Haunting of Lily Frost Read Free

laughing.
    â€˜It’s not funny, Lil. We were going to tell you tonight. We’ve bought an old house and we’re moving.’
    At this point, that sense of being under water, suffocating and sinking, floods back and there’s nowhere to go. There’s just my mum’s face and her words, slamming into me. When I spin round, Ruby looks white. She reaches for my hand and pulls me towards her.
    But Mum hasn’t finished. ‘I’m sorry. But this house, it’s –’ she stumbles.
    â€˜Ours.’ I raise my eyebrows.
    â€˜â€œExpensive” is what I was going to say. With your dad being out of work over the past year, we can’t afford the mortgage.’
    â€˜He’ll get a new job.’ I sound really whiney.
    â€˜Maybe. Maybe not. But we want to make some changes. We think it’ll be good for all of us.’
    â€˜How? How can it be good? It’s not good for me.’
    â€˜I know you think that now—’
    â€˜No, Mum. I don’t think that. I know that. This is my home. I love this house. I’m not leaving.’
    â€˜Let’s talk about it later, when your father comes home,’ she says softly.
    â€˜Why?’
    â€˜Because he wants to be part of the conversation, too.’
    At this point, all our yelling triggers something in my brother Max, because he wanders into the kitchen in that slouchy way of his and opens the fridge, looking for something to eat.
    â€˜Did you hear what Mum just said?’ I’m hoping to get a reaction. ‘We’re moving to the country.’
    Shutting the fridge door and holding a plate of cold sausages, he shrugs. ‘Is it beach country or country country?’
    â€˜How would I know? Maybe Mum can tell us all about it, now that her little secret’s out.’
    Mum stares past me, maybe at the door, hoping Dad will come home from wherever he is and take over the difficult bits of this conversation. Now that she’s broken the news, she doesn’t want to go into the details.
    â€˜Mum?’
    â€˜It’s country country. About two hours away.’
    â€˜Two hours!’ I slam out of the kitchen, smash my way through the house to my bedroom, which is down the back, away from the others. And I’ve never been happier about that. The further away I can get from Mum the better. As I throw myself on the bed, Jasper, my cat, leaps up after me and nuzzles in under my stomach. He always knows when I need someone, but tonight nothing’s going to work.
    Trailing after me, Ruby shuts the door as she comes in and surprises me. I’d forgotten she was even there.
    â€˜Lil …’
    â€˜What?’ It comes out sharper than I mean it to.
    â€˜I didn’t see that coming,’ she says quietly.
    â€˜Why would they –’
    â€˜I dunno.’
    â€˜But what about me?’ Even to myself, I sound pathetic.
    â€˜It’s okay.’
    She sits down on the bed and leans into me, trying to get me back, but I’m gone – already sinking down inside my head with angry thoughts about running away.
    â€˜It’s not, Rubes.’
    â€˜No. It’s not great, but it could be worse.’
    â€˜How?’
    She smiles. ‘You could be dead.’
    â€˜How would that be worse? At least then I wouldn’t have to move . ’
    She takes my hand. ‘Moving to the country might even be good.’
    She’s my best friend, but I hate anyone telling me things are going to be okay when they don’t know they are. I just want it straight; not Ruby trying to be positive.
    â€˜How will it be good? Moving away? A new school. New house. New everything. How is that good?’
    She sighs then and wraps her muscly arms around me, not quite reaching all the way. I really want to cry, but I haven’t got any tears.
    Ruby’s left; she’s not stupid. She knows it might not be one of our happier family dinners, so she’s escaped, even