One Night Only (171 page)

Bria
n
patte
d
he
r
leg
,
an
d
the
n
stubbe
d
ou
t
hi
s
cigarette unde
r
hi
s
shoe
.

“
Y
ou’r
e
he
r
daughte
r
,
”
h
e
said
,
hi
s
voic
e
stead
y
and
gentle
.
“
Y
ou’r
e
he
r
fles
h
an
d
bloo
d
an
d
onc
e
thi
s
i
s
all ove
r
i
t
ma
y
b
e
th
e
perfec
t
tim
e
t
o
star
t
al
l
ove
r
again.
”

“Oh
,
woul
d
yo
u
liste
n
t
o
the
m
playin
g
happ
y
families
!
” a
spitefu
l
voic
e
interrupte
d
them
.

Samanth
a
ha
d
bee
n
standin
g
behin
d
the
m
th
e
whole tim
e
an
d
ha
d
save
d
announcin
g
he
r
presenc
e
unti
l
sh
e
had hear
d
wha
t
sh
e
wante
d
to
.

“No
t
no
w
,
Samantha
.
I
thin
k
you’v
e
sai
d
enough.
”

Bria
n
wa
s
cal
m
bu
t
Ruth
’
s
hear
t
wa
s
thumpin
g
with fea
r
o
f
wha
t
th
e
othe
r
woma
n
woul
d
sa
y
t
o
he
r
next
.

“I’
m
onl
y
starting,
”
sai
d
Samantha
.
“
Y
o
u
ma
y
b
e
her
fles
h
an
d
blood
,
bu
t
I
hav
e
bee
n
mor
e
o
f
a
daughte
r
to you
r
mothe
r
tha
n
yo
u
hav
e
eve
r
been!
”
Sh
e
li
t
u
p
a
long whit
e
mentho
l
cigarett
e
an
d
exhale
d
lik
e
a
rebellious
teenage
r
.

“Don
’
t
sa
y
that!
”

“
Y
o
u
mak
e
m
e
sick,
”
continue
d
Samantha
.
“Ho
w
dare yo
u
cas
t
judgemen
t
o
n
m
y
fathe
r
whe
n
yo
u
didn
’
t
even
giv
e
hi
m
a
chance
?
Y
o
u
don
’
t
belon
g
aroun
d
her
e
any more
.
Y
ou’r
e
no
t
par
t
o
f
thi
s
family
!
I
thin
k
i
t
woul
d
be bes
t
fo
r
u
s
al
l
i
f
yo
u
jus
t
g
o
hom
e
t
o
you
r
ric
h
ma
n
and you
r
bi
g
fa
t
fanc
y
lifestyl
e
i
n
Londo
n
wit
h
you
r
two- point-fou
r
children
!
W
e
wer
e
neve
r
goo
d
enoug
h
fo
r
you s
o
jus
t
leav
e
u
s
alone!
”

“That
’
s
enough
,
Samantha,
”
sai
d
Brian
.
“Thi
s
isn
’
t
the tim
e
no
r
i
s
i
t
th
e
plac
e
t
o
dis
h
th
e
dir
t
o
n
m
y
siste
r
.
She
ha
s
com
e
her
e
becaus
e
sh
e
ha
s
a
righ
t
t
o
b
e
here
.
And ther
e
ar
e
peopl
e
watching!
”

“O
h
sto
p
stickin
g
u
p
fo
r
he
r
–
yo
u
sai
d
th
e
same,
”
said Samantha
,
lookin
g
a
t
Bria
n
no
w
.
“Sh
e
ha
s
n
o
plac
e
here an
y
more
.
Y
o
u
sai
d
it!
”

Rut
h
froze
.
Ha
d
Bria
n
reall
y
sai
d
th
e
same
?
He
r
own brother
?
He
r
hear
t
wa
s
bein
g
crushe
d
no
w
,
s
o
badl
y
she
coul
d
almos
t
hea
r
it
,
crumplin
g
u
p
int
o
a
tin
y
bal
l
inside
he
r
chest
.

“
I
didn
’
t
sa
y
i
t
quit
e
lik
e
that,
”
sai
d
Brian
.

Rut
h
stoo
d
up
,
awa
y
fro
m
him
.
Sh
e
wa
s
a
n
outcast.
The
y
ha
d
al
l
bee
n
talkin
g
abou
t
he
r
.
The
y
hate
d
he
r
.
All
o
f
them
.
Sh
e
wasn
’
t
par
t
o
f
th
e
famil
y
.
Samanth
a
ha
d
said it
.
An
d
Bria
n
too
?

“Wha
t
exactl
y
di
d
yo
u
sa
y
then
,
Brian?
”
aske
d
Ruth. He
r
li
p
quivered
.
Hearin
g
thi
s
wa
s
wors
e
tha
n
anything Samanth
a
coul
d
hav
e
throw
n
a
t
he
r
.