Chapter Twenty-Seven
G WEN WAS IN and awake, wearing some fluffy pyjamas. There was no music playing and the TV was switched off. To Chloe’s shock, her sister was reading a book.
‘Are you feeling ill?’ she asked as she set down her bag on the nearby armchair. She rushed to her sister’s side and laid a hand against her forehead. ‘Are you unwell? Should I call an ambulance?’
‘Ha, ha,’ remarked her sister, glancing up as Chloe smirked.
She was reading the book she had bought as a replacement for Chloe’s.
Which wasn’t surprising, considering they didn’t own any others.
‘I wanted to see what all the fuss was about this book. That library of yours, it’s .
. .’ She searched for the right word. ‘It’s actually really beautiful. ’
Chloe flushed with pleasure. Even though it wasn’t her library, she still felt a rush of pride. ‘I love it, too. What do you think of the book?’ Gwen wasn’t very far through it. Twenty pages at best.
Gwen pursed her lips. ‘It’s going slowly. I haven’t read a book since, what, Year Ten? Of Mice and Men .’
‘ GCSE English. I remember,’ said Chloe fondly. ‘Did you actually read that one, or did you just google the synopsis?’
Gwen threw a cushion at her. ‘What’s wrong with wanting to get back into reading?’
‘Wrong? