Chapter 1

Chapter 1

‘Darren, I'm begging you …'

The words tumbled from her, choked, heartfelt, desperate.

‘Don't do this, please …'

Naomi's fingers were wrapped around her boyfriend's trailing arm, praying that he would stop, listen to her, change his mind. But her words had no impact, the muscular young man ripping his arm away and marching purposefully on. Marlands Shopping Centre was crammed with late-night shoppers, many of whom were casting sidelong glances at the couple, but Naomi ignored them, hurrying after her lover. Darren's blood was up, however, his pace relentless. Computer Exchange flashed by, then the pawnbrokers, then Rock Bottom Toys. The exit to Portland Terrace was only fifty yards away and Darren was making good progress in that direction. If Naomi was going to stop him, she had to do it now .

Lunging towards him, Naomi gripped Darren's shoulder, arresting his progress, spinning him around. Immediately, his features convulsed with fury, his mouth opening in a snarling curse, but the desperate fifteen-year-old got in first.

‘Please, just tell me what you want from me. If I've done something wro—'

‘There's nothing I could possibly want from you ,' the junkie sneered, extracting his arm.

‘But you loved me,' Naomi insisted. ‘You said so a hundred times. I don't understand what's changed.'

‘That was then, this is now.'

Angered, the twenty-two-year-old tried to turn away, but Naomi held fast to his arm.

‘ No , no,' she insisted, fighting tears. ‘You can't just walk out on me. I've given up everything for you. My family, my friends. You owe me.'

‘I owe you nothing,' he hissed in response. ‘You knew full well what you were getting into.'

‘So what was this all about? This whole bloody thing?'

Naomi's voice was piercing, shrill, tears staining her cheeks now, but she didn't care. It was as if the rest of the world didn't exist, her misery blocking out everything else. ‘If you didn't care for me, why did you tell me you did ?'

Darren said nothing, shaking his head witheringly, as if bored by her questions. With each passing second, Naomi felt more ashamed, more humiliated, but still she couldn't give up on him. He was all she had in the world.

‘Please, Daz, it's me …' she pleaded, softening her tone.

Naomi chanced a step forward, then another. Taking en-couragement from his silence, she slipped her slender hands inside his jacket, bringing them to rest on his hips.

‘Your best girl.'

Standing on her tiptoes, Naomi raised her lips to his, kissing him.

‘I'll be good to you, babes, I promise I will,' she whispered. ‘You're everything to me, have been since the moment I first saw you …'

Her boyfriend stared at her for a moment, surprised by this heartfelt confession. Then slowly the twenty-two-year-old lowered his face to Naomi's and whispered, ‘You mean nothing to me, bitch. Get that into your thick skull.'

Naomi stared at him, lost for words. Then, before she could react, Darren placed a meaty hand on her chest and pushed with all his might. Taken off guard, Naomi tumbled backwards, tripping over her feet and crashing onto the polished floor. Pain ripped through her elbow as the wind was punched from her lungs, but before she could recover, Darren was in her face again.

‘You were useful to me for a while, now you aren't. Got it?'

‘Is that all I was to you?' Naomi cried, enraged. ‘Some mug who'd steal for you, lie for you, just so you could get a fix …'

‘Now you're getting it,' Darren smirked.

‘But all those things you said to me, all those promises you made …' she moaned.

A broad grin spread across Darren's face, amused by her naivety.

‘Jesus, you really are far gone. Do you think anyone could mean those things about you ?'

He was laughing, cruel and self-congratulatory, his arrogance, his cynicism clear. How had Naomi not seen this? How had she fallen for this parasite? She wanted to rail at him, to vomit out her fury and disappointment, but no words came, her desolation total.

‘Good luck, babes ,' her ex-lover teased, rising. ‘You're gonna need it …'

And with that, he was gone, sauntering out of the shopping centre and out of her life. Scrambling up onto her knees, Naomi watched him go, forlorn, disbelieving. All her hopes, all her dreams had suddenly gone up in smoke and she watched on in horror as her former boyfriend disappeared from view, before tipping her head back and howling out her agony.