One Night Only (166 page)

Gin
a
discreetl
y
wipe
d
he
r
mout
h
wit
h
th
e
bac
k
o
f
her han
d
an
d
looke
d
a
t
it
.
Y
es
,
jus
t
a
s
sh
e
thought
,
sh
e
was
bleeding
.
Sh
e
couldn
’
t
le
t
Dann
y
se
e
he
r
lik
e
this
.
Sh
e
had t
o
sli
p
awa
y
befor
e
h
e
notice
d
he
r
tea
r
-stained
,
blood- staine
d
face
.

“Loo
k
wha
t
I
hav
e
fo
r
you!
”
sai
d
T
revo
r
an
d
the youn
g
boy
’
s
eye
s
dance
d
i
n
hi
s
hea
d
wit
h
anticipatio
n
as
hi
s
fathe
r
picke
d
u
p
th
e
bo
x
h
e
ha
d
place
d
o
n
th
e
counter
earlie
r
.

A
s
Dann
y
tor
e
th
e
bo
x
ope
n
an
d
pulle
d
ou
t
a
toy plane
,
Gin
a
sa
w
he
r
opportunit
y
an
d
lef
t
th
e
kitche
n
to fin
d
th
e
solac
e
o
f
th
e
downstair
s
bathroom
.

Sh
e
close
d
th
e
doo
r
behin
d
he
r
an
d
leane
d
agains
t
it.
Sh
e
fel
t
dizz
y
an
d
draine
d
an
d
sh
e
coul
d
barel
y
breathe. He
r
ja
w
hur
t
an
d
th
e
bloo
d
wa
s
comin
g
heavie
r
no
w
.
She
leane
d
ove
r
th
e
sin
k
an
d
spa
t
brigh
t
re
d
pool
s
ove
r
the star
k
col
d
whit
e
porcelain
,
the
n
rinse
d
he
r
mout
h
and trie
d
t
o
ignor
e
th
e
stin
g
wher
e
he
r
toot
h
ha
d
pierce
d
the
insid
e
o
f
he
r
cheek
.
I
t
wasn
’
t
th
e
wors
t
she’
d
ha
d
t
o
suffe
r
,
no
t
b
y
a
lon
g
shot
,
bu
t
th
e
timin
g
o
f
i
t
all
,
afte
r
Marco, mad
e
i
t
al
l
th
e
mor
e
fierce
.
Sh
e
didn
’
t
deserv
e
it
.
N
o
one
deserve
d
t
o
suffe
r
lik
e
that
.
Bu
t
sh
e
ha
d
betraye
d
hi
m
and, dee
p
inside
,
sh
e
kne
w
h
e
coul
d
tell
.

Ruth
was
in
her
ca
r
.
She
was
driving
it.
She
was
driving
it
toward
s
th
e
cit
y
.
Afte
r
that
,
sh
e
ha
d
n
o
ide
a
wha
t
sh
e
was
goin
g
t
o
do
,
bu
t
sh
e
wa
s
hun
g
ove
r
an
d
feelin
g
brave
.
Her
Alf
a
Rome
o
zoome
d
dow
n
th
e
motorwa
y
toward
s
Belfast
an
d
sh
e
fel
t
a
fir
e
i
n
he
r
bell
y
tha
t
sh
e
hadn
’
t
fel
t
i
n
a
very
lon
g
time
.
I
t
wa
s
a
‘carp
e
diem
’
feeling
.
A
no
w
o
r
neve
r
. A
‘so
d
it
,
I’l
l
tak
e
th
e
chance
’
notio
n
tha
t
ha
d
com
e
o
n
her moment
s
afte
r
he
r
so
n
lef
t
fo
r
hi
s
rugb
y
game
.

Sh
e
ha
d
bee
n
sittin
g
alon
e
a
t
he
r
kitche
n
table
,
nursing
a
col
d
cu
p
o
f
coffe
e
whe
n
th
e
ide
a
cam
e
int
o
he
r
head. Melani
e
wa
s
stil
l
vegetatin
g
o
n
th
e
sof
a
insid
e
an
d
th
e
trill o
f
po
p
musi
c
wa
s
boomin
g
o
n
Ruth
’
s
fragil
e
head
.
She
didn
’
t
realis
e
i
t
unti
l
afterwards
,
bu
t
sh
e
ha
d
bee
n
staring a
t
th
e
sam
e
spo
t
o
n
th
e
kitche
n
tabl
e
fo
r
a
t
leas
t
six
minutes
,
he
r
min
d
emptyin
g
a
s
sh
e
focuse
d
o
n
th
e
here an
d
no
w
.

Jef
f
wa
s
gone
.
Ther
e
wa
s
n
o
mor
e
lif
e
wit
h
Jeff
.
Her
busines
s
wa
s
a
sham
.
Sh
e
ha
d
n
o
mor
e
desir
e
t
o
design
brochure
s
o
r
website
s
tha
n
sh
e
ha
d
t
o
g
o
bac
k
t
o
her bogu
s
lif
e
i
n
London
,
ful
l
o
f
pretentiou
s
asshole
s
who trul
y
believe
d
tha
t
mone
y
mad
e
th
e
worl
d
g
o
round
.
She
ha
d
tw
o
health
y
,
i
f
sometime
s
ungrateful
,
teenagers
.
She
ha
d
a
beautifu
l
roo
f
ove
r
he
r
head
,
a
nic
e
ca
r
,
sh
e
had bee
n
reunite
d
wit
h
peopl
e
tha
t
use
d
t
o
hat
e
he
r
an
d
who no
w
calle
d
he
r
a
friend
.
Sh
e
ha
d
t
o
sta
y
i
n
tun
e
wit
h
the presen
t
an
d
loo
k
toward
s
th
e
future
.
Bu
t
ever
y
tim
e
she
though
t
o
f
tha
t
word
,
sh
e
sa
w
he
r
mother
’
s
face
.