No Dress Rehearsal Read Free Page A

cards says you should,” she insisted.
    â€œI know, but you
want
to go,” Lizzie pleaded. “Why don’t you go and have a look? Even if you decide to hate it, at least you’ll have found out.”
    â€œIt’s low self-esteem,” Sinead had laughed. “Because I’m
not
worth it!”

CHAPTER FIVE
    At midnight Lizzie decided she’d better go to bed. But Neil still hadn’t returned. In the cold, lonely bed, she lay staring into the darkness. There was no hope of getting any sleep. She was too worried. She had a horrible feeling that very bad things were about to happen.
    Where was Neil? He’d never done this to her before. He was a decent fella. But where the hell was he? Was he with someone else?
In bed
with someone else?
    No, she couldn’t believe that. They’dhad a row, that was all. Okay, so they’d had lots of rows lately. But he loved her. He’d told her he loved her. Only that very morning.
    â€œI just don’t want to get married,” he’d said. “We’re fine as we are.”
    â€œBut … but what would be the harm?”
    â€œI love you,” he’d said. “You’re the woman for me. But I’m not ready for all that business. Buying a house. Having babies. Not yet.”
    â€œBut you’re thirty-three!”
    â€œI still feel too young. Come on, Lizzie, we’ve a good life. We have a good laugh. Let’s enjoy it!”
    â€œBut …”
    And then she’d said no more. Best not to push him too far.
    But it looked like she might have pushed him too far. The alarm clock by her bed clicked as each second tickedby. Each tick sounded as loud as the crack of a whip. She decided she was getting a digital clock. At least they were silent.
    She kept switching on the lamp to check the time. One o’clock. Half-past one. Ten past two. Each time, her panic got worse.
    At five past three she heard a key in the lock, then a thump as a shoulder pushed the front door. Thank God! Thank God! He was home.
    He barged into the bedroom and turned on the light. His eyes were wild.
    â€œWhere were you?” she asked. Her voice shook.
    But he just stared around the room, not really looking at anything. His eyes slid over her. As if he couldn’t see her. Then, as she smelt the drink from him, she understood. He was jarred.
    â€œStill not talking to me?” she asked.“Even though I’m worried out of my mind.”
    She watched his mad eyes fix on a pile of clothes on a chair. He picked a jumper off the top of the heap. It was one of hers. Then he sank onto the bed. As she watched in disbelief, he pressed his face into it. Was he going to puke? On her good jumper?
    But he didn’t. Instead Neil took a deep breath and inhaled the smell of the wool. That threw her. She hadn’t a clue what he was up to. But whatever it was, it was very odd. She eyed him, as he rocked back and forth, the jumper to his face.
    After a while he got into bed, then turned off the light. Seconds later, in the darkness, she heard a noise from him. Again she thought he might be about to puke. Until she realised that he was … surely not? …
crying
?
    The sound broke her heart.
    â€œLet’s be friends,” she said softly. She couldn’t be doing with this fighting. She moved across the sheets and pressed herself up against his back. But he shivered like a wet dog and drew away.
    Badly hurt, she moved away again.
    She thought she’d never be able to sleep as she was far too upset. But she did doze off. And when she woke up, he wasn’t beside her. Terrified, she hopped out of bed and ran around the flat. There was no sign of him anywhere.
    Of course, Lizzie wasn’t to know that the night before Neil had rushed over to her parents. To try to comfort them and himself. And that after he’d come to bed and nodded off, he’d only managed two hours sleep. At five a.m. he jerked awake. Wide