‘Almost there,’ Finn called from up ahead, where he was walking with Robert.
Amelia glanced back over her shoulder. Lark had fallen behind, and Jackson was running towards her. He stopped when he reached her, and took hold of her hand as though trying to speed her up. She snatched it away. What is it with those two?
‘You’ll like Rosamund,’ her mum said. ‘I used to work with her a long time ago.’
‘Yes, I remember.’
‘Just round the next bend,’ Finn called. He was a fair way ahead of them now.
Five minutes later they finally reached the ruin.
‘And that’s a wrap, folks,’ Finn said, flashing the torch towards Amelia and her mum emerging from the forest. ‘Where’s Jackson and Lark?’
They waited and waited, Amelia’s eyes flicking over the wooded area.
‘Oh for goodness’ sake,’ her mum said. ‘I’ll call Jackson.’ She rummaged in her pocket for her phone, and looked at the screen. ‘I haven’t got a signal,’ she said. ‘Oh God, where can they be?’
‘They can’t be far,’ Amelia said, as her dad hurried over.
‘You look tired, Caroline,’ he said.
Amelia nodded. ‘Let me walk you back to your cottage, Mum. Then the rest of us can look for them. They’ve probably taken a wrong turn or something, that’s all. I’m sure they’re fine.’
They walked towards Bluebell Cottage, and as her mum opened the door, Amelia said, ‘We’ll find them; try not worry.’
‘Of course we will.’ Her mum touched her cheek gently. ‘I’m overtired, that’s all.’
But as Amelia hurried back to where her dad and Finn were waiting, she felt sure it was more than that. She’d seen the looks her mum gave Jackson, the way her hands curled into fists earlier.
‘To be honest,’ Finn said, as Amelia approached, ‘we’ve only covered a small part of the forest tonight. If they’ve taken a wrong turn, they could be anywhere. We should probably call the local countryside ranger.’
‘That’s a bit of an overreaction, Finn,’ Amelia said, heading off towards the wood. ‘They couldn’t have gone far, surely,’ she called over her shoulder.
‘Lark!’ she cried, as they followed her. But it was so quiet – too quiet.
*
‘Lark! Jackson!’ Amelia yelled. They’d been searching for ten minutes now, making their way deeper into the forest. And she was about to suggest Finn could be right about the ranger, when she heard the low rumble of agitated voices in the distance. ‘Lark?’
‘It must be them,’ Finn said, as they all picked up speed, and headed towards the voices. ‘Jackson?’
The talking stopped, and everything was quiet for a moment, before the sound of someone running – twigs breaking, getting closer – reached Amelia’s ears.
‘Lark!’ she cried, as her sister appeared through the bushes, her cheeks blotchy, her eyes red. ‘Thank God.’
‘Amelia,’ Lark said falling into her arms.
‘What’s happened? Is Jackson with you?’
‘Yes!’ he cried, appearing through the bushes. ‘I’m here. We got a bit lost, is all.’
Lark glared at him, and Amelia could feel the tension in her sister’s body. ‘Are you OK?’ she asked, as Lark stepped away from her.
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘It’s like Jackson said, we got a bit lost, is all.’
*
‘Are you OK, Dad?’ Amelia said, looping her arm through his elbow, once Jackson and Lark were back in their cottage and Finn was making his way to his.
‘Jackson’s a dick.’ He blinked repeatedly. ‘I’d do anything to get that excuse for a man out of our lives. He’s a bloody idiot!’ He took a breath, and looked down at Amelia. ‘Sorry, love. Excuse my awful language. But what was he playing at, leading Lark off course like that? I don’t trust him. Never have done.’
‘I don’t know.’ She was still at a loss to how her mum could have chosen to live with Jackson instead of her dad. Her mum had had low times through the years, but Amelia never saw the cracks in her parents’ relationship – never once saw them argue.
She touched her dad’s arm. ‘It’ll soon be over,’ she said, and realising immediately her words weren’t the best she could have chosen, added, ‘The holiday, I mean.’
‘I know what you mean, love.’ He smiled, and reached into his pocket for the key to the cottage.
As he pushed open the door, she heard the TV blaring out.
‘I’m heading straight to bed,’ she said, walking through the lounge and taking the stairs two at a time, unable to face Thomas and Maddie snuggled on the sofa together.
‘Night, Amelia,’ her dad called up the stairs after her.
Upstairs, she flopped on her bed, and closed her eyes. A trip to the beach tomorrow would be emotional – childhood memories were sure to flood into her mum’s head – and into hers.
She closed her eyes, and tears seeped through her lashes and rolled down her cheeks, dampening the pillow. It was almost an hour before she drifted into a fitful sleep.
Chapter 15
Present Day
Amelia
I glance up the hill I’ve just tobogganed down, and at Maddie standing beside me. She takes hold of my arm, and yanks me up. And as I scramble to my feet, I move away from her, making a show of dusting snow from my jeans.
‘Thanks,’ I say through a tense smile, dashing tears away with my scarf. ‘That was so cool,’ I add, deciding to fake brightness. I don’t want her to know how desperate I am. I don’t want her sympathy, or worse her mentioning me on her vlog.
‘That was so much fun.’ She looks far too happy, her cheeks glowing.
‘Well, I’m freezing down here.’ It’s Thomas, sitting in the snow, laughing as he rolls a snowball in his gloved hands. Several pre-made snowballs are lined up next to him, and I instantly know what he’s planning
