Gone Read Online Free PDF Page A

going for a drink?” I tuck her hair behind her ear as I ask again. It’s an automatic motion for me.
    Her eyes flicker over mine as my hand comes to a rest back on the counter. “Really, you want to go for a drink? I thought you were never going to drink again? Not ever?”
    That’s true, I did say that. More than once. “Maybe I changed my mind. Do you fancy one or not?”
    “Shall we call the others?”
    I glance at the clock on the wall. It’s five in the afternoon. They’ll be preening and smothering themselves in aftershave getting ready to shag some holiday makers. “Nah, just us.”
    She raises her eyebrow again. “Okay then, but Dan is going to be pissed when he finds out you have broken your dry spell and he wasn’t there to gloat.”
    “And that’s why we are not calling them. Come on lets go.”
    The air is warm and dry as we march up the lane to the local pub; August is reigning supreme and supplying the British Isles with a scorching summer. Shame for me this means more holiday makers are arriving every day instead of ripping up Spain or Ibiza.
    We walk in silence to the pub. As we walk through the door the whole place which is packed with local’s, stops and stares at me as we walk in. Then they stare at Faye, and then they glance between us ‘that’ look on their faces.
    I haven’t been in here for six months. I would imagine Faye hasn’t been in here since yesterday, but that’s not what’s causing the strange looks. Whenever Faye and I go anywhere together we get these sympathetic glances. I learnt to ignore them a while back. People can’t help feeling sorry for us. The expression we are normally met with is part sympathy, part hopeful optimism that one day we might get together. Which we won’t.  Not that she isn’t beautiful but it would be like shagging a sister if I had one. And I hear that’s frowned upon.
    The village adopted me fifteen years ago when I arrived in town as a five year old orphan. My parents were killed in a car crash, yeah it sucks, but the truth is I only have the faintest memories of my life before that day. Aunt May has been my only real family since then, with the local community acting like an extended unit of well-wishing Aunts and Uncles. I met Faye on my first day. I was getting out of the car, and there was this skinny girl hiding behind a hedge, watching me with over large dark eyes. She ran down the lane, and I chased after her leaving Aunt May calling in my wake.
    “Alright, Josh? Pint of the usual is it?” Eric the barman starts to pull me a pint of the local Scrumpy just like I have never been away. Just like he doesn’t know the reason why I haven’t been in the pub for six months. All the locals spin back around in their seats and also pretend that they don’t know why Joshua Adams has been M.I.A for six months. And for once I am pleased that they choose to ignore me. It’s almost like I can hear them breathing a sigh of relief. “It’s okay Josh hasn’t totally flipped. He can still drink cider. All is not lost.”
    “Thanks, Eric.” I take the pint he offers me, allowing the cool liquid to slosh over my fingers from the over filled glass just like it did in days past. There used to be times when we all used to wear more cider than drink it.
    By the time we have our cloudy pints our table has mysteriously become free. I’m being treated like royalty!
    I should have a psychotic break more often.
    “So, have you seen the new family?” Faye asks after taking a deep sip of her pint.
    “Nope. The only people I’ve seen are some fucking rude holiday makers.”
    Faye rolls her eyes as I take a sip of my drink. It tastes good. Cool and sweet, and easier going down then I would have expected. “What new family?” I ask when I have finished.
    “A couple from London and their two girls, they’ve moved into Bridge Cottage.” Our eyes instantly meet, and her words create a tightening in my stomach. She waits for me to say something,