When we Were Young by Dawn Goodwin

Author:Dawn Goodwin [Goodwin, Dawn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781800242197
Publisher: Head of Zeus

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Bev was asleep on the sofa, her mouth hanging open slackly, little snorts coming from one blocked nostril. Malcolm was in his armchair, his slippered feet propped up. Every time Bev snorted, his eyes flicked at her in distaste. He nudged up the volume on the television by another two points.

Bev’s phone started to ring, sending vibrations through the sofa cushions.

‘Bev! Your phone,’ Malcolm said firmly and Bev lurched awake, feeling gritty and off-centre. Her eyes were blurry. She couldn’t remember where the phone was for a second, then felt the vibrations and slid her hand down the side of the sofa cushion.

‘Hello?’ she croaked.

‘Bev? Is that you?’

Bev frowned, still not connecting the dots. ‘Yes?’

‘It’s Stacey. Listen, I’m meeting Paula this week and I want you to come too. It’s Valentina.’

‘Val’s dead, Stacey,’ Bev said, rubbing at her eyes. ‘We’ve talked about this.’

‘I know, but what we need to work out is why. She’s sent me a map and some clues.’

‘Seriously?’

‘Yes, I know it sounds mad, but there’s something there, I know it. She says he’s coming for us next too.’ Her voice was a low, conspiratorial whisper.

Bev paused, felt the tiredness sitting on her. She wished it would all come out into the open. She didn’t know how much longer she could go on with all of this. ‘Fine, let me know the details and I’ll meet you.’

After Stacey hung up, Bev dragged herself to her feet, said goodnight to Malcolm and the dog, and slowly climbed the stairs, her legs heavy and her knees clicking. She passed Jasper’s room, which was suspiciously in darkness, and then Bethany’s room, which had a blue glow coming from under the door. She was still up and on her phone despite the rule that there were to be no phones in their rooms after 9pm.

But Bev didn’t have the energy for an argument tonight. She felt tired in her bones and just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep, so she ignored it and kept walking, up another flight of stairs to the loft room.

The Peloton loomed large in the window and she reached around it to draw the curtains.

By the time she had brushed her teeth, smeared anti-ageing moisturiser into her rapidly sagging skin and changed into her nightgown, her earlier exhaustion had disappeared and she lay in the dark on her back, now unable to drop back into sleep. This was why she shouldn’t sleep on the couch. She tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position, but lying on her front hurt her back and lying on her side hurt her arm. God, she felt old.

She stared into the dark, thinking about the people the four of them had become, where all those dreams had evaporated to, what they looked like now. She thought of the husband downstairs and the daughter in her room, both of whom she barely spoke to these days. Just who was Bethany talking to? She thought of her son, who she felt she didn’t really know anymore.

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