Midnight. He wasn’t coming back. And
who could blame him? Not me. Wasn’t that what I had wanted – to
drive him away? I was so good at that.
Where was he?
I went to the window and looked out.
The moon was full now, but scarred by thin clouds. The ship stood
dark against the water. A wind had got up, the trees were tossing
their heads. Down at the beach the shingle would be creaking under
the weight of the waves. Where was he? This was a bad night to walk
in.
What had he done to deserve this?
Nothing. All he had done was fall in love with me and, worse, admit
it. That was a terrible crime to be sure.
All night I sat by the window watching
for his return, wanting it and dreading it. For what was there to
say? If he had struck me, it might have been easier. I deserved that.
I deserved a beating. And I had had so many I didn’t deserve. But
he had done nothing, only looked at me and gone.
I was so tired. I leaned my head against
the window frame and looked out. The sea on its furthest edge was
beginning to grow silver. Soon the barges would begin their journeys
north. I hoped that he would be on one, going somewhere where people
loved him. I was so tired of everything, of myself most of all. My
eyes closed.
I am Zoe Brooks, a British writer and poet. I spend half my life in a partly restored old farmhouse in the Czech Republic, where I write all my novels and poetry. I aim to write popular books, which have complex characters and themes that get under the reader's skin.Buy Love of Shadows
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3 comments:
Loved the excerpt! Thanks for sharing it :)
molly at reviewsbymolly dot com
Thanks so much for the chance to glimpse your book.
debby236 at gmail dot com
My pleasure, glad you liked it.
Zoe
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