Read Online Nine Letters Long by J.C. Burke - Free Book Online Page A

only Evie hears the words whispered, ‘No Mamma. No Mamma.’
    â€˜Come. Nu int’eleg ,’ Nora continues. ‘Mamma cannot go on unless you speak to me. Please, my darling. Speak to me.’
    The words hover around Nora’s chair. ‘Never again. Never again,’ it murmurs. ‘Never again. Unforgivable. Unforgivable Mamma. Never again.’
    Â 
    Evie is still sitting at the table when her parents arrive to take her home. Victoria shakes her head. ‘It didn’t go too well,’ she tells them. ‘Nora’s very good at the dramatic exits and entrances, but she’ll be back.’
    Robin rushes to where her daughter is sitting. ‘Evie!’ She turns to Victoria and Nick. ‘I knew this wasn’t a good idea. How could we let her do this?’
    â€˜Please, Robin, let me explain.’
    â€˜What on earth could you say to make this better?’ She puts her hands on Evie’s shoulders. ‘Let’s get you out of here. Come on, Nick.’
    â€˜Mum, it’s not Victoria’s fault,’ Evie sighs. ‘It just wasn’t going to work. It never was.’
    â€˜If you ask me, the whole idea was pretty bloody awful!’
    â€˜Well, it doesn’t matter any more,’ Evie tells her. ‘Nora Cuza thinks I’m the biggest fake in the world. I don’t have anything to tell her.’
    â€˜You mean, that’s it?’
    â€˜Yep.’ Evie lies for the second time. ‘It ended up being … nothing.’
    As Evie leaves the flat, her eyes connect with Victoria’s. She knows.
    Â 
    â€˜Alex is on the phone,’ Robin calls. ‘Evie?’
    â€˜I’ll take it in your room.’ Evie lies on her parents’ bed and picks up the receiver on her father’s bedside table. ‘You can hang up now, Mum.’
    â€˜Hey, I thought you were coming to the movies last night.’ Alex says. ‘What happened?’
    â€˜I got a really bad headache.’ That’s not exactly a lie, Evie thinks. By the time she got back from Victoria’s, her head was thumping. ‘Was it a good night? Who went?’
    â€˜Me and Zac. Um, Seb, Roxy –’
    â€˜Roxy went?’
    â€˜Yeah. She’s great.’
    Evie rolls her eyes.
    â€˜You’d really like her,’ Alex tells her. ‘I reckon there might be a bit of chemistry between her and Seb, you know.’
    â€˜Oh?’
    â€˜Well, she seemed pretty hot for Seb.’
    â€˜Yeah?’
    â€˜Would you believe she asked if you and Seb were an item?’ Alex chuckles. ‘I said you’d die if people thought you were going out with him.’
    â€˜No I wouldn’t,’ Evie says a bit too quickly. ‘I mean … I mean, Seb’s a great guy. There’s nothing wrong with him.’
    â€˜Well, don’t worry. I assured Roxy there was absolutely nothing going on with you and Seb.’ Alex crunches away at something as she speaks. ‘Don’t you think Roxy and Seb would make a cute couple? I do. Hey, Zac and I could go on double dates with them! We’ve just got to find someone for you, Evie.’
    â€˜I’ll … be okay. Thanks anyway.’ Evie picks up the pencil on her father’s bedside table and starts doodling on some paper. ‘So, what are you up to today, Al?’
    â€˜I’m going to see Zac and Seb play soccer at one o’clock.’ Alex is talking with her mouth full. Evie holds the phone away with each crunch.
    â€˜What are you eating?’
    â€˜A carrot,’ Alex mumbles. ‘I’m on a diet. Zac said I was a little bit too cuddly.’
    â€˜That’s a bit harsh!’
    â€˜Oh, he didn’t mean it like that,’ Alex says in defence. ‘He said I was just a bit too cuddly, not fat! Anyway, you want to come and watch the game?’
    â€˜I’ve still got a bit of a headache.’ This time it is a lie. Evie actually feels quite