Page 64 of On the Edge

She put a gentle hand on his leg as he let out a sob.‘It’ll be okay,’ she said, even though she wasn’t sure it would be.

But it turned out she was right.When they told Ryan what happened, he wasn’t angry at all.Instead, he looked at Charlie with new-found pride.He even put his arm around his shoulder and gave a little speech about not being a victim.Charlie shot her a wary look.A confused half-smile.

As she watched them, that thought came to her mind again:My boy is turning into Ryan.

Chapter 40

Nel could hear Lauren’s boys squealing before she and Cath even reached the front door.She braced herself, then opened the door and nearly collided with Archie who was sliding down the hallway in his socks.The smell of the barbecue wafted down the hall.

‘My turn!’Leo yelled.

Nel gasped at the sight of a deep purple bruise that stretched from his eye to his lip.

‘Goodness!’Cath said, frowning.

‘Leo!What happened to your face?’

He ignored the question as he whizzed past.Nel and Cath made a dash to the kitchen where Lauren was chopping parsley.

‘There you are!’She tossed the herbs into a bowl of potato salad.

‘What happened to Leo’s face?’Nel asked.

‘Oh.’Lauren grimaced.‘He got into a fight at school.’She passed Nel the salad bowl.‘Can you put that on the table?’

Nel took it and waited for Lauren to explain, but she busied herself stacking the dishwasher.

‘What was the fight about?’Nel asked.

Lauren sighed heavily.Nel looked at Cath, who raised her eyebrows.

‘Lauren?’

‘I don’t know.’Her tone was clipped.

‘Did you ask him?’

Lauren shut the dishwasher and reached for the sink cloth, avoiding her gaze.Nel swallowed.Lauren knew more than she was saying.Of course she’d asked him.Why wouldn’t she say?

‘Who was the fight with?’Nel asked.

A pause.‘Charlie Warner.’

‘Charlie Warner?’Nel pictured the boy standing by Sophie’s side at Leo’s party.‘I thought they were friends.’

‘I think Charlie said something that upset Leo.’Lauren’s tone was vague, as though this was mere speculation, but Nel knew her sister better than that.Lauren would have subjected Leo to an inquisition.

‘What did he say?’

‘I don’t know … just some nonsense,’ Lauren said, rinsing the cloth under the tap.Nel frowned.What wasn’t Lauren saying?Then it hit her.

‘Was it something aboutme?’

Lauren sighed.

‘Lauren, what did he say?’

‘It’s nothing, Nel!It’s two twelve-year-olds, for god’s sake!’