The Girlfriend: An utterly unputdownable psychological thriller with a breathtaking twist by K.L. Slater

Author:K.L. Slater [Slater, K.L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781803147918
Publisher: Bookouture
Published: 2022-10-26T16:00:00+00:00

THIRTY-THREE

On Saturday afternoon, I watch as Miller prowls around the kitchen. He reminds me of a caged tiger, stalking back and forth for no apparent reason. It will be the stress manifesting, of course. The grief of what’s happened is tainting every part of him.

When he paces past me for the umpteenth time, I grab his arm and pull him to me. ‘Come on. Let’s have a cuddle.’

‘Mum,’ he grumbles, pulling away. ‘I’m fine. I’m just… thinking.’

‘Well, you don’t look fine.’ I let go of him. ‘Whenever you want to talk, I’m here, Miller. Day or night, it doesn’t matter. OK?’

‘I know,’ he says.

Sara comes into the kitchen and Miller slopes off without speaking to her.

Earlier, I’d cornered Miller at the bottom of the stairs as he’d headed up to his bedroom with a glass of milk.

‘Hey, you don’t mind that Sara and her baby staying for a while, do you?’

I’d expected him to shrug ambivalently, but his face had darkened. ‘I don’t care any more,’ he’d said. ‘Do what you want.’ He’d pushed past me to run upstairs, a big splash of milk spilling out at the top.

I’d mopped up the spill with a damp cloth from the bathroom. I was going to have to watch Miller like a hawk. I was afraid his grief might turn to depression, and that I’d soon have so much to think about I’d somehow forget to check on him.

‘I’ll make some coffee,’ Sara says now, taking two stoneware mugs out of the cupboard. Something glints on her wrist, and I peer closer.

‘Oh,’ I say, touching my own wrist. ‘We have the same bracelet!’

She glances at my forearm as I raise it in the air in show her and at that exact moment, a shiver travels down my arm as I remember. Cole gave me this bracelet for our tenth wedding anniversary five years ago. He told me he’d had it custom made by a jeweller at Hatton Garden in London. ‘It’s one of a kind,’ he’d said as he’d fastened it around my wrist. ‘You’ll never see another like it.’

It’s so fine and delicate, I mostly forget I’m wearing it.

Our eyes meet. ‘Was your bracelet a gift?’ I say softly.

She nods, extending her wrist towards me. ‘Yours?’

‘Yes. For our tenth wedding anniversary. You?’

‘When Rory was born.’

There’s a few moments of silence as we both glance down at our identical gold chains, each with a bezel-set, single round diamond. ‘It’s to signify our love,’ Cole had whispered as he’d nuzzled my neck.

Sylvie runs into the kitchen and we spring apart. I pull my sleeve down roughly over the bracelet.

‘Rory’s awake!’ She beams, her bright little eyes looking expectantly from Sara to me.

‘I’ll go and see to him,’ Sara says, her voice suddenly dull and quiet.

‘I’ll make the drinks,’ I say. First, I follow Sara and Sylvie into the living room. ‘Coffee, Mum?’

‘Not for me, love.’ She groans and rubs her knees when she gets up. ‘I’m going to get going, I think. It’s been a busy few hours.

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