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Chapters (84)
  1. Chapter one
  2. Chapter two
  3. Chapter three
  4. Chapter four
  5. Chapter five
  6. Chapter six
  7. Chapter seven
  8. Chapter eight
  9. Chapter nine
  10. Chapter ten
  11. Chapter eleven
  12. Chapter twelve
  13. Chapter thirteen
  14. Chapter fourteen
  15. Chapter fifteen
  16. Chapter sixteen
  17. Chapter seventeen
  18. Chapter eighteen
  19. Chapter nineteen
  20. Chapter twenty
  21. Chapter twenty-one
  22. Chapter twenty-two
  23. Chapter twenty-three
  24. Chapter twenty-four
  25. Chapter twenty-five
  26. Chapter twenty-six
  27. Chapter twenty-seven
  28. Chapter twenty-eight
  29. Chapter twenty-nine
  30. Chapter thirty
  31. Chapter thirty-one
  32. Chapter thirty-two
  33. Chapter thirty-three
  34. Chapter thirty-four
  35. Chapter thirty-five
  36. Chapter thirty-six
  37. Chapter thirty-seven
  38. Chapter thirty-eight
  39. Chapter thirty-nine
  40. Chapter forty
  41. Chapter forty-one
  42. Chapter forty-two
  43. Chapter forty-three
  44. Chapter forty-four
  45. Chapter forty-five
  46. Chapter forty-six
  47. Chapter forty-seven
  48. Chapter forty-eight
  49. Chapter forty-nine
  50. Chapter fifty
  51. Chapter fifty-one
  52. Chapter fifty-two
  53. Chapter fifty-three
  54. Chapter fifty-four
  55. Chapter fifty-five
  56. Chapter fifty-six
  57. Chapter fifty-seven
  58. Chapter fifty-eight
  59. Chapter fifty-nine
  60. Chapter sixty
  61. Chapter sixty-one
  62. Chapter sixty-two
  63. Chapter sixty-three
  64. Chapter sixty-four
  65. Chapter sixty-five
  66. Chapter sixty-six
  67. Chapter sixty-seven
  68. Chapter sixty-eight
  69. Chapter sixty-nine
  70. Chapter seventy
  71. Chapter seventy-one
  72. Chapter seventy-two
  73. Chapter seventy-three
  74. Chapter seventy-four
  75. Chapter seventy-five
  76. Chapter seventy-six
  77. Chapter seventy-seven
  78. Chapter seventy-eight
  79. Chapter seventy-nine
  80. Chapter eighty
  81. Chapter eighty-one
  82. Chapter eighty-two
  83. Chapter eighty-three
  84. Chapter eighty-four

Jake put the phone back on its cradle. This was terrible. Was Neve being unfaithful to him? And with Alec of all people! Didn’t she realise what a compromising position that would put them all in? Jake laughed to himself. Talk about chickens coming home to roost. If Neve was giving him the runaround with another man, then this truly were his just deserts. This was exactly what he’d been doing to Lyssa—all the time she thought they were trying to start a family together. Did the fact that she was completely unaware of it make it any better? Jake felt shame colour his face. How could he have been such a bastard? There were a million different ways to rationalise it and none of them stood up to close scrutiny. He sat in Neve’s flat while she was in another country and quite possibly getting it on with another man. He felt sick and as if he might be about to throw up all his Miller Lite. Infidelity didn’t feel quite so great now that the Jimmy Choo was on the other foot.

Chapter forty-two

Chapter forty-two

So I’m lying in my tent and wondering ‘now what?’ It’s probably a terrible insult to the Nepali culture, but I had to wipe the tika off, I’m afraid. It smelled disgusting and felt even worse and I hope this isn’t a bad omen. As primitive mating rituals go, I don’t think daubing the object of your desire in whiffy rice pudding is one that should be encouraged.

The party disbanded as rain started to fall. Since then it’s got steadily heavier. First it was a gentle patter against the canvas and now it’s pounding away. Even the obligatory howling dog seems to have gone inside for shelter. I can’t even hear the snorers’ rhapsody above the din. This is supposed to be the dry time of year, so I can’t imagine what it must be like here in the monsoon season when the rain is torrential. The noise means that I can’t hear anything from Dean’s tent either. I’m lying here outwardly calm, but inwardly a mass of twanging elastic bands. I know that I’m waiting for something to happen and I know what I’d like it to be, but I’m just not sure. I’m not sure of anything, anymore.

There’s a rustling at the canvas flap that I’ve laughingly come to regard as my front door. And this time, I’ve no fear that it’s the bogeyman or serial killer.

‘Lyssa,’ he whispers my name.

‘Yes.’

The tent zipper opens and Dean pops his head inside. Even in the darkness, I can see that his hair is wet and there’s rain dripping down his nose and onto my sleeping bag. ‘I came to see if you were okay.’

‘Fine,’ I say huskily.