Page 102 of The Next Chapter

Noah holds up his hands. ‘I was nineteen and she was… enthusiastic.’

We all laugh because Lola’s funny. Not in the way that Mr Cains is funny, all in your face. Lola’s humour comes from quiet observations.

‘Y’all should come to the karaoke tomorrow night. You can play piano, Lily, isn’t that right?’ Lola asks. ‘Noah mentioned something.’

‘Yeah but, I don’t know, I never sing in public. I’m not really a karaoke person. And I haven’t played since I was eighteen.’

When Mum died.

Lola looks at me for a second longer than might be considered normal. I’m worried that my grief is written all over my face. I attempt a bright smile.

‘I’ve been before, it’s not too bad. You don’t have to sing.’

I get what Noah’s saying, but actually I reject the premise that karaoke people are fun people. I’m not sure that karaoke makes anyone feel good about themselves, ever. It’s like an all you can eat buffet. Sounds great in principal, but everyone leaves feeling like they’ve lost a bit of their soul.

‘You don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to.’ Lola is stretched out on the grass. ‘I just know that Harper’s foster mum would really like her to take part in some more of the activities. When she does them, she always has fun. But she’s still mighty reluctant to join in. I thought she might be more likely to come if you were both there. She seems real taken with you.’

Harper is still quite insulting towards me, though maybe less than she was originally. Whenever I’ve seen her around her foster family, she’s always seething in silence. I can’t help but feel like they’re so preoccupied with Blake, no one seems to have realized that Harper isn’t coping well either.

Anyway, there’s no way I’ll say no after that. Guilt is my primary motivator in all walks of life.

‘Okay fine, but I don’t think I’ll play or sing. I’ll just watch.’

‘Course. Whatever y’all like.’

I relax again after that. None of us make a move to leave the willow tree.

Time stretches out and I think what it would be like if we could all stay here in this endless summer, this endless day. How nice it would be if I got to keep Lola and Noah like this forever, if this was my life. Where everything is relaxed and easy.

But that’s the thing about holidays, they aren’t real life. This isn’t real life. It won’t last. Real life is coming for us all and I’m just not sure how I’m going to cope with it.

Chapter Eighteen

I’m drunk.

Okay, I’m tipsy.

But in my defence, I am about to go to karaoke with my birth mum. Karaoke on its own is bad enough. But throw in the birth mum who left me to be a singer and being tipsy is almost essential.

‘I’ve never seen anyone get drunk off of two gin and tonics,’ Noah comments as I stumble through the hotel gardens.

‘I think stress amplifies its potency. Plus, I care about my liver. I want it to stay all pink and sponge-like.’

‘I’m sure it appreciates your concern.’

Noah puts his arm around my waist, and I wonder again why we’re going to karaoke when we could just stay in the cottage and get it on.

Super glad that that was in my head.

‘Why are we going to this again?’ I ask, looking up at him.

‘Because Lola asked and you said yes.’

‘Oh yeah, I did.’

‘Harper,’ he says.

‘Yeah, Lola said if I go, it’ll make her go too.’