The Intruders by Louise Jensen

Author:Louise Jensen [Jensen, Louise]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Three

Rose

THEN

‘Please stop with your questions,’ Mum begged Rose.

Rose could tell her mum was at breaking point so instead she focused on the food.

It was pizza for dinner. Not something they generally ate but David was out with clients and Mum was too exhausted to cook.

They were eating on their laps, the doors to the TV cabinet wide open, a quiz show firing out questions that were too hard. Often in this room Mum turned off the main light, clicked on the lamps, the soft yellow light pooling on the rugs. Lit the candles that flickered on the mantelpiece. Not tonight though. The big light glared, the room bright.

Eating on their laps was rare and it crossed Rose’s mind that they might be tucked away in this room because it was round the back of the house. All of the lights were switched on to make Mum feel safer. Still she could imagine the debt collector creeping around the perimeter. Cupping his hands as he peered in the window.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Rose saw the stiffening of Mum’s shoulders, felt it in her own, but it was only the branch of the tree outside.

The heat of the jalapeños and the tang of garlic swirled around in Rose’s stomach along with her nerves and her misery.

Since Gunner had stalked away from her at the railway station earlier she had felt an emptiness deep inside that she knew no amount of pizza could fill.

‘You’ll regret this,’ he had said, his voice low and even, chilling.

Should she have said yes to sex?

Yes to everything?

He thought that she didn’t love him and although she didn’t know whether she did, she needed him. Needed someone.

‘Look at me, Rose.’ Roo pulled a string of mozzarella from his mouth. It stretched and stretched until it snapped and that was how Rose felt. Pulled in a direction she didn’t want to go in but unable to prevent the inevitable.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow she would wear the black top that cinched in her waist. Coat her lips with gloss.

Give Gunner everything he wanted because he was the one.

The one who could save her from loneliness, save them from the debt collector.

The answer to everything.

She only hoped that he’d forgive her for today, that he wouldn’t hold a grudge.

‘You’ll regret this,’ he had said. But it wasn’t too late to fix it, was it? Fix everything?

Rose woke, a prickling sensation crawling over her skin.

Something was wrong.

She moved the book from her chest – she had fallen asleep reading – and sat up.

A creak.

David coming home?

She held her breath as she listened for his tread on the landing, the opening of her parents’ bedroom door.

Nothing.

From downstairs she thought she heard a thump.

Something was wrong.

She was hot and cold and at a loss to know what to do. A childish instinct to pull the covers over her head and pretend that everything was okay was overwhelming but she was no longer the child in the house.

Roo.

She slid out of bed and pulled on her dressing gown, wrapping the belt tightly around her waist.

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