And I watch as he cuts through the water and vaults out at the other side, standing in front of her. I can see her laughing and shaking her head no, and I know what she’s saying – you don’t need me there, you young things – and I can see Ed insisting that she comes, his big grin spread across his face, and he’s nodding.
‘Holly!’ Lauren’s balanced on the top of an inflatable slide, her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. As I wave to her she topples off backwards and falls into the water, emerging with a massive smile on her face.
Allie and Rio are messing about in an inflatable boat at the other side of the deep end. We’ve been setting up for the end-of-summer pool party that’s taking place tomorrow morning. I think when Cressi invited me to get the others to come and help she wasn’t visualizing a bunch of sixteen-year-olds acting like primary-school kids let loose after exam time, but she’s taking it in reasonably good spirit.
We’re heading to the woods with a portable barbecue and a packet of marshmallows later. Allie’s nicked some beers from the shop – some things never change – and I’m pretty certain she’ll be in trouble when her parents work out they’re missing. But I don’t think they’ll be that worried.
I sit on the edge of the pool and watch everyone and wonder how my life could change so much in the course of one summer. How I realized that I don’t have to keep everything stored in a box to keep it safe. Our house isn’t spotless now, but Mum’s still singing and playing music, and she’s signed up to start teaching music again when school starts. And we’re going to Norfolk next Easter to see all her old band friends. Lauren’s coming too – she’s half hoping she’ll hook up with a rock star’s offspring and end up in Heat magazine, I think.
Ed’s mum is working in the women’s centre, and his dad’s still being a dick – he’s hired a super-expensive lawyer to make sure he gets as much as he can out of the divorce, but there’s a rumour that there’s a sexual harassment case being made against him by several of the women at work, so I get the feeling that karma’s going to get him in the end.
Allie and Milly are still going strong and making plans for a flat in Edinburgh when Allie finishes her exams this year – and Rio’s decided against going back to school at all. He’s got an apprenticeship in a design studio and bought himself the sharpest suit he could find for his first day.
And I’ve given up on being invisible. I’ve joined the swimming team, even though the idea of competing with everyone watching terrifies me. But this summer has taught me a lot.
I stand up and swing my arms, springing from the edge of the pool and curving through the air. I’m ready.
The End
INFORMATION
According to the most recent figures from the Office for National Statistics, two women are killed each week by a current or former partner, and an estimated 1.2 million women have suffered domestic abuse in the last year.
If you need help or support
Freephone 24-Hour National Domestic Violence
Helpline: 0808 2000 247
run in partnership with Women’s Aid and Refuge
refuge.org.uk
Refuge say they are ‘Committed to a world where domestic violence and violence against women and girls is not tolerated and where women and children can live in safety.
We aim to empower women and children to rebuild their lives, free from violence and fear. We provide a range of life-saving and life-changing services, and a voice for the voiceless.’
womensaid.org.uk
Women’s Aid say ‘Everyone has the human right to live in safety and free from violence and abuse. Society has a duty to recognise and defend this right. Women are the overwhelming majority of victims of domestic abuse. Domestic abuse is a violation of women and their children’s human rights. It is the result of an abuse of power and control, and is rooted in the historical status and inequality of women in in society.’
The leading UK charity Mind says ‘In its mildest form, depression can mean just being in low spirits. It doesn’t stop you leading your normal life but makes everything harder to do and seem less worthwhile. At its most severe, depression can be life-threatening because it can make you feel suicidal or simply give up the will to live.’
Every year, one in four people will experience a mental health problem.
For information, advocacy and support, visit: mind.org.uk
For a kind word, support, and understanding, as well as self-care strategies for even the hardest days, The Blurt Foundation are a social enterprise dedicated to helping people affected by depression. Visit: blurtitout.org
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
There were times when I was writing this book when I thought it was never going to end – it turns out that when you write your second book in a new genre, you can have second book syndrome all over again. That was an unexpected delight. But I loved Holly and Ed, and I knew that their story was one that really mattered to me, so I’m delighted to be finally writing the thank-you bit.
