Between Before and After Read Online Free PDF Page A

it, much less drive it, without thinking of Danny.
    “I’m gonna go get some more bait,” he said, getting up quickly. “Looks like we might be out here awhile.”
    “Grab some more beer too,” Max called after him.
    One step swiftly followed the next and he soon reached the end of the jetty. He followed the walkway over the rocks and back onto the path that hugged the shore, the crushed shells beneath his feet crunching with each footstep. He passed the rustic wooden bench that someone had built years earlier, snuggled into the rock face and offering a beautiful view out over the bay, and soon found himself at the boat shed. Annoyed with himself for letting his emotions get the better of him, he climbed down off the path and onto the sandy beach. He walked along the soft sand slowly, hands thrust deep into his pockets, feet sinking slightly into the sand with every step.
    If he just knew what had been going on with Danny, it would have made things so much easier to deal with. But he didn’t know, none of them did.
    He stepped from the sandy beach onto the grass, trudging up the slight incline towards the house.
    Lacey sat on the deck, the book she was reading open in her lap. After the last couple of weeks, the peace and quiet of the beach house was exactly what she needed. No more open roads leading to nowhere, no more smiling for strangers and avoiding their many questions. Finally, she felt like she could exhale and just be .
    The sun beat down on her bare neck, her long dark hair swept up into a messy ponytail high on her head. She pushed her sunglasses further up the bridge of her nose and squinted out at the jetty. In the hazy heat of the afternoon, she spied only two figures, not three. She followed the path back from the jetty along the rocks, and eventually spotted the third figure – Finn, she thought – near the beginning of the pathway.
    She watched him until he disappeared behind the boat shed, coming back into view a few moments later as he made his way along the beach towards the house. She closed her book and sat, waiting patiently, as he started up the lawn towards her.
    “Don’t tell me,” she smiled as he got closer. “The sea’s empty.”
    He shook his head, smirking. “Quite possibly.”
    “What’s up?”
    “Running low on supplies.”
    He climbed up the steps and walked along the deck towards the beer fridge at the other end. “Whatcha doin’?” he called back over his shoulder.
    “Just enjoying the peace and quiet. Catching up on some reading.”
    She looked down at the book in her lap. She had started it over a week ago but just couldn’t concentrate long enough to really get into it. She had been hoping that, now that they were here, she could make some headway. Travelling around the South Island for a week prior to this weekend had seemed like a good idea at the time. She had wanted to get out of the house and away from all the baby reminders. She thought it would help. Now, after being on the road for the past week, she was over it. Keeping busy hadn’t helped. She just wanted to take some time out and relax, without having to worry about packing up her things first thing the next morning, or making polite conversation with strangers. She was over dealing with people. She just wanted to be with her friends.
    Finn grabbed a six-pack of beer and the small plastic bag of bait from the fridge, then plonked himself down on the other deck chair beside her. Apparently in no hurry to return to the jetty, he cracked open one of the beers and took a long drink, sighing appreciatively.
    “You need anything while I’m here?” he asked, turning to her.
    “No, I’m good, thanks.”
    She leaned her head against the chair back and regarded him carefully. Despite his laid-back appearance, she had a feeling something was bothering him. It was in the set of his shoulders, she decided after careful consideration.
    “Are you okay?” she asked.
    “I should be asking you that,” he