Page 107 of The Half Sister

‘I’m tired,’ says Lauren, bringing the duvet up over her head. ‘Can we talk about the semantics in the morning?’

‘Itismorning,’ says Simon, pulling the cover off her. ‘And I want to know where you were.’

‘I already told you, I was at Mum’s.’

‘Until ten o’clock?’ asks Simon.

‘I can’t remember the exact timings, but if that’s when Kate last called, then yes.’

‘So you took the kids with you?’ asks Simon.

He knows she would never keep the children up that late. ‘No,’ she says hesitantly. ‘I left them here...with Jess.’

Simon leaps up from the bed. ‘You left my kids with a fucking stranger?’

‘She’s not a stranger, she’s my sister.’

‘All to go to your mother’s?’ Simon’s jaw tightens as he shakes his head. ‘Nah, I’m not buying it.’

Lauren swallows hard as she backs up onto the headboard.

‘Do you know where I think you really went?’ he says. ‘I think you went and covered that shift.’

‘What?’ exclaims Lauren, wondering what on earth he’s talking about.

‘The shift that woman was going on about yesterday,’ he goes on. ‘Sheila, or whatever her name was.’

Lauren didn’t know it was possible to feel relief and an impending sense of dread at the same time. She weighs up which answer will get him off her back faster.

‘I...I didn’t want you to get mad,’ she says, seeing a way out. ‘It was only for a few hours and I thought we could do with the money.’

‘Why do you think I’m out all night? Providing for my family.’

‘Yes, I know,’ says Lauren, reaching out and holding on to his arm. ‘And I’m very grateful, but it doesn’t hurt to have a little bit extra, does it?’

He falls heavily back onto the bed. ‘I don’t want you having to work. Your place is here at home with the kids.’

She nods enthusiastically in agreement. ‘You’re right, and I’m sorry.’ She hadn’t realized she could be so manipulative.

‘I’m sorry I woke you,’ he says, suddenly conciliatory. ‘I was just worried.’

‘That’s okay,’ she says. ‘I may as well jump in the shower before Jude wakes up.’

She sees her phone on the bed, but there’s no good excuse to take it into the bathroom with her, so she leaves it where it is.

She showers as quickly as she can, sticking her head out the door to listen for any sounds from the children as soon as she’s finished. Even with Simon in the house, she’s always felt the children are her responsibility. She doesn’t know if that’s the innate instinct of a mother or if it’s the way Simonmakesher feel.

There’s total silence, though, and she revels in the last few minutes of peace before her day becomes overrun with the physical demands of three children. However, she fears it may be the incessant noise of her thoughts that will be her greatest distraction today. If she could just stop thinking about the way Justin’s touch had set her skin alight; how his lips on hers had felt like the most natural thing in the world.Stop!It is done, but it mustneverbe repeated. It was a mistake, and she now needs to focus on her family and husband, who is tryingsohard to keep their boat afloat.

As soon as she banishes Justin from her mind, the next thought gets in line, desperate for her attention. She roughly blow-dries her hair, her hands working ever more feverishly as she thinks about the pact she made with her mother and father all those years ago. The three of them vowed never to talk of it again, not with each other, and least of all with anyone else. As far as she knows, her dad had kept his promise, but her mum had broken hers in the cruellest way. Howcouldshe? Lauren won’t let this slide. She can’t. She’ll go round there, as soon as she’s dropped Noah at school.

She’d thought Simon would go to sleep for a couple of hours, but their bedroom’s empty when she walks back in; so Judedidwake up after all. The black jumpsuit that she’d worn last night hangs prominently in her open wardrobe, prickling her conscience. She tucks it out of sight, knowing she’ll never be able to wear it again.

Stepping into her more usual attire of leggings and baggy T-shirt, she hastily makes the bed, lifting the duvet into the air. A dull thud hits the floor and she instinctively knows it’s her phone and groans. It’s landed face down and Lauren turns it over slowly, grimacing at the potential cost of a replacement. But when she sees what’s written on the screen, no amount of money could possibly repair the damage caused.

42

Kate

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