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Stand By Me: The uplifting and heartbreaking best seller you need to read this year
S.D. Robertson
‘A heartbreaking tale’ THE SUN‘Exceptionally beautiful’ MIRANDA DICKINSONThey’ll always have each other…won’t they?Lisa and Elliot have been best friends ever since the day they met as children. Popular, bright and sporty, Lisa was Elliot’s biggest supporter when the school bullies made his life a misery, and for that, he will always be grateful.Twenty years later, life has pulled the pair apart and Lisa is struggling. Her marriage is floundering, her teenage kids are being secretive, and she’s so tired she can’t think straight. So when Elliot knocks on the door, looking much better than she remembers, she can’t help but be delighted to see her old friend again.With Elliot back in their lives, Lisa’s family problems begin to improve – he’s like the fairy godmother she never had. As their bond deepens, she realises how much she’s missed him, and prays that this is one friendship that will last a lifetime. But sometimes, life has other ideas…A heartwarming story perfect for fans of Keith Stewart and Jojo Moyes, that will leave you with a tear in your eye but hope in your heart.
S.D. ROBERTSON
STAND BY ME
Copyright (#u00f55b73-67e4-5a28-8ded-1ef08fe0ca11)
Published by Avon an imprint of
HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd
1 London Bridge Street,
London, SE1 9GF
www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)
First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2018
Copyright © S.D. Robertson 2018
Cover photographs © Stephen Carroll/Arcangel Images
Cover design © Lisa Horton/Avon 2018
S.D. Robertson asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
Source ISBN: 9780008223458
Ebook Edition © January 2018 ISBN: 9780008223465
Version 2018-08-17
Praise For S.D. Robertson: (#u00f55b73-67e4-5a28-8ded-1ef08fe0ca11)
‘A heartbreaking tale of love, grief and devotion.’ The Sun
‘Exceptionally beautiful, emotionally charged and inspirational.’
Miranda Dickinson
‘Keeps you guessing to the turn of the last page. S.D. Robertson writes with brave assurance that makes the story a must-read and marks him as an author to follow.’ Stewart Foster
‘A wonderfully told tale of devastation, grief and ultimately hope, with a narrative that grips from the start and doesn’t let go until the final page.’ Kathryn Hughes
‘What’s really, really clever about this book is that you don’t realise you’ve been drawn in until it’s too late to stop. The story leaves you sliding down an emotional knife edge until you freefall. It’s soft, subtle, and engaging, then devastating.’ Helen Fields
‘Real. Emotional. Powerful. A must-read for anyone who loves to lose themselves completely in a book.’ Claudia Carroll
‘S.D. Robertson’s writing is so vivid and real that it takes you right there, into each moment with the characters and once you’re there, there’s no escape. You feel everything they feel.’ A Novel Thought
‘One of those unique books that once read will truly stay with you for a lifetime.’ Compelling Reads
‘A strong contender for my favourite book of the year … Emotional, heart-warming, tragic, bittersweet, charming and very, very satisfying.’ Silver Thistle
‘Gave me hope, renewed my faith and made me feel like there is more to look forward to on the other side of life than just an empty space.’ Comfy Reading
‘A sad, sweet, thought-provoking tale about the love and bond between parents and children.’ Lovereading
Dedication (#u00f55b73-67e4-5a28-8ded-1ef08fe0ca11)
For Claudia and Kirsten
Table of Contents
Cover (#u00850582-8ce3-517f-a39f-3742cc5975a9)
Title Page (#u1dcbb1b1-5272-535d-8e4e-3be1632b7897)
Copyright (#u6bdb04f9-b781-54a5-bdc9-95b72eebbb1b)
Praise For S.D. Robertson: (#uf56f7380-5a74-5f1f-9a65-e10524393d7a)
Dedication (#ue1ca5c2d-dee0-569c-857c-9b9913895097)
