Keep My Secrets by Elena Wilkes (large ebook reader .txt) 📗

my little finger. I made a promise to her then, that I’d be by her side through everything. That she would never have to face anything alone.’ She took a massive breath and her eyes widened in shock and horror at the realisation. It was as though Frankie wasn’t there.

‘But I broke that promise, didn’t I?’ She began to cry again then, great convulsions of grief, not caring that people were looking round and wondering what was going on. ‘If I can hear it… If I can make myself listen to what she went through, if I can picture every second of what she endured, then it’ll be like I kept my promise and I never really left her.’

Her weeping got louder. Frankie was suddenly jolted out of her trance. Her eyes searched around frantically as she pulled a whole load of serviettes from behind the sugar holder and pressed them across the table.

‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…’ Vanessa kept saying. ‘I shouldn’t be talking to you like this. I shouldn’t be saying these things… Look at me, I’m supposed to be the adult here, looking after you.’ She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and then went to grab another serviette. ‘Please forgive me, Frankie. This must all seem very strange and uncomfortable—’

But Frankie suddenly caught her hand. ‘Vanessa—’

The sensation of the touch felt weird but strangely nice.

They looked into each other’s eyes.

‘Vanessa, I wish—’ She broke off and looked away. ‘I wish someone like you had been my mum.’

The pain in Vanessa’s eyes burned.

‘Thing is, I’ve never had a mum. I’ve never had what you’ve just described. No one’s ever told me that they’d be with me, no matter what.’

Everyone lets you down in the end. Even the people who are supposed to love you.

Vanessa let go of her hand to dab at her cheeks. ‘That’s so sad, Frankie. So incredibly sad,’ she sighed. ‘No one should have to go through any of that alone, that really is the worst thing…’ She gave a watery smile. ‘Hey, maybe we can help and support each other Frankie, what do you think?’

She had no idea how she could help anyone.

‘I think we both want the same things… I think we both want to know the truth, however hard it might be to hear it.’

Her antennae twitched an alert at what Vanessa was saying.

‘I mean, you’re discovering things about this boy that you thought you were in love with. We both want to know exactly what happened that night.’

Frankie’s gaze didn’t waver.

‘This all must be excruciatingly painful for you,’ Vanessa said as though she’d read her mind. ‘But you know things, details, that I don’t.’

‘Oh, I don’t think—’

But Vanessa started to gabble. ‘I know, but there could be things, couldn’t there? Tiny things. Things he said that night, things he did – clues. His state of mind. It would tell us – tell me… it could give me the answers I need. You know things, Frankie, you just don’t realise it.’

‘I really don’t.’ She felt another frisson of alarm.

‘You haven’t made the connections, that’s all.’

‘I don’t know anything.’ She instantly began to back-pedal.

‘But you don’t know that,’ Vanessa pushed. ‘If you would agree to meet me again – talk to me, just chat, that’s all I’m asking. I mean, did you know, or suspect he had some kind of relationship with Charlotte? Did you ever argue about it?’

The desperation came off her in waves.

A split-second image of that fight over the hairband sprang up as Frankie slewed her chair back.

‘I have to go now.’ She had a sudden surge of panic. She didn’t want this. What was she doing here?

‘Please. Frankie—’

‘I really have to.’ She stood abruptly.

‘I’m sorry… I’m so sorry.’ Vanessa’s face was lined with pleading. ‘I shouldn’t have said all that.’

Some of the other customers were looking round.

‘Please.’ Vanessa smiled around the café as though it was all fine. ‘Please, Frankie, finish your food. Finish your tea. I’m sorry. You’re right, you’re right. I don’t know what’s the matter with me. This was all supposed to be so nice and now I’ve spoiled it… Please, don’t go.’ The begging eyes made her sit.

‘I promise I won’t ask you stuff like that again.’ She dipped to look at her. ‘I give you my word. I totally understand how you feel. I know how I come across. Peter says I’m too full on; I suffocate people so they end up not wanting to be around me. Charlotte couldn’t. She shut herself away… I know she kept secrets from me. If I’d known her secret was someone like Mar—’

She realised what she was saying and looked up suddenly.

‘God.’ She bit her lip and looked as though she might cry again.

Frankie felt an immediate rush of pity. ‘Please don’t get upset, Vanessa. Please… I’m not walking out. You’ve been nice to me and kind to me. You’re a lovely person. Please don’t do this to yourself.’

Vanessa brought the bundle of napkins to her nose again and wiped her streaming eyes. ‘You even chose the guacamole,’ she laughed sadly through the tissues. ‘Charlotte’s favourite.’ She paused as though considering whether to say something and then took a breath.

‘Don’t end up like Charlotte, Frankie,’ she said suddenly. ‘Protect yourself from men like Martin Jarvis. Stay away from people like him. You have a chance right now: walk away, do something positive with your life. Don’t drag his darkness around with you – cut all ties and move on. No good will come of people like him, no matter what they tell you.’

Frankie sat back in her seat and picked up the mug of tea again and drank deeply.

‘I know that’s not something you want to hear, Frankie, but something positive has to come from Charlotte’s death. If it means that you live a life that’s free of those sorts of men… If it saves one young girl from all that trauma, then none of it was pointless.’

‘It’s too late.’

‘No, no,