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But the sound of voices, the smell of food and kids, faded The whole scene blurred around the edges Only Cah a tunnel She saw his fingers tighten on the edge of the table His jaw tightened infinitesihten but she knew the id

She knew because it was happening to her

His eyes relayed a e she didn’t want to read—emotion She felt her own e perilously close to trust

Vulnerability

No Dragging her eyes away, she concentrated on loosening her grip on the knife, rolled tension fro to happen Not even when she noticed he washer with those bluer-than-blue eyes

‘Not your boyfriend, eh?’ Joan chuckled ‘He’s been distracted all evening And you too, I think’

Didi glared at the sandwich as she sliced it into ruthless triangles, not being distracted by the man and her unwise reaction to him ‘I don’t need a man in my life’

‘Ah, but maybe he needs you,’ Joan murmured

Didi’s laugh came too fast, sounded too brittle She reached for more bread, more ham Ca to It would never be anything else Caement was all there was

And she’d agreed

So……She lifted her eyes…He was talking to a boy with a baseball cap on backwards and dirt-stained hands

A shout nearby had Didi turning sharply A teenager had collapsed and was lying on the floor Cairl in seconds ‘Call an ast the crowd gathering around the unconscious girl ‘Everyone o wait out the front for the ambos’

Joan flew into action, phoning the eency services while Didi rushed around the counter and elbowed her way to Ca The girl was sheet white, her lips blue, skin cold to the touch when Didi took her hand