Page 71 of Coming Home to Hope Street

‘Yes. Pip told Tilly. This isn’t looking good, Han.’

‘I thought he had work to go back to.’

‘His foreman rang and said the job had been delayed.’

‘Your Tilly should join the police when she grows up.’

‘Ha – Detective Tilly. I’ll tell her that.’

But Hannah couldn’t join in with Phoebe’s laughter. ‘Seriously, though. Whyishe staying around?’

‘That’s the big question. Now it’s your turn to be a super sleuth and find out the answer.’

‘And how am I supposed to do that? Come right out and say “Livvy, are you and Kieran playing us for fools, pretending you’re not together when you are?” I can’t say that.’

‘I know but you can think of something.’

‘And to be fair on Livvy, if she had come along with Kieran, I would have welcomed them both as much as I did with her and Pip. It’s Livvy I want to be happy.’

‘Even if she’s tricking you?’

‘By coming after money?’

‘Yes. It is the root of all evil.’

Hannah paused. She wanted to say that the Livvy she’d got to know over the past few weeks wasn’t like the person Phoebe was suggesting she could be. But she knew Phoebe wouldn’t want to hear that.

‘You have to find out, Han,’ Phoebe went on. ‘You know I hate to be proved wrong, but this is one of those times where I’ll gladly concede. It’s a crime what they’re doing if so. They’re playing on your good nature.’

Hannah groaned. Surely it couldn’t be true that her own sister was out to trick her?

In bed that evening, Livvy couldn’t get to sleep. Pip hadn’t spoken to her for the rest of the evening. She’d stayed in her room, despite her attempts to lure her down with toasted crumpets and hot chocolate.

She rued the day she’d met bloody Kieran Perkins. Why couldn’t he have left her alone years ago, to get on with her life without him? It wasn’t fair of him to want the best of both worlds, and to think she would be waiting for him with open arms every time he needed somewhere to stay.

It hadn’t always been the case. She cast her mind back to when Pip had been twelve, when she’d been dating Martin Collins. Martin was a fitness instructor at the gym she went to. He wasn’t one of the posing brigade, knowing he looked good and using it to his advantage. He was an average guy, intense blue eyes, olive skin, and a body to die for. But he was real with it, and kind.

Pip adored him too. It was one thing they hadn’t argued about and for a time, it seemed she’d moved on from her dad walking out on them this time, and was trying to imagine a life without him. Livvy had also been thinking of a future where Martin might become a permanent feature.

She’d been dating him for about two months when Kieran had knocked on the door as bold as brass one evening, with no warning he was coming home. She and Martin were watching a film with Pip.

Of course Pip had squealed; she was so excited to see him again. It had been awkward to say the least. Martin stayed for about half an hour and then said he’d call her the next day.

Livvy had been furious and there had been a terrible row after Pip had gone to bed. She’d accused Kieran of taking her for granted. He’d blamed her for moving on with no thought for him.

She’d said he hadn’t thought about her, nor Pip, for six months and they’d learnt to survive without him. He’d said that was clear to see.

It had ended on a stalemate with Kieran sleeping on the settee.

She and Martin had dated for another couple of weeks, but Kieran had used his charms on her. Eventually he’d asked her to try again, and reluctantly she’d let Martin go. Yet from that moment, she’d regretted it.

Sadly, there was no going back. The hurt look on Martin’s face still haunted her to this day, and she knew she’d missed her chance for a happier life with someone who might actually care about her, and not just himself.

When Kieran had left again eight months later, she’d lain in bed, like she was doing now, and cursed the day she’d met him. She hadn’t even been able to go to the gym since her spilt with Martin, and there was no chance of bumping into him again unless she did. Plus, she had no right to think he hadn’t got another girlfriend either. He wasn’t waiting around for anyone – not like her. She’d blown it.

And now Pip was mad at her again because of Kieran leaving under a cloud. He didn’t even have the decency to answer her messages, or calls. Livvy had heard Pip crying as she’d come to bed that night, standing behind her bedroom door poised to knock but had thought better of it. Pip was in criticising mode, and she couldn’t blame her. It wasn’t nice what had happened.

Going into the police station that morning had been horrible. Even though she’d done nothing wrong, it had made her feel like a criminal. And yet it had been the right thing to do. Kieran couldn’t get away with theft. The officers had been nice, but it still didn’t take away the pain of what he’d done.

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