Me-Before-You-by-Jojo-Moyes

knowing what … what he’s … ’ I swallowed. ‘So yes. I’m going. I don’t need
you to look out for me or understand. I’ll deal with it. But I’m going to
Switzerland – whatever either of you says.’
The little hallway grew silent. Mum stared at me like she had no idea who I
was. I took a step closer to her, trying to make her understand. But as I did, she
took a step back.
‘Mum? I owe Will. I owe it to him to go. Who do you think got me to apply to
college? Who do you think encouraged me to make something of myself, to
travel places, to have ambitions? Who changed the way I think about
everything? About myself even? Will did. I’ve done more, lived more, in the last
six months than in the last twenty-seven years of my life. So if he wants me to
go to Switzerland, then yes, I’m going to go. Whatever the outcome.’
There was a brief silence.
‘She’s like Aunt Lily,’ Dad said, quietly.
We all stood, staring at each other. Dad and Treena were shooting glances at
each other, as if each of them were waiting for the other to say something.
But Mum broke the silence. ‘If you go, Louisa, you needn’t come back.’
The words fell out of her mouth like pebbles. I looked at my mother in shock.
Her gaze was unyielding. It tensed as she watched for my reaction. It was as if a
wall I had never known was there had sprung up between us.
‘Mum?’
‘I mean it. This is no better than murder.’
‘Josie … ’
‘That’s the truth, Bernard. I can’t be part of this.’
I remember thinking, as if at a distance, that I had never seen Katrina look so
uncertain as she did now. I saw Dad’s hand reach out to Mum’s arm, whether in
reproach or comfort I couldn’t tell. My mind went briefly blank. Then almost
without knowing what I was doing, I walked slowly down the stairs and past my
parents to the front door. And after a second, my sister followed me.
The corners of Dad’s mouth turned down, as if he were struggling to contain
all sorts of things. Then he turned to Mum, and placed one hand on her shoulder.
Her eyes searched his face and it was as if she already knew what he was going
to say.
And then he threw Treena his keys. She caught them one-handed.