Page 68 of Seven Letters

‘I watched a documentary about it.’

‘Of course you did. Anyway, I was watching this show about a little woman and she –’

‘That’s it!’ Riley sat up. ‘Little Women.’

‘What?’

‘We can do our project onLittle Womenand we can discuss why everyone thinks Laurie and Jo should have ended up together and not Amy and Laurie. Jo and Laurie are opposites. She’s kind of like me and he’s a bit like Zach, and they love each other and we can discuss it. Maybe I can make him see that opposites do attract and can work. If he’s too lazy to read the book, he can watch the movie. It’s perfect.’

‘Hang on a second. Isn’t Zach the guy you hate? Didn’t you just burn all that stuff outside his house because he humiliated you and you think he’s a dick?’

Riley nodded. ‘Yes, but I hurt him badly too and if we can just get past all of that and get rid of Zoë, I think we could make it work. Maybe.’

‘So you’re into him again?’

‘Kind of.’

‘The burning and shouting was just a …?’

‘A reaction to him being with Zoë.’

‘Women, you’re all nuts.’ Shocko sighed. ‘Maybe I could write a song about it – “Nutty Women, Wacky Women, Crazy Chicks or Gaga Girls”.’

Riley grinned and started putting the books back on her shelf.

Mia came through the door, kicked off her shoes and fell onto the couch. Johnny snapped his laptop shut. He’d been googling to see if there was anything online about Sarah. Hewas worried the story would get out if someone from the hospital talked.

‘Well?’

Mia lay down and put her arm over her eyes. ‘Nightmare. She’s got a swelling on her brain and they’ve had to put a tube in. Dad and Adam had a row and I honestly don’t know what to do any more.’

Johnny’s heart sank. This was not good news. Sarah’s body was beginning to crumble. He rubbed Mia’s feet. ‘Poor Sarah.’

‘I actually found myself wishing she’d die so it would all be over. No more pain for her, peace at last, but sheisdead. That’s the head-wrecking part. Sarah is dead, but none of us can grieve her. Adam wants to keep his son alive and I get that, but is it right? Is it ethical? I just don’t know what to think.’

‘It’s an impossible situation. There is no right or wrong,’ Johnny said.

Mia sat up. ‘But what should we do, Johnny? Should we turn off the life support?’

Johnny had thought about it a lot. Every time he went in to see Sarah, he felt more horrified. He’d barely slept the last few nights. Between Mia walking around the house, like a ghost, at night and his own head swirling with thoughts of Sarah, sleep was not forthcoming. What would he do?

‘I think, if it was me and you were pregnant and there was any chance of saving the baby, I’d have to try. Imagine if it was Riley in there.’

‘But the doctors all think the baby will die anyway.’

‘I know.’

‘I keep wondering what Sarah would want. That’s the most important thing and, honestly, I think she’d want to try, even if it was a one-in-a-billion chance of the baby making it. She was a lioness when it came to Izzy, a protector and a fighter.’

Johnny patted her leg. ‘Well, I guess there’s your answer.’

Mia nodded. She pulled her legs under her and hugged a cushion. ‘Angela told me that bastard of a reporter had been back asking questions, but they all stonewalled him. Security kicked him out and barred him. I thought you said you’d sort it with that guy Jimmy Dolan.’

Damn it, the reporter knew he was on to a good story. It was going to be very difficult to stop this coming out.

‘Jimmy’s been away the past two days, but I have a meeting with him tomorrow morning and I’ll get it sorted then.’

‘You have to, Johnny, because, honestly, Adam and Charlie are on their last nerves and it wouldn’t take much to make them really lose it. I thought they were going to come to blows earlier. Thank God Rob was there to handle Adam.’

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