station, desperate to know what happened. Upon seeing him, Hannah burst into tears; Adam looked just like Jay, it was unsettling. For a second, she felt like Jay was right in front of her, the body on the floor a horrifying nightmare.
“Han, what happened?” Adam asked, a note of pleading in his voice. It could have been Jay speaking; they were so alike. Why was she being tortured like this?
“He’s dead. I walked in and he’d been stabbed. I’m so sorry. I can’t believe it.” Hannah collapsed into sobs as Adam hugged her. Crying silently together, Hannah wondered if Adam knew anything about Jay’s friends that she didn’t. She daren’t bring up the brick and the note. Adam had just lost his brother and friend. Knowing he was murdered was enough. Hannah couldn’t stop herself from wondering. Why would someone kill such a perfect man?
*** ***
Jay’s passing had a different effect on Hannah than Alfie’s did. She came to learn that Alfie’s death was not her fault; the autopsy results came back and he had been taking a lot of steroids, which had caused his heart attack. She was sad, but relieved that it wasn’t her fault; Jay had been telling the truth. Now, instead of weeping, Hannah felt angry, furious even. She couldn’t mourn when she felt like this. Why had Jay been taken from her? Why had someone killed her perfect wonderful boyfriend? She asked this question over and over in her head, and to Adam. She spent a lot of time with Jay’s family now; laying flowers with his mother and father almost on a daily basis. With Adam, she shared her anger and frustrations; the police weren’t working quickly enough, deciding this was another random stabbing, as was so frequent in Nottingham. They both felt that more could be done; the memory of Jay was being betrayed by the lack of action. Hannah secretly felt she could do a better job herself, but decided not to tell Adam. He drew his strength from Hannah and she didn’t want to harm him in any way.
One day, as she was with Adam, like she usually was, she brought up the corner shop.
“What’s going to happen there now? Is it going to stay shut until someone takes over the lease?”
“Oh Han, I almost forgot,” he said. “There’s loads of unopened post at Jay’s shop for you. I didn’t want to open it; I know that some of the post will be for Kupcake; it’s yours too, not just Jay’s.”
Hannah looked at her feet; she had been desperate to go back since the police had finished checking for fingerprints. It was the place she associated with Jay most; laying flowers outside hadn’t been quite the same. She wanted to find something that the police had missed; she wanted to kick-start the investigation again.
“Do you mind if I go there?” She asked Adam. “I’d like to go back, but I don’t want to cross any boundaries with you or your parents.”
“Han, I think you should go. I don’t mind, I think you should do what feels right for you. Mum and Dad don’t want to go inside; they don’t want to imagine Jay lying there. I kind of feel the same as them to be honest. Will you be okay going in?” Adam asked.
Hannah was grateful for Adam’s response; she had come to rely on him since Jay’s death and really appreciated him as a friend. “I’ll be fine thanks, unless you want to come and wait outside?”
“No thanks; I don’t think I can bring myself to go near the place. I miss him so much. Let me know if you need anything though, I can try and help,” offered Adam.
“I promise; I’ll let you know if I find anything that could be useful. If there’s anything your parents might need, I’ll bring that back too. Thanks, Adam.”
“Han, before you go. I know this is going to be hard for you; I just want you to know Jay loved you very much. You were all he talked about. I think you’re really brave to be going back. I don’t think I’ll ever be strong enough.”
Hannah smiled weakly as she left; her mind already on the shop.
“Han, what happened?” Adam asked, a note of pleading in his voice. It could have been Jay speaking; they were so alike. Why was she being tortured like this?
“He’s dead. I walked in and he’d been stabbed. I’m so sorry. I can’t believe it.” Hannah collapsed into sobs as Adam hugged her. Crying silently together, Hannah wondered if Adam knew anything about Jay’s friends that she didn’t. She daren’t bring up the brick and the note. Adam had just lost his brother and friend. Knowing he was murdered was enough. Hannah couldn’t stop herself from wondering. Why would someone kill such a perfect man?
*** ***
Jay’s passing had a different effect on Hannah than Alfie’s did. She came to learn that Alfie’s death was not her fault; the autopsy results came back and he had been taking a lot of steroids, which had caused his heart attack. She was sad, but relieved that it wasn’t her fault; Jay had been telling the truth. Now, instead of weeping, Hannah felt angry, furious even. She couldn’t mourn when she felt like this. Why had Jay been taken from her? Why had someone killed her perfect wonderful boyfriend? She asked this question over and over in her head, and to Adam. She spent a lot of time with Jay’s family now; laying flowers with his mother and father almost on a daily basis. With Adam, she shared her anger and frustrations; the police weren’t working quickly enough, deciding this was another random stabbing, as was so frequent in Nottingham. They both felt that more could be done; the memory of Jay was being betrayed by the lack of action. Hannah secretly felt she could do a better job herself, but decided not to tell Adam. He drew his strength from Hannah and she didn’t want to harm him in any way.
One day, as she was with Adam, like she usually was, she brought up the corner shop.
“What’s going to happen there now? Is it going to stay shut until someone takes over the lease?”
“Oh Han, I almost forgot,” he said. “There’s loads of unopened post at Jay’s shop for you. I didn’t want to open it; I know that some of the post will be for Kupcake; it’s yours too, not just Jay’s.”
Hannah looked at her feet; she had been desperate to go back since the police had finished checking for fingerprints. It was the place she associated with Jay most; laying flowers outside hadn’t been quite the same. She wanted to find something that the police had missed; she wanted to kick-start the investigation again.
“Do you mind if I go there?” She asked Adam. “I’d like to go back, but I don’t want to cross any boundaries with you or your parents.”
“Han, I think you should go. I don’t mind, I think you should do what feels right for you. Mum and Dad don’t want to go inside; they don’t want to imagine Jay lying there. I kind of feel the same as them to be honest. Will you be okay going in?” Adam asked.
Hannah was grateful for Adam’s response; she had come to rely on him since Jay’s death and really appreciated him as a friend. “I’ll be fine thanks, unless you want to come and wait outside?”
“No thanks; I don’t think I can bring myself to go near the place. I miss him so much. Let me know if you need anything though, I can try and help,” offered Adam.
“I promise; I’ll let you know if I find anything that could be useful. If there’s anything your parents might need, I’ll bring that back too. Thanks, Adam.”
“Han, before you go. I know this is going to be hard for you; I just want you to know Jay loved you very much. You were all he talked about. I think you’re really brave to be going back. I don’t think I’ll ever be strong enough.”
Hannah smiled weakly as she left; her mind already on the shop.
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