Keep My Secrets by Elena Wilkes (management books to read .txt) 📕

like you, really.’ He smiled. ‘You stay away from people so they can’t hurt you. I know that. I think you recognised something in her, too. Not just the way you both looked. I think she fascinated you.’

Frankie felt herself falter.

‘You were staring at her that night at the party, weren’t you? Yeah, I remember now.’

She swallowed involuntarily.

‘And I’ve seen the way you are in this house. That’s why you and Vanessa have this weird connection: it’s like you’re both haunted by her. I see the way Vanessa looks – it’s like Charlotte’s come back. And then I see you, your eyes flitting everywhere as though you’re scared her ghost will suddenly appear. Is it because you feel guilty?’

Her neck jerked back.

‘About the row you had? You shouldn’t. People have rucks all the time. Oh I’m sorry, – that was a crappy thing to say – I just wanted you to understand that I get how you feel, and I don’t want you to feel bad.’

‘I have to go. I told Jude I’d be back by nine.’

‘Frankie—’

She heard him saying something else but she had pulled the bedroom door closed behind her. The sound of her feet on the stairs drummed out all his calls for her to stop. The TV was booming in the living room. She was aware of Peter’s head swivelling round at the sound of the front door opening.

It was black outside and the rain was coming down in rods. She’d only got her little denim jacket with her. Pulling it over her head she started to run down the road, her feet splashing through puddles soaking her thick tights and skirt, making her skirt stick like a sheet of wet rubber against her thighs. She didn’t know where she was going or how she planned to get back to the home – Shit! As she trod on a loose paving slab, a tidal gush of rainwater flew up. Whatever bit of her hadn’t been wet before, was now soaked. Running was pointless. Dragging her jacket from her head, she looked up and down the street. The main road was just up ahead. She’d find a bus shelter or a doorway and wait it out. She didn’t have enough money for a cab and the indignity of phoning Jude and asking if she could come and get her was more than she could stand. Plus there’d be questions – and she didn’t want questions.

Frankie!

She thought she heard someone say her name. She took a look round.

Frankie! Over here!

Glancing across the road, she saw the black shape of a car, headlights flashing through the needling rain.

The window was wound down and Jack’s face was bobbing in the gap. ‘Hang on, my dad’ll turn round.’

The lights swung across the road, illuminating just how sopping wet she really was, and then the car pulled up alongside her; the back door opened.

‘Come on – hop in!’ Peter was blinking up at her. ‘You can’t be out here in this. Get in, you silly girl!’

‘I’m too wet!’ she shouted back. ‘I’m fine, honestly. I need to get back. I’ll get the bus. Really. It’s very kind of you but—’

‘There aren’t any buses. There’s been an accident on the main road, nothing’s getting through either way. Will you just get in this car, Frankie? I’m getting as wet as you are!’ He was laughing and she suddenly felt a bit stupid standing there arguing in the pouring rain. She got in, squashing herself into as small a space as possible on the back seat and tried not to drip everywhere.

‘I’d already rung Jude.’

She shot a look up at Peter who was watching her in the rear-view mirror.

‘Sorry?’

‘I’d heard the local news so I gave her a quick ring to tell her you were safe at our house. I hope you don’t mind. I didn’t want to disturb Tomb Raider at a vital moment.’

She felt her mouth fall open.

‘It’s okay, I said you were a friend of my son’s. Well, that’s true, isn’t it?’

She was aware of him peering at her reflection. ‘I couldn’t see the point of complicating things that don’t need to be complicated.’

She sat very still, her knees pressed together, feeling the water running from her hair down her cheeks and neck.

‘And she didn’t ask anything?’

‘I think she assumed I must be talking about someone at school. She sounded quite pleased, actually.’ Peter smiled at her and she managed a smile back.

‘So what did you tell her?’

‘I said, given the circumstances, we were quite happy to give you a bed for the night. Which we are, of course.’ He peered up again. ‘More than happy. And so was Jude actually. I think she likes the idea of you being around a family. She said it was ‘encouraging’ that you were making friends. Yes, that’s the word she used.’ He grinned at her in the mirror.

God, if only she knew.

Jack twisted round in the seat, hanging onto the safety belt. ‘That’s okay, isn’t it, Frankie? You’re okay with all that?’

She knew what he was asking: he was asking if he’d upset her earlier? Had he said too much? Was she totally weirded-out? She could feel Peter’s eyes on her, waiting for her response. What else could she say? What alternative was there?

‘Thank you very much,’ she nodded. ‘This is all very kind of you. I don’t deserve it.’

‘Don’t be daft.’ Peter pulled a face. In the odd light his eyes became black pits full of shadows. ‘You deserve all of this and more.’

Frankie stared out at the road tunnelling away in front of her. She had no idea what she felt. There was Vanessa, and Charlotte, and Jude, and Martin… and now a baby… So many things were whirling around in her head that she couldn’t think straight. She stared out into the night not able to say anything. The blackness beyond the street lights pressed in on either side, the headlights only going so far as though the car might