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Back The Sleepover Save as PDF
Chapters (72)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. PROLOGUE
  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. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. EPILOGUE
  69. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  70. MORE FROM KERI BEEVIS
  71. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  72. About Boldwood Books

What? Where had that come from? Liam had told Miles he would like to learn karate, but he had never actually done it. And stepbrother? He had never thought about it like that, but yes, he supposed he was.

He realised what Miles was trying to do and it seemed to work, the fat kid backing off a bit.

‘You really this squirt’s brother?’

Liam nodded and took a step towards him. ‘I am. He tells me you’ve been picking on him.’

Now all four of the bullies looked worried.

‘Come on, George, we should go,’ the one at the back said.

‘Look, mate. We don’t want any trouble,’ George agreed.

‘Is that why you were all standing here surrounding him?’ he asked, warming to this new, still unfamiliar, role.

‘We were just talking.’

‘It didn’t look like it.’

‘We’re gonna go now. Like I just said, we don’t want any trouble.’

‘Wait!’ Liam told them as they started to walk away. ‘You never apologised.’

‘For what?’

‘For calling Miles a squirt.’

‘I…’ George looked at his mates. ‘It was just teasing. Just a silly nickname.’

‘You should apologise.’

‘What? Don’t be silly.’

‘Do you want me to come after you and make you?’

It was a threat he hadn’t really thought through, but George looked worried now. He shook his head.

‘Then apologise.’

It took a moment, the apology seeming to catch in his throat as he kicked at the ground, unable to look at Miles. ‘Look, mate. I’m sorry. No hard feelings, all right?’

‘And pick up his inhaler. Give it back to him.’

Again a pause before George did as asked, his cheeks flaming. Then he and his friends scarpered.

Miles’s expression was pure glee. ‘That was awesome. So, so cool.’

Liam shrugged as it was no big deal, but inside he was buzzing. Helping this little kid, making him smile like this, it gave him a real kick. He tried on the stepbrother tag again, found he liked it. He had a little brother.

Relations with his mother were still frosty, but he had found a positive in the situation: Miles. And before he left that weekend, he promised the kid he would be back again and he would make sure the bullies stopped harassing him for good.

It was a promise he never got to keep, as by the end of that summer, Miles was dead.

55

‘What the hell difference does it make if Miles was my stepbrother? It’s nobody’s bloody business.’

‘Yes, it is, because it means it’s personal,’ Rosie fumed. ‘And I bet you never told Hannah about the connection.’

‘No, I didn’t, because it’s irrelevant.’

‘I bet she doesn’t see it that way?’