Mother by S E Lynes

Author:S E Lynes
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781786812209
Publisher: Bookouture

* * *

After dinner, David suggested that he and Christopher go for a pint at the local pub. Christopher would have preferred to stay in the warm, next to Phyllis on the sofa, but David had already stood and was pulling his coat from the back of the chair, and for the second time that day, Christopher’s gut instinct told him he had to say yes. Once they were outside, however, David appeared to change his mind.

‘Actually, let’s just go for a walk,’ he said. ‘I’ve had enough beer for one night.’

‘All right.’

The air had turned chilly now that the sun had set, and Christopher pulled his coat tight around him. Together they walked in the dusk towards the beach, which was at the end of the short road, its sand spreading up onto the tarmac. An anxious feeling had overtaken him. He wondered if David was cross with him, though he could think of no reason for this. Perhaps it was because of the boys this afternoon, Darren’s clumsy mention of the Ripper, though why that would make David cross with him, he couldn’t fathom.

He followed David to the shoreline, the soft rush of the sea like car tyres over gravel, an orange sun all but melted into the horizon. David picked up a stone and skimmed it across the water.

‘She’s a very special woman, your mother,’ he said.

‘Phyllis? I know.’

‘She’s kind. She’s too kind actually.’

Christopher said nothing, but the anxiety he had felt surged inside him.

‘It’s great that you’ve found her,’ David went on after a moment, bending to pick up more stones to throw into the sea. ‘And I can see that you’ve become close.’

‘Close,’ Christopher said. ‘Yes.’

David stopped skimming stones and threw his arm around Christopher’s shoulders. With the other hand he grasped Christopher’s waterproof where the hood met the body. There was nowhere to look but into David’s eyes, which were strange and blackish in the fallen light.

‘She loves, does Phyllis,’ he said, his voice thick. ‘She’s a very loving person. She makes people feel special.’

‘Yes.’

‘When I met her, I knew from the word go I was going to ask her to marry me, did I ever tell you that?’

‘No.’

‘Well I did. I knew I’d never find anyone else like her. She’s my absolute world.’ He looked out towards the sea but kept hold of Christopher’s jacket. ‘She is my world,’ he repeated, turning back to him, those eyes again like nails. ‘You understand that, don’t you?’

Christopher nodded, fear in his chest and throat like fire.

‘I understand,’ he said.

David held on for a few more seconds before patting Christopher on the chest as if to flatten it.

‘Good,’ he said. ‘Good man.’

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.