Page 43 (1/2)

He went upstairs to get changed

“I’h sobs

It seeise

“Coh the door of his tiny house

“Who is it?” his flatmate Stephen shouted from the kitchen

“Rainne,” Alastair called back

Rainne was about to say that she would leave, that she couldn’t face anyone else

“We’ll be in my room,” Alastair shouted

He took her hand and led her up the narrow staircase At the top were two doors He opened the one on the left Rainne hesitated on the threshold

“It’s okay,” he said, and tugged her gently inside

The walls were grey, the curtains were standard rental house brown and the carpet was a colour she couldn’t describe The closest she could coed in the corner under the sloping roof, an old wooden wardrobe, a desk covered with fishing gear and a laptop sitting on a chair The place was surprisingly clean and tidy

“Sit down,” he said

She looked around but didn’t knohere to sit The bed see place

“Ah, okay, wait a minute,” Alastair told her

He disappeared She heard pounding on the stairs, then he reappeared with a large beanbag He plopped it in the middle of the poop-coloured carpet