The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson Read Online Free PDF

background.’
    ‘Sounds like we’ve got a Number One single, right there,’ I say drily.
    ‘I wonder if Tom plays guitar,’ she muses, before nudging me again. ‘He’s so into you.’
    ‘Let’s go back inside,’ I reply with a smile.
    Back in the kitchen I hunt out some snacks. ‘I can’t go home drunk,’ I tell Natalie, who starts pulling crisps and biscuits out of the cupboards. ‘Actually, what’s the time?’ Stu said he’d come for me at eleven thirty, latest. I look around for a clock because my phone is in my bag in Natalie’s bedroom. The microwave says 12:33.
    ‘Shit!’ I exclaim. ‘Is that clock right?’
    ‘Nah,’ she brushes me off. ‘It’s always wrong.’
    ‘What about that one?’ I point at the oven’s digital display, which reads 10:45.
    ‘No, that needs resetting, too.’
    ‘Bloody hell,’ I mutter jokily, stalking out of the room into the corridor. I’ll go and get my mobile. I should probably text Stu, anyway. I turn to jog up the stairs, but stop suddenly when I see two people huddled together on the fourth step. They look up and my stomach falls. It’s Tom and Isla: his ex.
    ‘Sorry,’ I say, as Tom leans towards Isla to make room for me to pass. I thought they split up, but here they are, looking pretty cosy.
    I feel nauseous as I go into Natalie’s room and hunt out my mobile. There are three missed calls from Stu. Dammit! It’s 11.25pm. I’ve been drinking, I’ve been smoking, but if I text him now at least he won’t hate me for failing him on the time front, too. I type out a message. Soz. Ready now.
    He texts me straight back to say that he’s on his way. I stuff my phone back into my bag and sling it over my shoulder before steeling myself to go back downstairs. Tom and Isla are still sitting on the step, talking quietly.
    ‘Excuse me,’ I say as I start to walk down, my heart beating louder in my chest. Once more, Tom moves across for me.
    ‘You off?’ he asks, spying my bag.
    ‘Yep, gotta go.’
    I don’t look at Isla, but I can sense the tension between them. I bet she’s trying to win him back, and why wouldn’t he be persuaded? She’s popular, smart and beautiful. I must look like a mess next to her. If I was Tom, I wouldn’t be interested in the crazy girl who cries at parties, either. Biting my lip to stop it from wobbling, I go to say goodbye to Natalie. I find her in the garden, smoking with some of the others.
    ‘I’m off,’ I tell her quietly, leaning in to give her a hug.
    ‘No way? Really?’ She pulls away with shock.
    ‘Yeah, Stu’s on his way.’
    ‘Can’t you stay for a bit longer?’
    ‘No, he’ll go mental if I keep him waiting.’
    ‘OK.’ She looks disappointed. ‘Call me tomorrow.’
    ‘I will.’ I head back in to the house and to the front door, purposefully not looking back at the stairs as I go out the door.
    ‘You’ve been smoking,’ Stuart says the moment I climb into the car. ‘And drinking. You stink,’ he adds angrily.
    ‘I’m here, aren’t I?’ I reply.
    ‘Jesus Christ, Jessie!’ he snaps. ‘When is this going to stop?’
    ‘Please, Stu,’ I say wearily. ‘I’ve had a rough night.’
    ‘I don’t give a damn!’ he raises his voice. ‘You promised me. You’ve let me down. You keep letting me down! How can I ever trust you when you behave like this?’
    ‘ Please ,’ I say quietly, my eyes filling with tears. I don’t have the energy. Seeing Tom with Isla hurt me much more than I thought it would. It seemed like there was something between us in the garden, but I guess I was wrong.
    ‘You are something else, do you know that?’ He pulls away from the curb, and I don’t even bother to brush my tears away on the drive home. He probably thinks I’m crying to get attention, but this time he’s wrong. I wish I hadn’t gone out tonight. I don’t need any more pain in my life.

Chapter 4
    ‘A few of us are heading into Henley this evening,’ Natalie says to me the next day, when I