Earlier that day, we were at the beach and he said he saw a girl, but there was no one there. When I asked him about it, he said that I wouldn’t be able to see her. He seemed…scared, Jules. I’m worried about him, Heather too. I can’t put my finger on it, but something is off.”
Jules nods. “I know what you mean, but it’s a really, really old house. I know your mum doesn’t go in for all that stuff, but I believe that houses absorb things that happen inside them, like sponges. Sometimes, with very old houses like this one, we may get echoes of the past.”
“So you think I should stop worrying.”
“I think that Heather has an imaginary friend and I think that Danny may be trying to compensate for the loss of his best friend.”
I sigh. It makes so much sense when she puts it like that in the light of day. Gosh, I remember how I used to scare myself when I was younger.
“Besides,” Jules continues, “Mary says you had one too.”
“Had what?”
“An imaginary friend, when you were around three years old.”
“Really?” Now this is news to me. I don’t recall an imaginary friend. The only things I recall are the voices, whispers really. They started when I was eleven. The only person I told was Liam, and then mum, just the once, after which we never spoke about it again and they went away.
“I bet you anything that once the twins start school and you start college, everything will go back to normal.”
I hope she’s right. I want to tell her about Liam, but don’t want to put her in a position to have to lie to mum. I gnaw on my lip.
“Gemma? What is it?”
“Liam’s coming to visit tomorrow,” I blurt out. Great! I’m so good at keeping secrets.
“That’s great.” She grins. “So what’s the problem?”
“Mum.”
“Ah, yeah, she has a thing about your close friendship, doesn’t she?”
“Yep, but… Liam and I are more than friends now.”
Her brows shoot up. “When did this happen? Oh, honey, is that why you were so upset when we moved?”
I shake my head. “No, I mean, the move prompted me to take a chance and tell him how I felt. Turns out he feels the same way.”
She clasps her hands together and makes a ace. “Ooo! I love it. So romantic! Don’t worry. I’ll talk to your mum while we’re out.”
“You will?”
“Course I will.”
“You know, I’m glad mum met you, Jules. You’re kinda cool.”
Jules pretends to flick her hair back and it’s funny ‘cos her hair is real short. “Well, what can I say?”
I laugh and she gives me a hug. Last night’s fear seems miles away.
21
JULES
There is a huge box in the hallway. I know who it’s from instantly. Mary walks in clutching a box opener and shoots me a sour look.
I chuckle. “Come on, it can’t be that bad. At least he remembered.”
She snorts and slits the box open. I glance over her shoulder and swallow a laugh.
She sits back on her heels. “Well, if he’s going to overcompensate for screwing someone else, then who best to reap the benefits than the kids?”
“Either that or he’s trying to tell me that he’s more of a man than I am.”
“Which is blissfully true.” She tilts her head back for a kiss which I happily deliver.
We stare at the ride on electric cars which I know cost a couple of hundred each. I know because we wanted to buy them but couldn’t afford to.
Mary shuts the box and stands up. “Come on, help me hide these.”
We drag the box toward the huge cupboard under the stairs and somehow manage to shove it in amongst all the other stuff crammed in there.
“Have you spoke to him about visits?”
She nods.
“And?”
“He says he’ll have to speak to Kelly. They have winter holiday plans. Apparently, New York is the place to be.”
I snort. “Doesn’t matter, I’m sure the kids will have a fab time here. Can you imagine this place in winter, the snow and everything?”
She smiles. “I can, and I can’t wait.”
Gemma joins us in staring at
Jules nods. “I know what you mean, but it’s a really, really old house. I know your mum doesn’t go in for all that stuff, but I believe that houses absorb things that happen inside them, like sponges. Sometimes, with very old houses like this one, we may get echoes of the past.”
“So you think I should stop worrying.”
“I think that Heather has an imaginary friend and I think that Danny may be trying to compensate for the loss of his best friend.”
I sigh. It makes so much sense when she puts it like that in the light of day. Gosh, I remember how I used to scare myself when I was younger.
“Besides,” Jules continues, “Mary says you had one too.”
“Had what?”
“An imaginary friend, when you were around three years old.”
“Really?” Now this is news to me. I don’t recall an imaginary friend. The only things I recall are the voices, whispers really. They started when I was eleven. The only person I told was Liam, and then mum, just the once, after which we never spoke about it again and they went away.
“I bet you anything that once the twins start school and you start college, everything will go back to normal.”
I hope she’s right. I want to tell her about Liam, but don’t want to put her in a position to have to lie to mum. I gnaw on my lip.
“Gemma? What is it?”
“Liam’s coming to visit tomorrow,” I blurt out. Great! I’m so good at keeping secrets.
“That’s great.” She grins. “So what’s the problem?”
“Mum.”
“Ah, yeah, she has a thing about your close friendship, doesn’t she?”
“Yep, but… Liam and I are more than friends now.”
Her brows shoot up. “When did this happen? Oh, honey, is that why you were so upset when we moved?”
I shake my head. “No, I mean, the move prompted me to take a chance and tell him how I felt. Turns out he feels the same way.”
She clasps her hands together and makes a ace. “Ooo! I love it. So romantic! Don’t worry. I’ll talk to your mum while we’re out.”
“You will?”
“Course I will.”
“You know, I’m glad mum met you, Jules. You’re kinda cool.”
Jules pretends to flick her hair back and it’s funny ‘cos her hair is real short. “Well, what can I say?”
I laugh and she gives me a hug. Last night’s fear seems miles away.
21
JULES
There is a huge box in the hallway. I know who it’s from instantly. Mary walks in clutching a box opener and shoots me a sour look.
I chuckle. “Come on, it can’t be that bad. At least he remembered.”
She snorts and slits the box open. I glance over her shoulder and swallow a laugh.
She sits back on her heels. “Well, if he’s going to overcompensate for screwing someone else, then who best to reap the benefits than the kids?”
“Either that or he’s trying to tell me that he’s more of a man than I am.”
“Which is blissfully true.” She tilts her head back for a kiss which I happily deliver.
We stare at the ride on electric cars which I know cost a couple of hundred each. I know because we wanted to buy them but couldn’t afford to.
Mary shuts the box and stands up. “Come on, help me hide these.”
We drag the box toward the huge cupboard under the stairs and somehow manage to shove it in amongst all the other stuff crammed in there.
“Have you spoke to him about visits?”
She nods.
“And?”
“He says he’ll have to speak to Kelly. They have winter holiday plans. Apparently, New York is the place to be.”
I snort. “Doesn’t matter, I’m sure the kids will have a fab time here. Can you imagine this place in winter, the snow and everything?”
She smiles. “I can, and I can’t wait.”
Gemma joins us in staring at
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