Page 137 of Good Sisters

‘You were awesome, Louise, just … Wow.’ I struggled to find the words and choked up.

‘Ah, come on, no crying. I’ll drive you to the pub and then I’ve to go home to Lemon, Shania has a meeting at three.’

I sat in the back of Gavin’s Mini and breathed a huge sigh of relief. Jess was protected, Sophie didn’t hate me any more and, hopefully, by the end of the day Liam would be back on the team. And it was all down to our eldest and finest sister.

32. Louise

Sophie bustled around the kitchen making us all coffee and offering us healthy snacks. Clara was in the playroom watching a movie.

Julie wrinkled her nose as she took a bite of one of Sophie’s energy balls. ‘It tastes like dust and cardboard smushed together with a bit of peanut butter.’

‘They’re healthy and good for you,’ Sophie told her.

‘Do you eat these, Jess?’ Julie asked.

‘No way!’ Jess shook her head.

‘Any chocolate biccies in the cupboard?’ Julie asked.

Jess grinned. ‘Yes, actually. Mum has a secret stash of chocolate fingers that Robert and I raid all the time.’

Sophie smiled. ‘I noticed they were disappearing at a very fast rate.’

‘Thank God for that. I need some sugar. Harry and I were up all night bursting with excitement about the game today. I’m knackered now.’

Jess handed her a packet of biscuits.

‘How are you doing, pet?’ Julie asked.

Jess blushed. ‘I’m okay, thanks to you all having my back. Thanks again, Louise. Mum said you were unreal. I’m sorry that, well –’

‘Hey,’ I cut across her, ‘you have nothing to be sorry for. Nothing. You made a little mistake. We’ve all made them. Unfortunately yours was with a complete jerk. But he won’t be bothering you again.’

Sophie tucked Jess’s hair behind her ear. ‘Are you sure about going to the match today?’

‘Don’t do anything you don’t feel up to. But if you do come, you know we’re all there to protect you,’ Julie added.

Jess looked at her mum. ‘I want to go. I have to face him sometime and you’ll all be around me.’

Sophie gave her a side-hug. ‘We’ll be a force field around you. I’m very proud of how you’re handling this.’

‘We all are. You’re a fantastic girl,’ Julie said.

‘Hear hear,’ I agreed. My phone pinged: a WhatsApp from Zoë. She only left voice notes because she was too lazy to type. I found them very passive-aggressive. ‘This should be good. Listen to the crap I have to deal with every day.’ I pressed play.

‘Hey, Louise, so I just had a falafel sandwich from Pret and I feel really sick. Like, I’m dying here. So, I’m going to head home. I know you wanted me to finish that PowerPoint presentation for you but, like, I really think I’m going to throw up. I’ll do it tomorrow, if I’m feeling better. Have a great day.’

‘Wow, she sounds very perky for someone who’s dying,’ Sophie noted.

‘This is the crap I have to put up with all the time. I really can’t take much more.’

‘Surely you can fire her,’ Julie said.

‘I told you, she’s Walter’s goddaughter and he dotes on her. You should see her with him – she plays him like a fiddle. Why are sixty-year-old men so bloody stupid?’

‘How long more is she going to be with you?’ Julie asked.

‘Her internship is up in three months.’

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