Page 28 of The Library of Second Chances
She shifted to get more comfortable, thoughts drifting to the library again. Her special powers. The strangest mystery of all.
Who would she pull out next? Did Chloewantto use the power again? It had certainly come in useful at the café. She amused herself for a moment, thinking of all the book boyfriends she had encountered over the years. Or maybe she’d pull out a villain, a scary one who would attack the library, and Chloe would be the hero who . . .
‘Chloe.’
She glanced over at where Gwen was sprawled on the couch. She looked annoyed. ‘I just said your name twice.’
‘Oh, right. I didn’t hear you.’ Chloe straightened. ‘What’s up?’
‘What’s up withyou? You’re all distracted.’
Chloe didn’t want to tell Gwen anything. ‘I’m not.’
‘You are.’
‘I’m not.’
‘You are.’
It was like they were bickering children again. In this very living room, they had had arguments like this. Imitating each other, engaging in meaningless back and forth fights.
‘You’re staring off into space,’ said Gwen, pausing the movie so Chloe was forced to look at her. ‘What’s the matter?’
Chloe sighed. ‘I’m thinking about that terrific mess you made in the kitchen.’
Gwen’s cheeks reddened. ‘I was just trying to do something nice for you.’
Chloe didn’t have the heart to tell her that Gwen had made a bowl of mud, so she said nothing, sighing as she took the remote from the couch and played the movie, crossing her arms as she looked back at theTVscreen. It wasn’t fair. She could be doing literally anything else right now.
‘All right, tell me. What’s up with you?’ Gwen snatched up the remote and switched off the movie. She tossed the remote onto the coffee table, where it landed next to Chloe’s book.
The noise startled Chloe. ‘What?’
‘You’re fidgeting and thinking about something weird, I can tell.’ Gwen put down her glass on the coffee table. Then she stared at Chloe with her elbows on her knees. ‘What are you sulking about? Is it me? Being here inyourhouse?’ Gwen demanded.
Chloe laughed harshly. ‘Sure, yeah, Gwen. Everything is about you.’
Her sister scowled at her. ‘Out with it. What is with you today?’
‘It’s nothing to do with you,’ Chloe fired back. ‘Apart from the fact that you’ve used up all my food, made a huge mess in the kitchen that I’m guessingIwill have to clean up, since you cooked.’ She sneered at the sad bowl of food she had deposited on the coffee table earlier. ‘If you can call that cooking.’
‘I tried my best,’ Gwen said.
‘No, you didn’t,’ said Chloe. ‘I know you can cook. You took food tech lessons at school, then you made Dad that lasagne, remember?’
The women glared at each other.
‘If you must know,’ Chloe said when the silence stretched on too long, ‘I don’t know why you’re bothering to do all this. You never bothered to reach out before or make any effort.’
Gwen let out a loud sigh. ‘That’s what this is all about? You know,younever reached out to me, either. You’re supposed to be the big sister.’
Chloe scoffed. There was only a year between them.
‘I never heard anything from you all these years, Chloe. At least I’m trying. I want to know about you, or anyone you might be seeing.’
‘Uh-huh. Right.’ Chloe nodded mutely, snatching up her wine and taking a sip. Another awkward silence rang between them, and Chloe considered at least the background noise of the film would make this less painful. ‘Switch the movie back on, if you want. I don’t care.’
Gwen leaned forward to reach for the remote again, but in her anger, or clumsiness, her hand knocked her wine glass. It toppled over, spilling wine all over Chloe’s book.
