)
- Cover
- Dedication
- PROLOGUE
- PART ONE
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- PART TWO
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- PART THREE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- PART FOUR
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- EPILOGUE
- Mailing list
- A Letter from Kathryn
- Acknowledgements
- About the Author
- Also by Kathryn Croft
‘Listen, Rob, I totally understand that, and it’s not for me to tell you how to deal with your marriage.’
‘No, it’s not like that. I’m not being weak and ignoring what she’s done.’
‘Then what?’
He falls silent, shrugs. ‘I don’t know. Maybe I’m punishing her? Because this way I’ve got something that she doesn’t know about, and I can decide how and when to use it.’ His head falls back against the chair, and he stares at the ceiling. ‘Oh, God, that makes me a bad person, doesn’t it?’
Sienna reaches across the table and places her hand on his arm. ‘No, it makes you someone who’s hurt and needs time to process how to deal with it all.’
He seems relieved that she’s said this. ‘What about you? If Greg was here right now, what would you say to him?’
‘After I thump the hell out of him?’
That elicits a chuckle from Rob.
‘I don’t know. I’d definitely confront him, though. But my marriage is different to yours. Very different. Greg and I had other issues, long before Abby.’
Rob raises his eyebrows. ‘He’s done this before?’
She shakes her head. ‘Not that I know of. I just mean… I can’t deny that there have been things we’ve needed to talk about that Greg refused to discuss. And that’s not healthy, is it?’ She won’t share all the personal details with Rob; she still believes in maintaining the privacy of her marriage to Greg, as far as this is possible. ‘I think you should talk to Abby. And I’m not just saying that because I need to find out if she knows where Greg is. I’m saying it because it’s the right thing to do.’
‘I know,’ he says, hanging his head. ‘I know you’re right.’
Sienna stands up. ‘I was about to go somewhere before you came. Will you come with me?’
He looks up, surprised. ‘Where?’
‘I need to go to Brighton. I need to feel like I’m doing something to find Greg.’
‘But—’
‘I know what you’re going to say – that it will be pointless, and I need to leave it to the police to find him – and I know you’re probably right, but this is something I need to do.’
Without saying anything, Rob stands. ‘Come on – I’m driving.’
She’s never visited Brighton before, and walking along the pebbled beach now with the vast ocean floating in front of her, enveloping her in serenity, she wonders why she hasn’t. Rob is walking beside her, yet it almost feels like she’s the only person here. She can picture Greg feeling at peace in this place, escaping from whatever he’s run from.