Every Vow You Break Read Online Free PDF

forlorn.
    ‘Perhaps it’ll get better when the theatre starts up,’ Bella murmured, shielding her eyes from the glaring sun.
    ‘From what I’ve seen, I don’t think so,’ Olly said.
    ‘Or perhaps we’ll meet some people, make some American friends. There’s got to be some kids who live around here.’
    ‘That’s our only hope,’ Olly said. ‘Shall we move on? This place creeps me out.’
    They wandered along Back Street, taking a turning along a street called River Road. Soon they found they were on a dirt track.
    ‘Ah, look, sweet,’ Olly said as they passed a dilapidated building whose front lawn was almost entirely covered in sunbathing kittens. Bella squatted to take a photograph as he went over to them.
    ‘Careful. That’s someone’s house,’ Bella said.
    ‘Nah, no one lives here. Look at it.’ Olly gestured at the broken fly screens, the litter on the porch and the general air of abandonment.
    ‘What’s that about, then?’ Bella said, pointing to a washing line full of grey vests and nappies. ‘I’ll bet they have a gun in there, too.’
    Olly hopped back on to the path and they kept going. The houses petered out and they found themselves on a small sandy beach by a fast-flowing river.
    ‘Fancy a dip?’ Bella said.
    ‘Don’t they have alligators and water snakes here?’ Olly said.
    ‘I don’t think so.’
    ‘And they have catfish, and they bite really badly.’
    ‘Oh.’
    They sat on the bank and looked at the river, inspecting it for critters. The movement of the light on the water and the sun beating down on her bare head sent Bella into a daze. She reached up and stretched like a cat, trying to work herself back to earth. Olly shifted and she stopped in mid-reach, feeling his gaze on her.
    ‘What?’ she said, turning to meet his look. ‘What?’
    ‘Jonny gave me this to give to you.’ He fished in his jeans pocket and brought out a crumpled, sealed envelope.
    She sighed, and left the letter in his hand. ‘Don’t even try, Olly. It doesn’t do you any favours.’
    ‘What do you mean?’ He narrowed his eyes at her.
    ‘Stop it,’ she said. ‘Just fucking stop it. It’s over. I’ve finished with him. I know and you know he’s just your little puppet.’
    ‘That’s not true,’ Olly said, his cheeks flushing.
    ‘It is. He’d do anything for you. It’s you he wants, you know. Not me.’
    ‘That’s fucking disgusting.’
    ‘And you trying to control me through your gay little “best mate” isn’t?’ Bella was on her feet now, slapping the dust from her bare legs. ‘If there was ever anything between me and Jonny – and there wasn’t, not really – it’s over, Olly. And you’ve just got to get used to it.’
    ‘Bella.’ Olly grasped at her leg.
    ‘Don’t you fucking touch me!’ she shouted, jerking away from him. Then she ripped the letter from his hand, tore it unopened into two pieces and flung it into the river, which carried it away like the paper boats the two of them had made as children.
    Olly jumped to his feet and grabbed her by the arms. ‘What did you do that for?’
    ‘Leave me,’ she said, fighting her way free from him. ‘You can’t do this, not any more. I’m my own person now.’
    ‘You think so?’ he said. ‘You think so? Well let me tell you, Bella. I’ve got my eye on you.’
    ‘And what’s that supposed to mean? You’re not my keeper.’
    ‘Just watch me.’ He took a deep breath, lowered his shoulders and said it again. ‘Just watch me.’
    ‘For fucksake.’ Bella had had enough. She snatched up her camera and headed off up the lane towards the village. But she knew he was behind her, and she could feel those eyes boring into her, all the way back to the house.

Five
    JAMES’S DIRECTIONS HAD ONCE AGAIN PROVED TO BE COMPLETELY useless. In the end, Lara had to stop and ask the way of a Goth kid leaning against a buckled crash barrier on a bend in the middle of nowhere. By the time she got over the mountain to town,