The Guests: A BRAND NEW nail-biting psychological thriller by Charlotte Stevenson

Author:Charlotte Stevenson [Stevenson, Charlotte]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloodhound Books - crime, thrillers & mysteries
Published: 2024-08-12T00:00:00+00:00

18

SUMMER

Amma’s waiting for me at college the next day. I can sense her annoyance as soon as I see her. I’d promised I’d call her last night, but after everything with Mum, I just couldn’t face it. I feel awful for ignoring her texts, and I hope she understands.

She’s leaning against the wall, with her arms folded and her legs crossed at the ankles. Despite her irked expression, my heart flutters as I approach her. She is so incredibly beautiful it hurts.

“Well, hello, stranger.”

I’m not surprised by Amma’s sarcastic comment. If I were her, I’d be annoyed, too. We never ignore each other. I hold out my arms as though in surrender. “I am so sorry.”

She raises one eyebrow. “I mean, Sunny, someone better be dead or dying. Otherwise, I am seriously pissed with you.”

My face drains of colour, and I see Amma instantly regret what she’s just said. She rushes towards me and grabs my shoulders.

“Oh shit. I’m sorry. That was a stupid thing to say. Has… I mean, are you okay?”

I pull Amma into a hug.

“No, nothing like that. You just freaked me out a bit. Everyone is fine. It’s just…” Amma fixes me with a severe, concerned look. “Look, my mum told me some really serious stuff last night. I couldn’t call you. I wanted to.”

Amma squeezes my hand and looks deep into my eyes, urging me to share with her.

“It was a super heavy conversation, and I really want to talk to you about it. Can we walk together after college?”

“Of course, we can. Can I get even a hint?”

I laugh at Amma’s cheekiness. “I mean, this isn’t the kind of thing where a hint is even possible. It’s pretty deep and a bit sad, really. For my mum, I mean. There are so many things I didn’t know, and it explains a lot about why she’s been really weird recently.”

We turn and walk into college together.

“In that case, I will wait with bated breath until the end of the day. But no running off, okay?”

I roll my eyes playfully. “No running off, I promise.”

“Okay. I better run. Come find me at break. Not about this serious stuff. I just want to see your lovely face.” She flashes me a wide, bright smile, and my heart swells.

“No problem. I’ll see you later.”

The tips of my cheeks flush as she waves and jogs away.

My concentration is appalling, and I barely scrape through each lesson without my inattention being noticed. I don’t think I’ve taken in a single word, and I have no idea if I have any homework. I’ve been back and forth all day about what to tell Amma. I think I need someone to talk to about it, and I trust her implicitly. She wouldn’t tell anyone. We’re best friends. She would never betray me. But I love my mum more than anyone in the world, and I know she would be completely crushed if she thought Amma knew what had been going on.

Amma is already waiting for me when I leave the building.

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.