The Marriage by K.L. Slater (any book recommendations TXT) 📕

‘Shit!’ He’d kicked a brick wall and hurt his foot, sending his fury to a new level.

Over the road, a woman stood glaring at him while her dog sniffed around a lamp post. He’d felt so angry inside at her interest, he remembered wishing there was a pile of rocks nearby to lob at her. He knew at the time it didn’t make sense, knew it was unfair of him, but he couldn’t help it. That was how he felt most of the time these days, since he’d had to face Tom every time he went to his nan’s house. Like he wanted to hurt someone.

He’d bitten down on his tongue until he tasted the metallic tang of blood, and the pain calmed him down a bit. Then he’d turned around and started walking back to the house to get the cash.

As he’d turned the corner at the end of their street, he’d spotted a tall figure in jeans and a hoodie stop outside their house. The man opened the small front gate and walked up the path. The house was in the middle of a long line of narrow townhouses. They used to live in a big old Victorian semi with damp walls and dodgy electrics, but his nan had helped them get a nicer place. His mum had a sign in the bottom corner of the front window saying No Uninvited Callers, but this guy had blatantly ignored that. Ellis broke into a run.

The door opened and he saw his mum step aside and let the man straight inside. They didn’t talk or anything, and it looked like she’d been expecting him.

Ellis got a feeling like indigestion in his chest. He wondered if his mum had a secret boyfriend and didn’t want him to know. Coral was twenty-eight and she was pretty and slim, and he saw blokes look at her in the street all the time. It was gross to think about your mum dating guys, but he knew she was attractive and his dad had been gone a long time now.

He had dawdled back to a slow walk. What should he do now? If he burst in there, they might be … doing anything, like the couple in that rude picture Monty had brought into school. It was sickening but true. But if he didn’t pick up the cash and get the stuff from the shop, he wouldn’t be allowed to play his game on the television.

It had occurred to him to shout to his mum from the door and then she wouldn’t be surprised. But then she might introduce him to her new boyfriend and that would be the worst thing ever.

Then he remembered that the ten-pound note was actually on the end of the kitchen worktop, right by the back door. They never kept the back door locked during the day as his mum liked to stand outside in the garden regularly for a smoke. He’d sneak around the back, open the door and take the money and she’d be none the wiser. Then, on his way back from the shop, he’d take a detour through the skate park, and hopefully by the time he got back, the man would’ve gone.

He walked past the front gate and took a right turn down the alleyway that led behind the houses, giving access to the narrow gardens. He opened the squeaky back gate and snuck inside, praying they weren’t snogging by the patio doors in the kitchen. He pushed down on the handle and levered the door gently open. Stepping inside, he reached for the cash, then froze as he heard raised voices coming from the living room.

‘Coral, please. Just listen, I—’ He instantly recognised Tom’s voice. Were his mum and Tom having an affair? Behind his nan’s back?

He’d gripped the worktop as Coral’s shrill voice rang out next.

‘No! You listen to me instead. Save your lies, because we both know what the big secret is. Jesse told you the night he died.’

‘No!’

‘You didn’t like what you heard, so you killed him. Pretended it was an accident.’

‘No! I—’

‘But the court saw through you, thank God. So you can drop the nice guy act with me because I know the truth.’

Ellis had covered his mouth, certain he was going to be sick at any moment. He turned and ran out of the kitchen, but his foot caught on the step and he tripped, knocking over the small metal watering can his mum kept there for the house plants.

‘Who’s there?’ he heard his mum shout. ‘Ellis?’

He’d got to his feet but didn’t have time to run before his mum and Tom appeared.

‘He heard us,’ Tom said, staring at him in a dark, dangerous manner.

‘I didn’t! I—’

His mum had turned to Tom. ‘Go now. I’ll speak to him.’

‘Are you going to tell him—’

‘Go,’ Coral said. ‘And don’t come back here.’

Then his mum had sat him down, forced him to listen to her.

‘I don’t know what you heard or how it sounded, but it’s not what you think, OK?’ Ellis glared moodily at the wall. ‘OK?’

‘No, it’s not OK! You said he killed my dad because he knew something.’

‘That’s not what I said, Ellis.’

‘You did! I heard you!’ He stood up, his whole body shaking, tears stinging his eyes. ‘Nan would never have married him if she knew he meant to kill Dad on purpose. Tom convinced her it was an accident and said he was sorry, and Nan believed him.’

Coral had placed her hands on his shoulders and pressed him down into the seat again. ‘Listen to me, love. It’s very important you forget anything you heard today. Whatever you thought I meant, you need to put it out of your mind. Unless you want to get me into serious trouble, you don’t breathe a word to your nan, you hear me?’

She’d looked so scared, so desperate, he’d quickly nodded. ‘OK,’ he’d said.

‘Good lad. I love you.’ She