Page 104 of When We Were Young

He drew his knife and fork together and pushed his plate away. ‘Finish your food first.’

They stood side by side at the sink in the tiny hotel bathroom, brushing their teeth. Emily looked at Will in the mirror. This was the first time he’d been able to brush his teeth standing up. He caught her eye and smiled, mouth foaming. He leant over to spit and rinse, then moved out of the way so she could do the same.

When she straightened up, he was standing behind her, eyeing her reflection. He put his hands on her hips and began kissing her neck. She watched in the mirror as he slipped the straps of her nightdress from her shoulders and let it fall to her waist. He ran his fingertips over her breasts, sending tingles down her spine.

‘Feeling better?’ she asked his reflection.

‘Mm-hmm.’

‘About time.’ She turned around and kissed him hard on the mouth.

‘I need to lie down, though,’ he said, leading her to the bed.

Chapter 48

June 2016

Emily

It’s a beautiful sunny day, and the café is quiet. My phone vibrates on the counter – Chloe’s mum is calling.

‘Hi Linda.’

‘Emily, I wanted to let you know Chloe’s in hospital.’

‘Oh my God, what’s happened?’

‘She’d been complaining of stomach pains for a couple of days – turns out she had appendicitis. She’s just had emergency surgery.’ Her voice cracks and she sobs.

‘Oh, Linda, that must have been terrifying. How’s she doing?’

Linda sniffs. ‘She’s doing okay. They’re keeping her in for the time being.’

‘Is Liv with you at the hospital or back at the house? I’ll come and get her.’

‘Sorry?’

‘Liv stayed with you last night, didn’t she?’

‘No, I haven’t seen Liv for weeks,’ said Linda. ‘That’s why I’m calling. I thought it would be nice for Liv to visit Chloe. Cheer her up.’

My heart rate quickens.

‘Oh right. In that case, absolutely. I’ll get hold of her then call you back to make arrangements. Keep me posted. And if there’s anything I can do, don’t hesitate, okay?’

‘Thanks, Emily.’

I hang up and ring Liv.

It goes to voicemail.

I ring Scott.

‘Hi Em.’

‘Did you say Liv was staying at Chloe’s last night?’

‘Yeah. She’s staying again tonight. Apparently, they didn’t finish the film they were watching. She texted earlier to ask if she could. Why?’