Chapter 11: In Which The Cards Hit The Table, Metaphorically That Is, I Mean Like, There Aren’t Any Literal Cards

I glanced around, nervous– how had she just disappeared like that? Valentine was huge. No, wait– why had she disappeared like that? That was probably the more important question.

I met up with Anna in the parking lot. I had walked past a few car and and trucks until I came upon a small car with Alabama plates and assumed it was hers. Anna walked up to me with a young girl skipping along behind her.

CHAPTER 10
It was a hell of a do. While there were a lot of folkies along, the atmosphere was predominantly focussed on climbing. I was a little surprised at how many of said folkies were ready to engage in outdoor stuff, but Caro had nudged me early on with a very heavy hint about tradition, land, culture and, overall, being a folky. When the instruments came out, a couple of the waiters in the Royal Vic said something about music licences, until their duty manager appeared, said something more pointed about taste, and then, clearly deliberately, sat down for a listen.

“OK, Ella, what the heck are you thinking, agreeing to have Reginald the Idiot with us? Do you want us to get caught?” Naomi demanded, as soon as we were inside our beach house.

Chapter 18

She dug into her bag, brought out six boxes, and then handed them out. When I opened mine, it was more than I could take in. It was a pendant, yes, but what a pendant! It was gold filigree with ‘Stable Sisters Rule’ in diamonds and emeralds.

This won’t be joining the one now resting in a drawer at home. It would be front and center most of the time. Almost in tears, we had group hugs and cheek kisses. We all put them on and carried on with our meal, ordering more coffees as the originals had gone cold.

This chapter is just very spicy smut, you're free to skip it as it does not serve much to the overall story!

There has always been a thought in the back of my mind ever since I was a kid and was what I would do if time stopped for a day. Let me explain. What I mean is what if everything around me froze in place while I continued going about my usual day? People would stop walking, cars would stand still at traffic lights, and leaves would float in mid-air, with no wind to give them any direction. This is exactly what happened to me when I woke up that Friday morning.

For a short moment I felt proud of myself for standing up to Riley. What was I even thinking going along with this stupid scheme of her, and why had it taken me this long to even see what was happening. I got up, walked over to one of the food stands at the side of the court and ordered myself a drink. It was only when I received my drink however, that reality suddenly dawned on me.

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School’s out, and summer beckons. No homework, no early mornings. Just long, lazy days, summer friends, and the magic of a lake in Maine. But Logan wants more . . . much more.

Chapter 6

They arrived at the Tamworth Industrial Park, turning off Watling Street into Claymore, and then into the roadway where the body had been found. To one side of the road was the back of factories in the next road, the other side was a big automotive spares warehouse. At the end of the short road was the factory whose workers had come out to find the body. They parked in a space and stood in the road looking around them. Maria was the first to speak.