The Art of Keeping Secrets by Rachael Johns

Author:Rachael Johns
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises, Australia Pty Ltd

Chapter Twenty-nine

Emma

Emma awoke to a dark room—only the flashing lights from Times Square sneaking through the gaps in the curtains. With a groan, she felt around on her bedside table for her mobile. The screen read 11.15 pm. Hallelujah; she’d managed about four hours of sleep before her pounding skull had woken her.

But hang on, shouldn’t Neve be back by now?

She must have been exhausted not to have woken up when Neve returned, because surely the others wouldn’t have been able to keep their voices down when discussing the evening’s events. Frowning, Emma angled her mobile phone to cast light over the room. She was surprised to see both beds empty. Had Neve and Flick gone down to the bar so as not to disturb her? With no fear of waking her absent friends, she sat up, turned on the bedside light and sent a message to them: Where the hell are you? How did James react?

While waiting for a response, she popped two painkillers from the packet by her bed and swallowed; not that drugs were doing any good. She blamed Max for putting her under added stress by taking her babies away on their fifteenth birthday. What had she ever seen in the bastard? There should be a warning for innocent young women across the foreheads of all hot, young guys: Beware—outer package does not necessarily reflect what is inside!

Irritated when neither of her friends replied, she logged into Facebook and posted ‘happy birthday’ messages on Louise’s and Laura’s walls, glad to be the first to do so. If it were up to her, the girls wouldn’t have Facebook accounts yet, but Max had given them permission two years ago without consulting her. When she’d confronted him about it, he’d accused her of being an old stick-in-the-mud and told her to get with the times.

She spent the next few minutes torturing herself by scrolling through the kids’ profiles and staring at all the happy family snaps they’d posted in Hawaii. Chanel, who didn’t look much older than the girls, was all skin and bones in a skimpy gold bikini. Onlookers probably assumed she was Max’s oldest daughter but Emma worried about the influence she might have on the girls. And was that beer Caleb and Max were sharing? She felt like throwing up. Discarding her phone on the bedside table in disgust, she climbed out of bed and headed into the bathroom, switching on the light as she entered.

Her gaze caught on her image in the mirror. Why do hotels have to have such huge mirrors?

As if she wasn’t depressed enough, her reflection threatened to send her over the edge. If she couldn’t love herself, how could she ever expect anyone else to? No wonder Max had left her. No wonder the kids preferred spending time with him.

And where the hell are Flick and Neve? She tapped her fingers against the vanity.

If she weren’t looking so dire, she’d drag on some clothes and go downstairs to look for her friends; anything would be better than sitting here feeling sorry for herself.

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