Me-Before-You-by-Jojo-Moyes

‘Now you’re going to need to repeat what we just did, this evening. You’re
okay with that?’ Nathan wrapped himself up like an Inuit and headed out into the
snow. ‘Just read the folder. And don’t panic. Any problems, you just call me. I’ll
talk you through it all. I’ll get back here again if I really have to.’
I stayed in Will’s room after Nathan left. I was too afraid not to. In the corner
was an old leather armchair with a reading light, perhaps dating from Will’s
previous life, and I curled up on it with a book of short stories that I had pulled
from the bookcase.
It was strangely peaceful in that room. Through the crack in the curtains I
could see the outside world, blanketed in white, still and beautiful. Inside it was
warm and silent, only the odd tick and hiss of the central heating to interrupt my
thoughts. I read, and occasionally I glanced up and checked Will sleeping
peacefully and I realized that there had never been a point in my life before
where I had just sat in silence and done nothing. You don’t grow up used to
silence in a house like mine, with its never-ending vacuuming, television blaring,
and shrieking. During the rare moments that the television was off, Dad would
put on his old Elvis records and play them at full blast. A cafe too is a constant
buzz of noise and clatter.
Here, I could hear my thoughts. I could almost hear my heartbeat. I realized,
to my surprise, that I quite liked it.
At five, my mobile phone signalled a text message. Will stirred, and I leapt
out of the chair, anxious to get it before it disturbed him.
No trains. Is there any chance you could stay over tonight?
Nathan cannot do it. Camilla Traynor.
I didn’t really think about it before I typed back.
No problem.
I rang my parents and told them that I would stay over. My mother sounded
relieved. When I told her I was going to get paid for sleeping over, she sounded
overjoyed.
‘Did you hear that, Bernard?’ she said, her hand half over the phone. ‘They’re
paying her to sleep now.’