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CHAPTER 12: RUNNING
publish date:
2026-10-27 22:34:06
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THE DAMAGE WE CALL LOVE CHAPTER 26: THE HALLWAY
"Rhian will hear it from me, Marguerite," Nerys said. "After my husband."She said it on the mat, with the bag of croissants still swinging from her fingers and the door at her back. It came out calm, and she was almost proud of that. Behind her, she felt Ansel take half a step forward, the way he did when a waiter got her order wrong."Of course, dear." Marguerite crossed the hall and kissed the air beside Nerys's cheek. She smelled of lily-of-the-valley, and of something sharper underneath. "I only meant it kindly.""I know exactly how you meant it.""Nerys—" Ansel began."It's fine." She didn't look round. "Marguerite's just leaving.""So I am. An hour, wasn't it? How it flies." Marguerite's eyes went past her to Della, who had come out of the kitchen with a tea towel on her shoulder and was very carefully not saying anything. "Thank you for the tea, dear.""Thank you for ringing the bell," said Della.Marguerite went out onto the path. Tamsin followed, with her dish held against h
THE DAMAGE WE CALL LOVE CHAPTER 25: THE FOUR KEYS
"Nothing's wrong with it, Mum," Alden said through the door. "We changed it Tuesday." His own voice sounded steady. That surprised him. His heart was going like a washing machine on spin. The letterbox flap clicked shut. A pause, and then the bell again, as though the first ring had only been a rehearsal. He slid the bolt back and opened the door. Marguerite stood on the step in her camel coat, handbag in both hands, wearing a look of mild, patient puzzlement. A pace behind her on the path, Tamsin held a covered dish against her cardigan and kept her eyes on her shoes. "Changed it?" Marguerite said. "On Tuesday?" "Tuesday." "Nobody told me." "You were standing in our hall when Del said it." "Was I?" She laughed softly, at herself. "Oh, I do get in such a muddle. I've been so tired." She looked past him with a small, apologetic smile. Behind him, Della had appeared in the kitchen doorway in her dressing gown, with the spatula in one hand and a smell of burnt batter behind her.
THE DAMAGE WE CALL LOVE CHAPTER 24: FIVE DAYS
"Did she phone you too?" Della said it to the back of Alden's head. Her mother had one hand on her car roof and was studying the pavement with great attention. "I'll leave you two to it," her mother said brightly. She got in and started the engine, and she pulled away from the kerb with a wave that lasted a few seconds longer than a wave needs to. The tail lights shrank to the end of the road and turned left. Alden turned round on the step. He looked like someone who'd been asked to read out his own school report. "Marguerite," Della said. "Mum says she's been on the phone since Tuesday. In tears, about the lock. Did she ring you?" "Yeah," Alden said. "How often?" Della asked. "Most days," Alden said. "Most." "Every day." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday. And this morning, while you were in the shower." "That's five days, Alden," Della said. "I said no every time," Alden said. "Come inside." She held the door for him, and
THE DAMAGE WE CALL LOVE CHAPTER 23: THE LAMB
"Last Sunday was Marguerite's," Della's mother said, before Alden had even got his door open. "I counted." She said it through the car window, to the windscreen in general, and then she stepped back so they could climb out. Alden unfolded himself onto the pavement. Della was already round the bonnet with her hand out for the tin. "Mum, what are you doing here?" "Standing on your step, darling, for forty minutes." Her mother held the tin back, just out of reach. "Your neighbour says you're always out. I've had a very full chat about her hip." "We were at the park," Alden said. "I rang and rang." She handed over the tin as if it were a hostage. "It's a lemon drizzle. For your trouble." "What trouble?" Alden asked. "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." Alden locked the car, slowly, to give himself something to do. He liked Della's mother. He'd decided that at the engagement party, when she'd cornered him by the buffet and told him in great detail what she thought of his tie. She was lou
THE DAMAGE WE CALL LOVE CHAPTER 22: THE BLANKET
Della saw it from forty yards away. A small thing. Ansel's hand lifted from his side, fingers open, in answer to a wave from a bench by the pond. Then she saw Nerys beside him, and what her friend's face did. Oh, Della thought. Oh, no. "Del?" Alden had a corner of the rug in each fist and was halfway through shaking it flat. "You've gone quiet." "Give me a minute," Della said. "That's what I said to the soup," Alden said. "Alden." "Sorry." He dropped the rug, looked where she was looking, and the grin went out of his face. "Right." Nerys was crossing the lawn alone. She walked like someone carrying a very full cup. Behind her, Ansel stood on the path with his hands held out from his sides, the way you stand when someone has told you not to touch anything. "I'll go and keep him company," Alden said quietly. "Hold the bin, or whatever it is blokes do." "Take your lemonade." "God, no." He squeezed her elbow and went. Della sat down on the corner of the rug and tucked her skirt
THE DAMAGE WE CALL LOVE CHAPTER 21: THE REFLEX
"Even at night, Ansel?" Nerys said it from six feet away, in a voice so level it took him a second to hear what was under it. She had crossed the grass without a sound. Her hands were still wet, and she held them a little out from her sides, as if she'd forgotten what hands were for. Behind her, Seren was already walking off toward the pond with her sandals dangling from two fingers. She didn't look back. She was heading for a bench by the water, in no hurry at all, and she left a half-melted cone dripping on the grass where she'd stood. "It's what people say," Ansel said. "Is it?" seren said. "Yeah. It's a thing you say. 'Call me any time.' It doesn't mean—" Ansel said. "You nodded," seren said. "I was being polite," Ansel said. "You nodded, Ansel. Slowly. Like you were thinking about it," seren said. "I wasn't thinking about it," Ansel said. "Then why does your face look like that?" seren said. He didn't know. That was the trouble. He had no idea what his face was doing.
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