Page 110 of The Half Sister

Kate can see the children in the car and inches her way towards them, closely followed by Lauren, whose breath she can feel on her neck. She admires her sister’s restraint. If it wereherkids, she’d be like a screaming banshee, but Lauren obviously knows the best way to handle her husband. It pains Kate that she’s clearly had years of practice.

‘Come inside,’ says Matt, taking hold of Simon’s arm. ‘Let’s talk about this.’

Simon shakes him off and moves towards Lauren, his eyes blazing. Kate pulls herself up and stands tall between them, blocking his way.

‘How long’s it been going on?’ he shouts. ‘Did you honestly think you were going to get away with it? That I wouldn’t find out?’

He takes a step closer and Kate instinctively puts a hand across her stomach.

‘Whoishe?’ Simon yells. ‘Tell me who he is, because I’ll fucking kill him.’

He raises his right arm and Kate can feel, in slow motion, the rush of air as he swings it down. She ducks, pushing Lauren away, and flinches as she waits for contact to be made. With her eyes squeezed shut, the split second feels like an eternity, not knowing who he’s going to strike or where. Another whoosh and a slap of skin, but it’s not hers, it’s Matt’s, as he takes hold of Simon’s forearm just before it crashes down on top of her.

‘I’m gonna kill him, then you,’ shouts Simon, as Matt pulls his arm behind his back and frogmarches him into the house.

‘Mummy,’ cries Noah from inside the car.

Lauren pulls open the door and holds the little boy to her. ‘It’s okay,’ she says with tears rolling down her face. ‘Everything’s going to be okay.’

Kate looks across the back seat to see Jude and Emmy sleeping, blissfully unaware that their parents’ marriage has just ended. Though if the truth be told, it sounds like it was over long ago.

‘You can’t stay here,’ says Kate, rubbing her hand up and down Lauren’s back.

‘I know...I’ll go to Mum’s for a bit – wait for the dust to settle.’

‘I’ll come with you,’ says Kate.

‘No, I’ll be fine, you need to get to work.’

‘I’m sure the front line of showbusiness can wait.’ Kate smiles.

‘Here,’ says Matt, throwing a bunch of keys at her.

‘I’m going to take everyone to Mum’s,’ says Kate, catching them. ‘Will you be all right?’

He nods. ‘Just make sure Lauren and the kids are okay.’

A warmth runs through Kate as Matt’s selflessness hits home. That’s the kind of man he is. That’s why she fell in love with him. She silently apologizes for suspecting he was anything else.

‘Be careful,’ she says to him.

‘Call me once you’re at your mum’s,’ he says.

And she would have done if Rose hadn’t answered the door to them and said, ‘What the hell have you done?’

43

Kate

TheEchois laid out on Rose’s kitchen table, with Jess’s photo peering up at them.

The similarities between her and Lauren, who sits down beside it, are striking. The blonde hair that rests on their shoulders, their perfect noses, their wide-set eyes, making them look vulnerable and aggressive all at the same time.

‘I can’t believe you’d do this,’ says Rose. ‘I mean, what were you thinking?’

Lauren swivels the paper around to face her. ‘Wow,’ she says, her voice hoarse from crying. ‘When did Jess agree to do this?’

‘A couple of days ago,’ says Kate.

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