All My Secrets Read Online Free PDF Page A

younger. He’s wearing a designer suit and his hair is carefully gelled and
slicked back. He might be around my dad’s age, but he comes across as much more youthful.
    I rush downstairs to greet him and he gives me a big hug.
    ‘Are you all right, darling?’ he breathes in my ear. ‘Your dad’s been terrifying me to death, saying that you’re hardly speaking, refusing to come out of your
room.’
    I shrug, throwing Andrew an angry glance.
    ‘Anyway, I’m here now, darling,’ Gavin goes on. ‘I’m
always
here for you.’
    Beside us, Andrew stiffens. It’s a tiny gesture, but I know he’s irritated. Which he has absolutely no right to be.
    ‘Your uncle has a suggestion for you,’ Andrew says, tight-lipped.
    Uncle Gavin smiles, revealing a set of very small, even, white teeth. I remember what Janet said earlier about him looking like a shark. Then I push the thought out of my head. Janet was just
being mean.
    ‘What suggestion?’ I ask.
    ‘It’s a place for you to go, Evie darling,’ Uncle Gavin says. ‘A place to sort your head out after all the . . . the revelations.’
    I frown. ‘What do you mean? What sort of place?’
    Andrew and Gavin exchange a glance. My throat suddenly feels dry. The last thing I expected was to see the two of them in cahoots over anything.
    It doesn’t just feel strange.
    It feels wrong.
    ‘Tell me,’ I insist.
    Andrew plucks his laptop out of his bag and places it on the kitchen table. ‘Sit down, Evie,’ he says with a sigh. ‘We’ve got something to show you.’
    What was coming now?
    Andrew opens the computer. I glance at Gavin, but he is looking at the screen. I slide into a chair as Andrew turns the laptop to face me.
    ‘What is this?’ I lean forward, trying to make sense of the picture of an island sparkling in sunshine.
    Andrew clears his throat. ‘It’s the brochure for the Lightsea Young Adult Development Programme.’
    ‘The
what
?’ I peer more closely. Underneath the main photo of the island is a row of smaller close-ups. One picture shows an ugly grey stone house, with the sea beyond.
Another a cluster of trees. A third an expanse of uneven rocks leading down to the shore. I scroll down to the page of text below the pictures.
    Lightsea House offers guidance and development opportunities for troubled teenagers. Our discreet team of highly trained staff know exactly how to get the best out of
     each adolescent in our care. We take a highly individual approach to every member of the group and keep staff-to-student ratios high: we take a maximum of six teens on every self-development
     course and emphasise the need for discipline and responsibility.
    ‘What do you think?’ Andrew asks.
    I frown, my stomach twisting into an uneasy knot. ‘Why are you showing me this?’
    ‘Read to the end,’ Uncle Gavin urges.
    I turn back to the screen.
    Personal possessions are limited and there is no internet access or signal network on the island. Attendees are only allowed a small number of clothes and other items
     for personal use. We encourage each teenager in our charge to explore the issues that trouble them in a supportive environment, enabling them to confront their past and take responsibility
     for their future.
    ‘This sounds like a boot camp,’ I say.
    Andrew glances at Uncle Gavin, who sits down beside me.
    ‘We think it sounds like exactly what you need, darling,’ he says.
    ‘What?’ I’m as shocked as I’m horrified.
    ‘Seriously, Evie, I know you’ve been unhappy since . . . since you found out about your mum . . .’
    ‘
Birth
mum,’ Andrew interjects.
    ‘I – we both – think you should give Lightsea a chance,’ Gavin goes on. ‘It might help you heal from all the trauma of your recent discoveries.’
    I can’t believe it. I’m not surprised by my dad’s desire to punish me for following my heart. Uncle Gavin wanting to send me to some hellhole for teenagers is quite another
matter.
    ‘But . . . but . . .’ I can’t