Free Never Alone by Elizabeth Haynes Page A

while she’s in there. Normally she leaves it just about ticking over. Seems little point in keeping the whole house toasty when it’s just her here.
    When Sarah gets back downstairs Will is asleep, his head resting on his arm. He is breathing deeply. She does not wake him but puts the pot of chicken casserole she had defrosted into the oven to heat through, prepares some vegetables. Even the chopping and the boiling pan don’t disturb him. She goes into the living room while the vegetables are cooking, switching on the television. The news is just finishing and the weather report indicates that heavy rain is due overnight. There is a risk of localised flooding. Not up here , she thinks, thank goodness .
    When the oven timer sounds to remind her about the dinner, she goes back into the kitchen. Will is awake now, sitting back in his chair.
    ‘That smells so good,’ he says.
    She wants to object, reply that it’s only chicken, that anything would smell good if you were as hungry as Will clearly is, but instead she smiles and accepts the compliment as it has been given. She fills a plate and puts it in front of him. Then she dishes up her own portion and sits at the table to eat with him. It’s nice having company. It does feel a little odd that it’s just the two of them, especially after what’s happened with Sophie. She wonders whether to bring up the subject, considers that he might be too tired – and too emotional – to talk about her now. It can wait, she thinks. After all, Sophie doesn’t even need to know he stayed here. He will probably be gone in the morning, or certainly after the weekend.
    ‘This is great,’ Will says. He has nearly finished already.
    ‘You want some more? There’s a bit left. Help yourself.’
    He gets up from his seat and takes his plate over to the Aga, spooning the last bit of casserole out. The last few mouthfuls he tries not to rush. She watches him while he eats, and when he catches her looking he smiles at her. He really is beautiful, she thinks; it takes her by surprise. Under the tangle of short curls, he has clear skin, and that makes the blue of his eyes even more vivid. A pierced nose – not so common in young men, but not at all effete, because he has a good strong nose that suits a silver stud, and white, even teeth. A beautiful boy, he is.
    No wonder Sophie is attracted to him, she thinks. No wonder she was, herself. But she isn’t going to think about that right now. She told herself she wasn’t going to think about it again.
    She doubts that he even remembers.
     
    Sarah stands at the bathroom door with an armful of dirty clothes, while Will sinks into the warm water with a blissful sigh.
    ‘I’ve put the clean clothes on the dresser there,’ she says. ‘Just some things of Louis’s. They might not fit, but, you know, better than nothing.’
    ‘That’s great, thanks,’ he says. His eyes are closed.
    She turns to go, shuts the door behind her. Well, that was awkward. She had brought the clothes to the bathroom door, suggested he hand the dirty clothes over and swap them. The door was wide open and he’d just stripped off, there and then, before she could even say anything.
    Even so, she had tried to avert her eyes as he passed over the pile of clothes with a smile.
    Downstairs, she puts Will’s clothes in the washing machine with the other things he has dragged out of his rucksack, adds detergent, and sets the machine running. She rinses the dishes and loads the dishwasher, and then sits down.
    She needs to clear her head, to think.
    A few minutes later, Will comes down the stairs and pads into the living room on socked feet. He is much taller than her son, and the jogging bottoms are a little short, but they will do. His hair is wet but he looks much better, so much more relaxed. ‘I was going to offer to make you a cuppa,’ he says.
    ‘That’s kind. I’m okay, though. You want to make one for yourself?’
    He goes through to the kitchen and comes