Page 61 of Good Sisters

‘We both know that’s a lie. How long have you been dating Sebastian?’

She rolled her eyes. ‘I’m not dating him, we’re just chatting. It’s no big deal.’

‘Just chatting.’

‘Yeah.’ She crossed her arms over her chest.

‘So, he wasn’t here this afternoon before I got home from work? He didn’t sneak out of the house before I came through the front door?’

Her face dropped as she realized Pippa had told me. ‘He just called in for ten minutes.’

‘Really?’

‘Yeah. We’re, like, friends. It’s no big deal.’

‘Well, then, why did you fail to mention it?’

‘Because I knew you’d overreact, like you always do.’

‘So you think it’s okay to have boys here when you’re home alone?’

‘OMG, it was one time and it was one boy.’

I counted to five.

‘Jess, you knew perfectly well that your dad and I would be furious if we found out you had a boy here when we were at work.’

‘Nothing happened. We just hung out.’

‘Swear on your grandmother’s grave that you didn’t do anything more than kiss.’

Jess’s eyes flashed. ‘I swear on Granny’s grave, but that’s a horrible thing to ask me to do.’

She was right, but I was desperate. Desperate that she didn’t do something stupid with bloody Sebastian of all people.

‘So nothing else happened? You didn’t go upstairs and take any of your clothes off? Teenage boys will always push for sex, Jess.’

‘OMG, Mum!’ She put her hands over her face. ‘Nothing happened. I’m not stupid. Sebastian’s not like that.’

God, she was clueless. ‘Sebastian’s mother, as you well know, is a very nasty person. I’m not saying he’s the same, but he certainly grew up around toxic people. I would prefer you to stay away from him.’

Jess threw her hands into the air. ‘You’re the one who always says not to judge people until you get to know them. And that’s exactly what you’re doing. I know Sebastian’s mother was a bitch to you and, yes, she seems like a total idiot, but he is a nice guy.’

‘The triplets don’t think so.’ I played my trump card. Jess loved her cousins and would value their opinion far higher than mine.

‘Well, Sebastian told me that now he’s got to know the triplets properly through rugby he really likes them and that the whole team are bonding this year.’

‘He was horrible to them when they first arrived in Castle Academy.’

‘He was only nine or ten then. He’s grown up.’

Wow, Sebastian had clearly got under her skin. Damnit. If she was defending him against her cousins, she must really like him.

‘I just want you to be careful, Jess. You are a beautiful, amazing girl and you deserve to be with a really great guy. I’m not sure Sebastian is that person.’

‘OMG, Mum, we’re not getting married, just hanging out. Chill.’

I knew, from all the podcasts I’d listened to on ‘how to connect with your teen’, that it was vital Jess didn’t shut me out. I had to keep the communication lines open. If I grounded her, she’d possibly never speak to me again, but I couldn’t let the incident go unpunished.

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