Firstly a huge thanks to Rachel Petty, my brilliant editor – for edit notes that make me laugh (snogzzz) and cry (oh my god you want me to do MORE?) and for pushing me to make this the very best book it could be. And to Amanda Preston my agent, for being kind and saying ‘no you are NOT the author from hell’ when I call you for the twelfth time in a week saying THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE. You are both wonderful. Sorry I’m such a drama queen.
To everyone at Team MKB – you are amazing and I’m so proud and happy to be published by you. Thank you for your kindness and humour and general fabulosity.
To the writing wolf pack – Alice, Hayley, and Keris – I love you all, you make my life better every single day. Everyone should have funny, feminist friends who use lots of words beginning with f.
To the literary hooters, Miranda, Jo and Cathy – thank you for always having my back. I love you lot.
To Elise, who’s been my best friend since I was eight, and who introduced me to Judy Blume – love you and thank you for always being there. To my dear friends Anne, Shirley and Carol for making me cry at a book launch – please do it again soon. And to Jax and Aimee, who cheered me from start to finish as I wrote – thank you for keeping me (relatively) sane. And to Rhi, because I love you.
To all the amazing book bloggers and the #ukya gang who cheer on our books and make it such a lovely place to be – on and off line – thank you for being brilliant.
I would like to thank John Taylor, who bid in the Authors for Grenfell auction to raise money for the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire. His name is featured in this book as a thank you.
Thanks also to Cressi Downing who was the winning bidder in the CLIC Sargent Get in Character Auction, and whose name features in the book.
To my family, for being funny and because I love them, even when I don’t return their calls because I’m writing (or editing, or one of the other million excuses I have for being hopelessly disorganised . . .)
To Ross – I couldn’t do this without you. Thank you for everything, but most of all for making me laugh every single day. Also: I love you.
To Verity, Archie, Jude and Rory – you are amazing. I love you millions. Do you mind if we just have pasta? Hahahaha xxxxx
And to Mabel and Martha, you amazing woofers: thank you for being the best dogs ever. I look forward to you eating a copy of this book to demonstrate your appreciation.
And last of all, to you. Reading this. Whether it’s at home, at school, in a library* or you’re sneaking a read in the bookshop and trying to decide if you should choose this one. Thank you for reading this when you could be doing a million other things.
* * *
* Libraries are AMAZING. Use them, support them, and tell everyone else to do the same. Free books: what could be better?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rachael Lucas is an author, coach and freelance writer. Her bestselling debut novel, Sealed with a Kiss, has been downloaded over 130,000 times on Kindle. She lives and works in a Victorian house by the seaside in the n
orth-west of England with her partner (also a writer) and their children.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Growing up in Scotland it always felt to me that books were magical things written by far-away people, and – apart from a few exceptions – they were all set in England. So, I knew when I started writing Holly and Ed’s story that I wanted it to be set somewhere that made sense to me, in a setting that reminded me of my own childhood.
I lived in little white house on an estate just like Holly’s house. I played on the same streets she talks about, and I caught the same bus from our little town on the Firth of Forth up to the next town where the railway station was. My town was called Bo’ness, and the next-door town was Linlithgow. If you know the area, you’ll recognise the setting – and the loch, and Linlithgow Palace where Mary Queen of Scots was born. I’ve changed the town names because it’s not quite the same – but I’ve kept the historical details. And I hope that if you’re growing up in a little town where nothing much happens you’ll read this and see that if you fall in love with telling stories when you’re at school, you can grow up and make it your job, too.
First published 2018 by Macmillan Children’s Books
This electronic edition published 2018 by Macmillan Children’s Books
an imprint of Pan Macmillan
20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR
Associated companies throughout the world
www.panmacmillan.com
ISBN 978-1-5098-3958-2
Copyright © Rachael Lucas 2018
The right of Rachael Lucas to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Pan Macmillan does not have any control over, or any responsibility for, any author or third-party websites referred to in or on this book.
You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
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