Page 27 of No Safe Place

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Chapter 14

P:I’m sorry.

Pause

P:I can’t live like this anymore.

D:You can, P—. It’ll get easier, I promise.

Pause

P:I’m so tired.

D: I know.

Pause

D:But I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you. You know that, don’t you?

Pause

P:Take this away. Please?

Pause

D:I can’t—

P:I don’t want it anymore. I can’t do it. Please, D—,please– give it to someone else.

Pause

D:It’s okay. It’s all going to be okay.

Pause

D:You’re a brave girl, aren’t you? You’re going to be brave.

Chapter 15

Wednesday | Evening

Lily

‘Callum,’ she yelled over her shoulder. ‘Callum.’

‘What?’ he shouted back, and the direction of his voice surprised her. He wasn’t in the dining room – he was on the toilet.

There was a flush and she waited impatiently. He sauntered in, drying his hands on a tea towel.

She raised her eyebrows and nodded her head in the direction of the washing-up. ‘Well?’

He looked from her to the sink, and back again.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said with a shrug, and clearly no idea what he was apologising for.

‘You’re not fucking sorry.’ She pulled the towel out of his hands. ‘I’ve asked you so many times,notto leave washing-up soaking in cold, dirty water.’

‘In my defence,’ Cal said, stifling a yawn. ‘When I put the dishes in there, the water was hot and clean.’

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