To her surprise, her brother glares at her. ‘Shut up, Georgia.’
‘Zac!’ Her mother interjects.
‘Sorry.’ He turns away.
Zac is always so amiable. What has happened? Georgia tries to catch his eye to apologise, but he won’t look at her. A few tendrils of unease brush against her neck, leaving her skin tingling.
‘I had a headache, so I came home early,’ he explains. ‘And Dad brought Maddie back about an hour ago.’
Their mother sits on the stairs to unzip her boots. ‘Well, Maddie’s visit must have helped you make a miraculous recovery, if you’re off out now.’
Zac turns away quickly, but not before Georgia sees him redden. ‘We’re taking Arthur for a walk,’ he mumbles. Georgia feels sorry for him. Can’t their mother see that Zac has gone all weird around Maddie lately?
‘How’s Sophia?’ Georgia asks her cousin.
‘We’re not sure yet. I was hoping Mum and Dad would have called by now, they said they’d let us know when she comes round from the sedatives.’
Is it Georgia’s imagination, or does Maddie seem wary of her too? These worries are making her woozy. ‘I’m going for a lie down,’ she announces, and steps quickly past her mother, taking the rest of the stairs two at a time without waiting for a response.
She falls onto her bed and puts a hand over her eyes. As she lies there, she hears the front door open and close, and Arthur’s barking grows distant.
‘Can I get you anything?’
Without needing to look, she can picture her mother standing in the doorway with that unbearable concerned expression on her face, the one that makes Georgia feel like she’s shrinking. Go away. Go away. She rolls towards the wall. ‘No, thank you,’ she manages, her voice muffled by the pillow. ‘I just need to rest.’
‘I think that’s a good idea, Gee-Gee.’
Georgia hasn’t heard that old baby name in a long time. Don’t, she tells herself as her eyes moisten. Then her mother kills the moment by adding, ‘And you know what you should do if you really want to rest – turn off your bloody phone.’
Georgia huffs as she sits up and pulls the phone from her pocket. She holds her finger over the on/off button and then flings it onto her bedside table. ‘Satisfied?’
‘For now.’
Georgia stares down her mother’s smile until it fades.
‘Right, then, I’ll wake you if there’s any news.’
And, finally, Georgia is left alone.
As soon as her mother has gone she switches her phone back on, and slams it onto the table. Her brain is cement, and her eyes are scratchy, yet sleep won’t come anywhere near her. Memories arrive in bursts, making her whole body pulsate. She’s been on high alert ever since she turned and saw the car, those headlights dazzling her. No matter how much she tries, she can’t reassure herself that she is safe.
Against her better judgement, she pulls her diary from its hiding place and slides the photo out from the back pages.
It’s the only photo she has to remind her of Leo.
Now, whenever she thinks of him it is as though she is telling herself a story – but this was real, only a few short weeks ago. She can still feel his hands on her skin the first time he kissed her, that day at the lake.
? ? ?
There had been a few Red Admirals milling around a patch of ivy when she arrived at Rothay Park, and she watched, hypnotised, as the butterflies danced and swooped. By the time Leo said, ‘Georgia!’ he was surprisingly close, and his presence set off a swarm of activity in her stomach. He leaned over and kissed her cheek in greeting, and her skin buzzed at the spot his lips touched.
‘Great day for a run,’ he said.
‘Yes.’ She felt awkward hovering there, the bright, still day juxtaposed with the tornado of emotions she was barely holding at bay. She needed to move. ‘Shall we go?’
They set off, the sun brazen in the empty blue sky. They didn’t talk as they crossed the little bridge over the Rothay River and were soon intent on navigating the first steep climb.
The road became path, and the path became narrower. After about fifteen minutes they came across a miniature lake.
‘Where are we now?’ Leo asked as they slowed.