The One and Only Read Online Free PDF Page A

amazing. How did he always know ? Then I realised something. For the first time since I’d met him, Ryan sounded impressed.
    ‘So go on,’ he said.
    I told him – a (mostly) truthful summary of what we’d done and how up for it all Hayley had been – enjoying the way he hung on every word, his eyes wide and eager to hear it all.
    I got to the part where I’d slipped out of the flat leaving Hayley asleep and sat back, sipping my tea.
    ‘Wow.’ Ryan shook his head. ‘She’d never have done all that with me,’ he said. Then he looked me in the eyes. ‘What about Eve?’
    Her name was like a slap in the face. The truth was, I’d been trying not to think about Eve at all for the past few hours.
    ‘What about her?’ I glared at Ryan. ‘This doesn’t make any difference. It just happened. There’s no reason why Eve even has to know about it. Anyway, you were the one who kept insisting I should get off with Hayley. “Just listen. Then go for it.” That’s what you said.’
    ‘I didn’t think you’d get the chance to go for all of it.’ Ryan laughed. ‘So, you gonna see her again, man?’
    I shook my head. I’d already thought about that on the way home. Hayley was OK and she looked good, but I couldn’t imagine going out with her. All she ever seemed to talk about was her clothes and the stuff in the flat and how expensive it all was. The truth was I didn’t really like her very much. No. That wasn’t quite right. I did like her, as far as I felt anything at all. It was more that I didn’t really care about her. When I thought about what we’d just done together, it didn’t seem to have much to do with her. Still. Maybe sex was always like that.
    ‘Well that’s typical boy, that is,’ sneered a voice from the door.
    I spun round. Chloe was staring at both of us from the kitchen doorway.
    ‘You shag the poor girl, then run away before she wakes up, with no intention of calling her again.’
    ‘How long have you been there?’ Ryan said.
    ‘Long enough,’ Chloe snapped.
    I picked up my tea and stood up. ‘It’s none of your business, Chlo.’ I walked past her, through the doorway and into the hall.
    I could feel Chloe bristling behind me. ‘I can’t believe you went that far with someone behind Eve’s back. God, you are so sad.’
    ‘SHUT UP,’ I yelled, suddenly furious. ‘You don’t know anything about it. This hasn’t got anything to do with Eve.’
    Chloe stared at me. Her eyes were hard. I knew that expression well – she was itching for a fight. ‘I wonder if that’s how Eve’ll see it,’ she said nastily.
    I clenched my fists. ‘You’re not going to tell her.’ Fear flooded through me. What would Eve say if she knew? She would understand, wouldn’t she? It’s not like I planned what happened. And, after all, Eve had said she didn’t want me any more. I had no idea when she was coming back. If she was coming back.
    I tried to imagine telling her. ‘She mustn’t know,’ I said.
    Chloe opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, the phone rang. She darted into the kitchen and picked it up.
    ‘Matt? What’s happening?’
    A minute later she was back. ‘Luke?’ Her eyes filled with tears. ‘They’re really worried about Mum at the hospital. They’ve got to do an emergency caesarian – cut the baby out. Matt says we should go down there now.’
    I fell asleep slumped across three hospital waiting-room chairs at about seven am. We’d arrived at the hospital just as Mum had gone into the operating theatre. Chloe went off to leave a message with work that she was going to have to miss her first day.
    We’d hardly spoken on the way here in the taxi. We’d dropped Ryan off at his house – I noticed he and Chloe hadn’t said goodbye to each other, but I didn’t give it much thought. I was fighting hard to stay awake the whole time. I could see Chloe was worried about Mum, but I wasn’t. I couldn’t believe for a second anything bad could happen to her.