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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

Jill had lost her brother and it often surprised Hannah that she was the one who offered most resistance to anything Mrs W related. Tash had once suggested that perhaps it was too painful for her to revisit, which was why she had tried to distance herself. These days, the only one she was still really close to was Lauren.

The chat thread continued, Hannah pointing out that it was a pretty unique phrase. Who else would know Mrs W had said those words to her? Tash and Lauren were both taking her more seriously than Jill though, who told Hannah to stay safe before wishing them all goodnight.

Hannah declined Tash’s offer for company. It was late and Tash didn’t need the drive up to the coast. She thanked her, promising she would stay barricaded inside her flat.

She tried Rosie again, leaving another voicemail urging her to call, then, her nerves shot, she fished in the cupboard for the bottle of brandy she knew was in there and poured a generous measure into a glass.

She wasn’t a huge drinker, but tonight, as painful memories surfaced, she had a feeling she was going to need it.

11

2002

If Tash hadn’t insisted on adding the extra bricks, chances are she would have made the jump and there would have been no need for them to go to the farmhouse.

It was easy to look back and see how things should have played out. Thirteen-year-old Natasha Hogan was not easy to reason with once her mind was made up. Her parents had bought her a BMX for her birthday and in typical daredevil Tash style, the challenges she set herself had become bigger and bolder.

It had just been Hannah and Rosie with her when the accident had happened. The Americans, Jill and Miles, were away for the weekend with their father and step-monster and Lauren had left early as her grandparents were coming to visit.

Hannah suspected Lauren was glad to get away, bored of the day being about Tash and her new bike. Her two friends were polar opposites; Tash the tomboy who liked adventures and didn’t mind getting dirt on her clothes, and prim and proper Lauren who was happiest reading fashion magazines or talking about boys.

It was mid-afternoon and they had been playing on the construction site of new houses that were being built on the outskirts of the village. It was somewhere they weren’t supposed to go, but the builders didn’t work on a Sunday and what they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.

After exploring the shells of the new homes with their part-built walls and scaffolding, they had taken materials to create jumps for Tash to do on her new bike, the plank of wood balancing against the bricks gradually creeping higher and higher.

Hannah had tried to talk her out of making the final jump, but Tash was determined to do it.