Never Alone by Elizabeth Haynes Read Free Book Online Page B

trots along behind him, grinning in the sure and certain knowledge that he’s about to get into trouble and not wanting to miss it.
    ‘Basil! Drop it! Drop!’
    He waits until he’s close, like the good gundog he thinks he is, sits and deposits the wing and well-rotted carcass of a big black bird, a crow or a rook or something, neatly at her feet. Wagging his tail cheerfully as she retches and turns away.
     
    As she heads back down the hill, stumbling awkwardly because she has put Basil on his lead to stop him going back for his find, Sarah’s phone rings. She juggles lead and phone and gives up, unclipping Basil. He’s either forgotten or he’s desperate to get home, because thankfully he scampers downhill.
    ‘Hiya,’ she says. It’s Sophie.
    ‘Hey. You free for a coffee later?’
    ‘Love to. What time? I’ve got the dentist at ten.’
    ‘How about eleven? At Barker’s?’
    ‘Super. I’ll call if I get held up.’
    Basil is already waiting at the back door when she reaches it, his tail half-heartedly wagging in case she’s going to give him permission to go back and fetch his prize.
    At twenty to ten, breakfasted and ready to go out, Sarah stands at the kitchen sink looking out of the window at the cottage. The curtains are drawn. She thinks about going over there anyway, waking him up – after all, what time is this to be still sleeping? – but if she’s going to confront him it would be better if he was at least wide awake, fully dressed and not grumpy.
    Better to wait?

Aiden
    You’re woken up by a knock at the door, loud enough to suggest that the person knocking has been doing it for some time. You look at your watch. It’s nearly ten. You get out of bed and walk barefoot to the front door.
    It’s Sarah’s friend, Sophie. The one with the dark hair and the eyes that miss nothing.
    ‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ she says brightly. ‘Did I get you up?’
    ‘Don’t worry,’ you say. ‘I was working late. Do you want to come in?’
    You don’t expect her to accept – after all, you’re in your boxers and a T-shirt that should really be thrown away – but she smiles and comes in, her heels making an authoritative clatter on the tiled floor.
    ‘Tea?’ you offer. ‘Or coffee?’
    ‘Coffee would be great,’ she says. ‘Black, no sugar.’
    You fill the kettle and put it on to boil. She probably wasn’t expecting instant, but for the moment that’s all there is.
    ‘Make yourself at home,’ you say. ‘I’ll be back in a minute.’
    Jeans, a clean shirt, socks. Deodorant. At least you feel a little less exposed.
    When you come back into the kitchen, Sophie is making the coffee. She is undeniably very attractive – beautiful, in fact. But there is something unspoken between you, and you wonder if it’s about to be brought out into the open.
    ‘I thought I’d pop over,’ she says, without turning round. ‘Sarah’s gone to the dentist.’
    ‘Oh,’ you say. ‘I haven’t seen her for a day or so.’
    ‘Really,’ she says, putting two mugs down on the kitchen table, without any pretence at surprise. ‘How are you settling in?’
    ‘Fine.’
    There is a pause. You get some milk from the fridge and add it to your mug. She is sitting at the table now, watching you.
    ‘I feel we might have got off to a rather bad start,’ she says candidly.
    ‘Did we?’
    ‘You know we did. And you also know exactly why, so you can stop the act.’
    You sit opposite her, your expression neutral. She’s right, there’s no point pretending. Not when it’s just the two of you here, facing each other. Sarah isn’t here. If you can’t be honest now, when can you? In fact, it’s almost a relief.

Sarah
    Sarah is so lost in thought that she only realises her name is being called when she is almost back to her car.
    ‘Sarah! Sarah!’
    It’s Will, calling her name from across the car park. He jogs across to her, which gives her a few moments to arrange her face into an appropriately cheery expression.