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Back Under a Dark Cloud Save as PDF
Chapters (77)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Prologue
  4. Part 1
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. Part 2
  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. Part 3
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. Acknowledgements
  74. Next in Series
  75. Canelo Crime
  76. About the Author
  77. Also by Louisa Scarr

He moves slightly in his sleep. She debates waking him – she should, she knows – then decides against it. It’s kind of nice with him there. She’s missed the company; the feeling of a body next to her as long dark nights close in. She knows Robin is the wrong person, but any ship in a storm, she thinks, as she gently climbs under the duvet.

Robin’s still lying on top of the covers, his weight strange next to her. Then, as tiredness overtakes any awkwardness, she falls asleep next to him.

When she wakes, light is trickling in through the gaps in the curtains. For a moment she wonders where she is, then remembers and looks at Robin. He’s rolled over in the night and is now on his front, his face mashed into the pillow. His features are relaxed. His cheeks have a malleable look to them, his mouth open slightly.

It’s a face she’s come to know well over the last nine months, but never in such an intimate way. His face has a worn quality to it, crinkles around his eyes, frown lines between, even when he’s asleep. He looks better with a bit of stubble, she thinks. Wonky ears, bump in the middle of his nose, not obviously attractive in the same way that Josh is, but handsome, yes. He stirs and she looks away quickly.

She picks up her phone: it’s early, only just five a.m. She’s still tired, but desperate for the toilet.

She sits up, trying not to disturb him, and swings her legs out of the bed. She walks quietly to the bathroom. But as she goes to close the door, she can’t help one last look back. His feet are bare, the soft underside visible. And before she knows what she is doing, she gently runs her finger down it.

He flinches, and she takes an intake of breath, jumping away and into the bathroom.

But that tiny bit of soft skin. She couldn’t resist.

Part 3

42

Monday

Robin wakes with a jolt, then sits up slowly, scratching the underside of his foot. He looks around. It’s not his room, and he realises with a flash of embarrassment that he’s in Freya’s bed. Quickly, before she comes out of the bathroom, he grabs the box of photo albums and scurries back next door.

Even though it’s far too early, he can’t get back to sleep. After about an hour, he gives up and makes himself a coffee. BBC Breakfast has started and he watches, eyes half-open, liking the distraction of the usual depressing news. Government ineffective, businesses incompetent. Death, destruction, murder. So, it’s not just him then.