Prologue (#u183501fc-ec74-5b6f-9b9b-88942090b44d)
Chapter 1: Now (#u415409d2-3a6d-577d-975b-3ad98584753b)
Chapter 2 (#ufc556d58-34fb-5a1b-a6eb-b8b321ecb566)
Chapter 3: Then (#ub3bcc32a-6a8c-5a06-b4cc-e5fa4337d6a6)
Chapter 4 (#u425300de-1893-544e-86b0-69e7c674a9a5)
Chapter 5: Now (#ube6a9ead-06f5-59ee-8559-a10070e000bf)
Chapter 6: Then (#u720b7fc9-21db-5486-a977-57e6261e3d3e)
Chapter 7: Now (#u3ab98769-1c22-578f-a56e-47ccb09e53c8)
Chapter 8: Then (#ub8a75373-5fb7-5280-8781-da2d45b29aa9)
Chapter 9: Now (#u820d1387-9115-5829-83dc-9587dcca16f3)
Chapter 10: Now (#uc02ce44e-d94c-5f01-b230-fd24187fed96)
Chapter 11: Then (#ub87d15bc-f40f-5525-90dd-468c1cf5143c)
Chapter 12: Now (#u2dadee1e-af64-58f0-b22f-fdafdb60699a)
Chapter 13: Then (#uf25dbefd-62be-5375-abaa-eed337e9713c)
Chapter 14: Now (#uf0bb750b-666f-5964-a0d5-f1d422bcb917)
Chapter 15: Then (#u6d405a99-ea5c-5b6f-bb33-3ca4c13d4487)
Chapter 16: Now (#uad2d0d35-4a54-53db-b73e-6995eb719ecd)
Chapter 17: Now (#u3d8108c6-069c-591c-80f3-ab0e7c66ec12)
Chapter 18: Now (#u4e66ed26-b639-5192-a8e9-e9600fc95506)
Chapter 19: Now (#udb57a5c9-d510-5c21-bf11-5b6382272923)
Chapter 20: Now (#u26c0c137-deea-5092-a91b-965de81b7469)
Chapter 21: Then (#uaa44dadf-7011-55f8-a5f0-c501dd87c277)
Chapter 22: Now (#u3830be80-37aa-52b7-a597-59baf67777b0)
Chapter 23: Now (#u37db2be4-447f-55df-8cc9-d3a3987aa968)
Chapter 24: Now (#ua26e220c-d0be-5ab1-82b3-f98ab8c5b511)
Chapter 25: Then (#ub9895800-6795-5928-aba2-a10a68549f14)
Chapter 26: Now (#uf67630a1-94b6-589e-8621-bfa9f52f8d5f)
Chapter 27: Now (#ucfddec77-2b76-5e5f-a1d1-baea83abf6a3)
Chapter 28: Now (#u9801dfe0-322e-56f0-b7e1-37c923aee777)
Chapter 29: Then (#u7345fb23-b200-5fb0-824c-8bbc1cb32fe3)
Chapter 30: Now (#u1f1944bc-3768-57c4-bad5-439ff7eba812)
Chapter 31: Now (#u64766b14-ee1e-59c9-a67c-020cd4b24474)
Chapter 32: Now (#ud409eb9a-ddb7-5510-9571-bdf4fd79e8ec)
Chapter 33: Then (#udccd7168-af5f-5ba6-8ff0-31cbd6e39baf)
Chapter 34: Now (#u490c3c93-4d3d-50bb-9bdb-f51e9fc6299c)
Chapter 35: Then (#uc8e6a2a5-bd1d-5e7b-a393-36270e9b5ff1)
Chapter 36: Then (#ud56d8499-a9a9-56ef-8d2a-cd7902c9502d)
Chapter 37: Now (#u288085b9-dee4-59d2-9d30-b5d058b29e35)
Chapter 38: Now (#u7355b178-43ef-567e-b52a-bf639bc110ae)
Chapter 39 (#u041878e7-9488-5cbd-9469-9aba4a1a7ad6)
Chapter 40: Now (#uebc7c075-6e07-5b89-b0cc-a4c64feb8113)
Chapter 41: Now (#udcc6caff-509c-5aa3-9a17-9b71a7ee502e)
Epilogue: Now (#ue1811746-9d9d-50e2-909e-7f19ce99f533)
Acknowledgements (#uc3b328b9-e834-55b9-a933-8418158b16e5)
Keep Reading … (#u76c6d2f1-40cc-5992-b7af-2ca1cb8df7ee)
About the Author (#ud4e113f6-b637-5b2a-8b5d-a4a9923680d9)
Also by S.D. Robertson (#u43047199-e048-541c-b780-06912520570d)
About the Publisher (#u57089f8f-bb28-5838-9f5f-33a337c2d2ce)
PROLOGUE (#u00f55b73-67e4-5a28-8ded-1ef08fe0ca11)
Pain. That was the last thing he remembered. Excruciating, relentless, all-encompassing pain. The kind that focuses your mind absolutely, driving out all other thoughts as it pierces through your defences with shuddering ease.
The past, the future. Neither existed at that moment. There was only the present, rolling in ultra-slow motion.
No air, no up or down. A rag doll on a spin cycle: his tears invisible; his cries unheard.
That pain, dwarfing every other feeling. Had it been there a moment or forever?
He just wanted it to end. And finally, after rising to a blinding crescendo of agony, it did.
Blissful nothingness swooped down from the heavens above and engulfed him.
His return to consciousness was gradual and unexpected. As he became aware of himself again, it was as a detached series of thoughts and memories floating in the darkness. The echo of his torment remained in the background: a low hum, gone but not forgotten.
It was this way for some time. Then, hidden within that low hum, he began to hear the faint murmur of something else.
Was that someone whispering?
