“Is it true you almost died?” she asked.

“Ah, don’t believe everything you hear,” I said. “I’m tougher than that.”

“That was pretty cool how you saved that child and her mother who had been kidnapped for years. It’s all over the news.”

I smiled. “You think that was cool, huh?”

“Yeah. Everyone is talking about it.”

“So, they’re not all talking about me being a lesbian anymore?”

She shrugged.

My mom came in through the door. She looked awkward.

“I was just… I brought them here, to see you, and I thought I’d just—”

“I’m glad you did, Mom,” I said, interrupting her. I knew we had our differences, and she had a hard time accepting me for who I am. But right now, I was just happy to see her. Sometimes a person just needs their mom.

“Your dad is here too,” she said. “Waiting outside. The kids have been staying with us while you were getting better.”

“Yeah,” Zack exclaimed. “And I got to help Grandpa fix the old car. He is teaching me everything I need to know.”

“That’s wonderful,” I said and kissed my son as he slid down from my bed. William sat on the edge, and I grabbed his hand. “Hey there, buddy. You okay?”

He nodded with an exhale. “You know I don’t care, right?”

“About what?”

“About you being a lesbian and all that.”

That made me laugh. “That’s good, buddy, I’m glad, because it isn’t going to change.”

He shrugged. “So what?”

My eyes met my mom’s and I realized he was right. So what? was the answer. For both of us. So what if we didn’t see eye-to-eye? We were family.

She came closer.

“William is right,” she said, like she had read my mind. “What business is it of mine or of anyone else’s? As long as you’re happy, my girl.”

She tapped the top of my hand with her palm, and I could tell she was fighting her tears.

“Thanks, Mom. I really appreciate it.”

She sniffled and corrected a lock of my hair. “Are they going to let you go home soon?”

I nodded. “I hope so. I’m already tired of this bed.”

“That’s good,” she said and cleared her throat. “I’ll go tell your dad you’re awake. He’s been waiting for hours. He’ll be happy to know you’re better. He was really worried.”

She turned and left. I knew she wasn’t only talking about my father. I understood now that I was her daughter and she loved me. And I knew that she had been here all the time. I was sure of it.

And there was another thing I was sure of at this moment. We were all going to be okay.

Because we had one another. And that was all we needed.

* * *

Desperate to find out what happens to Billie next? Get the second chilling and gripping instalment in the series, Then She’s Gone. When Billie is called to a crime scene on an isolated Florida beach, she’s shocked to find the name of her best friend alongside the broken body... The twists will have you turning the pages late into the night.

Get it here or read on for an exclusive extract!

THEN SHE'S GONEAN UNPUTDOWNABLE, GRIPPING AND TWISTY CRIME THRILLER PACKED WITH SUSPENSE

A discovery of bones on a windswept beach, the disappearance of a young woman, and a detective whose secrets are about to come out…

ONE

November

Cocoa Beach, Florida

Jonathan, an eight-year-old boy with a mop of curly brown hair, stepped onto the beach and felt the sand between his toes for the first time. He looked around with wonder, taking in the sun glinting off of the waves, the sand stretching endlessly across the distant shoreline. He felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, and before he knew it, he was squealing with delight.

His mom had been right, he thought to himself. This was it, he was finally here. This was what he had been waiting for. He felt himself slowly relax as he let the ocean breeze wash over him.

Jonathan’s wonder was only heightened when he saw the seagulls soaring and diving around him, the salty smell of the ocean in the air, and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. He had never seen so much beauty in one place, and he wanted to make sure he never forgot it.

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, the sun’s warmth on his face, and a feeling of peace washing over him. Jonathan had barely slept all night in anticipation. When they had arrived at the hotel in Cocoa Beach, the night before, it had been dark. He had been able to hear the ocean, the waves crashing the shore, but not see it till now. And what a sight it was. His momma hadn’t been lying to him. It was spectacular.

Jonathan stood at the edge of the beach, staring in awe at the endless expanse of bright blue water before him. The sun shone down from a cloudless sky, and the wind gently blew his hair back from his face. He shifted his gaze to the white sand beneath his feet, feeling the grittiness between his toes as he took a few tentative steps forward.

As though pulled by an invisible string, Jonathan started running toward the shoreline, faster and faster until he was nothing more than a blur.

“Jonathan!” His mom shouted after him as he got closer to the ocean, the hypnotic call of the sea too strong to resist.

He laughed and grinned back at her, feeling an inexplicable sense of freedom as his tiny feet left tracks in the sand. His mother shouted after him to be careful of the rip currents, to stay close to the shore, but he ignored her, lost in a world of his own creation. He reached out and tried to scoop up a handful of the blue water, allowing its coolness to calm him as he splashed it in his face, laughing. Then he dove in. Headfirst he let it cover his small, chubby body, pretending to be a dolphin or even a mermaid. He played in the water for a long time, before he finally noticed it.

What is that?

A few feet away, Jonathan spotted something—a suitcase tucked away near the dunes of the beach. He felt like it was calling for him, and he cautiously approached it, apprehension rising within him as he considered what could possibly be inside. Could it be a hidden pirate treasure? Could it be gold coins enough for him to bathe in like he had seen in cartoons? Maybe it was enough money for him to be able to buy his momma a brand-new house by the ocean? The temptation was too strong. He had to know.

The latch seemed locked in place, and fear suddenly paralyzed Jonathan as he tried to reach out for it. What if it was something dangerous? What if he got in trouble for opening it? Finally gathering all of his courage, he flipped open the latch with trembling hands.

What Jonathan saw made him scream in terror; instead of finding some hidden treasure within the suitcase, he found himself faced with something far darker. Before he had time to process what had happened, his mother’s voice was calling his name, and her footsteps were already racing toward him.

But it felt like they were too late.