The Mother Next Door: A completely addictive page-turner packed with secrets and suspense by Leah Mercer

Author:Leah Mercer [Mercer, Leah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781837903177
Publisher: Bookouture
Published: 2023-02-26T16:00:00+00:00

NINETEEN

JASMINE

10 A.M.

Jasmine navigated the deserted roads back towards her house, every bit of her dying for a drink. Of course she didn’t need one, but today was hardly a usual day. And she hated the reminder that she’d once been friends with people she wouldn’t be caught dead talking to now. Going to Fiona’s had brought her back to the days when she didn’t have nice clothes or nice things… when the only thing she did have was power over losers who were desperate to hang onto her.

Why the hell had she agreed to meet with Fiona and Alison in the first place? Yes, she’d wanted to do everything she could to get Juniper back, and sure, she’d jumped at the chance to show Aidan she did care – he’d left to drive the streets again the second it had got light; he hadn’t even come to bed last night. But if that useless family liaison officer and her sidekick couldn’t come up with anything on Lou, then the three of them were hardly going to be able to. She’d sat there for ages last night answering the police’s questions, offering them the most expensive coffee even after Steph told her that maybe she needed some herself. The way the woman had looked at her had made her blood boil, as if she was the one who was going to hurt her daughter. If anyone should be held accountable, it should be the police. They were the ones doing nothing. They couldn’t even brave a storm to find lost children, for God’s sake. Why the hell would you be on a search-and-rescue team if you were such a pussy in the first place?

She never should have agreed to go to Fiona’s. She grimaced, picturing that godawful sofa. Fiona looked exactly the same: a plain-Jane version of her former self, with nondescript lanky locks, knitted jumper and faded jeans. As for Alison, Jasmine did have to give her some credit for effort. She wasn’t the same overweight moon-faced girl, but her body was way too muscly to resemble anything attractive, and she could do with a good facial-hair remover. At least she’d rediscovered her cheekbones.

But for Alison to bring up that day… Well, she had been weak. She was the one who had pushed Mira into the water in the first place, and if she hadn’t wanted to, she could have said no. It wasn’t Jasmine’s fault Mira had drowned, the same way it wasn’t Juniper’s fault that Gabby had been bullied. Victim mentality, like Lou had said. Jasmine shook her head, thinking of Lou. She was anything but a victim.

She pressed on the accelerator as a memory of the day at the river filled her mind. It had been so sunny, the first proper summer weather of the year. And she’d had such a crap day, with Mrs Richards calling home to speak to her mother about something – Jasmine couldn’t even remember what now. Ah yes, she thought, her cheeks burning with shame, even though it was years later.

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