The One and Only Read Online Free PDF

I mean, she was only having a baby. Even if it wasn’t happening the normal way. People had babies every day.
    As I slept I dreamed of Eve. Not the normal X-rated dreams I had about her. But one where her face kept floating in front of me, her eyes full of hurt. Don’t you love me, Luke? And I kept reaching out to touch her face, to tell her that I did love her. That I loved her more than anything. But she kept floating away, out of reach.
    I woke up, missing her so hard it was like a stone in my chest. Chloe was shaking my shoulder.
    ‘Mum’s OK. She’s had the baby. A boy. We can go in and see her.’
    I stared up at her, bleary-eyed. It took me a few seconds to take in what she was saying. I sat up, blinking.
    Chloe’s lips trembled. ‘I was so worried.’ Tears leaked out of her eyes. ‘Imagine if she’d died too, Luke.’ She bent over, crying.
    I put my arm around her, yawning. ‘Hey. Hey. It’s all right,’ I said, rubbing my hand over her shoulder.
    Chloe nestled against me. ‘I’m sorry I was such a bitch earlier,’ she sniffed. ‘I mean, I suppose I did tell you to go out on a date with Hayley, and it’s not your fault if she’s a total slut and your brain’s in your trousers.’
    I grinned. Only Chloe could turn an apology into an insult in a single sentence.
    ‘Come on,’ I said. ‘Let’s go and see Mum.’
    A nurse took us down to one of the little rooms off the main ward. Mum lay in bed, asleep. Matt was sitting beside her, his face in his hands. As we reached the bed, he looked up.
    ‘She’s resting,’ he whispered. ‘Don’t go upsetting her.’
    For God’s sake.
    ‘We’re not going to upset her,’ I whispered back. ‘We just wanted to make sure she was all right.’
    ‘She’s fine.’ Matt sighed. ‘It was awful, though. Worse for me, to be honest. She was totally out of it once they started drugging her up. But then they started trying to get the baby out and they couldn’t and . . . anyway . . . it’s all over now.’
    ‘Where’s the baby?’ Chloe said.
    ‘Baby Unit.’ Matt sighed, again. ‘He was premature, remember. They say he’s OK – they’re just making sure, I think.’ He paused. ‘Your mum wants to call him Sam. ‘
    As Mum was fast asleep, Matt offered to take us up to see the baby. We had to wash our hands before going into the ward – there were rows of little cots, some of them attached to big machines. Matt took us over to a cot in the corner. A tiny bundle of blue blanket was rolled up in the middle of it, a scrunched-up red face peeking out of the top.
    ‘He’s beautiful,’ Chloe breathed.
    I stared at the baby. ‘Beautiful’ was not the word I would have chosen. In fact, ‘frigging ugly’ would have been closer to the truth. Still . . .
    ‘He looks like you, Matt,’ I said.
    Matt shrugged. ‘Yeah, the nurses said that, too.’
    Chloe asked if she could hold the baby and one of the nurses helped her take him in her arms. They asked me if I wanted to hold him too. I said no. He was way too scarily small and floppy.
    Chloe oohed and aahed for a bit. Then we went back downstairs to see if Mum was awake. She was sitting up in bed, still looking a bit pale. She said she was going to be in hospital for a few days. She asked Chloe again not to move out – but Chloe was adamant.
    ‘I’m sorry but I can’t not, Mum. I’ve already had to take today off work and I’m paying rent on the flat as from right now. I gotta go in tomorrow – it’s the busiest time, just before Christmas.’
    Mum looked dopily over at me.
    ‘Luke, I want you to go and stay at Matt’s, then.’
    I shook my head. ‘No way, Mum. I’ll be fine on my own. I’ll call Trisha if there’s any problem.’
    Mum glanced at Matt.
    Don’t look at him. It hasn’t got anything to do with him.
    Matt shrugged. I could tell he was relieved.
    Mum looked back at me. ‘OK, but no parties, Luke. No . . . no mucking about.’ She stared at me as if she could see exactly what