Page 22 of The Library of Second Chances
Couldn’t face me,Chloe didn’t say. She rubbed her face, tired. It had been a long day, and she was in no mood to argue with her sister now. Half an hour ago, she hadn’t even known she was in the country. ‘Well, all their stuff is in boxes upstairs in the attic, if you ever feel like digging it out.’ She turned and headed up the stairs. She was getting ready for bed when she heard Gwen climbing the stairs behind her. She only had one small suitcase, and it banged on every step she ascended. Chloe listened to her sighs and mutters, rubbing her forehead and hoping Gwen found another boyfriend to mooch off of soon.
Chloe’s shift at the library the next day started at ten o’clock. At eight thirty she was up, sipping coffee with a plate of toast at the coffee table. Dad had made the table when she was just a child. It didn’t match anything else in the living room, but nobody had minded. Even after twenty years, it was sturdy and reliable.
‘Morning.’ Gwen yawned as she joined Chloe in the living room, her hair somehow still gorgeous in a messy, stylish sort of way. She plopped down on the other end of the couch, wrapping her golden locks into a messy bun.
Chloe grunted in response, staring down at the coffee in her mug. She didn’t bring up their conversation from the previous night, and neither did her sister, who sat looking at her phone. When the tension between them was too thick to bear, Chloe rose with her empty plate. ‘I’m going to work.’
‘What do you do?’ Gwen asked. ‘Still in marketing?’
Chloe was shocked that her sister actually knew what she did back before Mum and Dad died. ‘No. There’s not much demand for that here.’
The kitchen and the living room were separated by an archway rather than a door, and Chloe washed her plate as she told her sister she was working at the Wellbridge Library. ‘It’s just a temporary thing,’ she said, drying her hands. ‘Until I’ve saved up enough money to start again somewhere new.’
Gwen giggled, and Chloe stepped into the living room to shoot her a questioning look. Gwen was wearing tiny pyjamas, short shorts that rode almost over the tops of her thighs and a tank top that looked too cold for this chilly late autumn morning, not that Gwen had switched off the central heating last night before bed. Even when she had just rolled out of her blankets and hadn’t put on any make-up, her little sister still looked stunning. She was practically a supermodel next to Chloe, who had opted for her comfortable tartan skirt and blouse-cardigan combo, her chestnut hair scooped up into a sensible, boring ponytail.
‘What’s funny?’ Chloe asked Gwen, who still smiled, shaking her head.
‘Just you.’ Gwen was examining her painted toenails now. ‘Chloe, working at the library. It’s so . . . you. Being all bookish and boring.’
‘Thanks,’ Chloe said stiffly. She made to leave.
‘Aw, come on. I didn’t mean it like that.’ Gwen slid off the couch and came to wrap her arms around Chloe from behind,squeezing her tight. Chloe stiffened at first – this was the most physical contact they’d had in years bar their hug last night – but she sighed and relaxed into the hug, reluctantly patting Gwen’s hand.
‘Thanks for letting me stay,’ Gwen mumbled in her ear.
‘Yeah, well, don’t get used to it,’ Chloe grumbled back. ‘This is just temporary. For both of us.’ This may be Gwen’s house too, but surely she didn’t see herself living here permanently. She hadn’t been able to wait until she could leave when they were kids.
Gwen’s slender arms fell from her as she went to open the bread bin on the counter. It was one of the things they hadn’t thought to pack away.
‘Aw, remember when we got this?’ Gwen asked, looking sadly at the little wooden container. She opened it, revealing the half loaf of brown bread Chloe had bought.
‘Yeah,’ said Chloe softly. Mum had been delighted to find it in a charity shop, exclaiming how posh they were for owning a bread bin. The sisters exchanged small smiles before Chloe glanced away.
‘We’re buying white bread, by the way.’ Gwen slid closed the lid.
‘Buy whatever bread you want.’ If it kept Gwen from pinching her food, all the better. When they were kids, they had always been at war about what kind of bread they wanted Mum and Dad to buy.
‘What are you getting up to today, then?’ asked Chloe. She didn’t want their time together to be spent in awkward silence. It was easier to go for uncomplicated, everyday topics.
Gwen tilted her head. ‘I’m not sure.’
‘Maybe start looking for a job,’ Chloe suggested. ‘Just in case you’re here for a while.’
‘Like you?’ Gwen asked slyly.
‘I’ve only been here a few months. And I don’t know how long I’m staying, either. Not much longer. I’m saving up.’ Even if they had no mortgage or rent to pay, there were things like bills andcentral heatingto pay for. Admittedly, it was great not having a chunk of rent money coming out of her small income from the library. What was the point in paying rent for a flat when the house was here for free? At least until she figured out where she wanted to go next.
‘I’m going to be late,’ Chloe added, checking her phone. ‘See you later.’
On her way to the library, she texted Hannah, telling her everything. Hannah was one of the few people who knew why things were so strained between her and her sister.
She isSO UNGRATEFUL! Want me to come and slap her?
Chloe snorted as she crossed the road.
Nah, best not. Though it’d be funny to see.
Stay strong. She’s probably finding another sugar daddy on Tinder as we speak.
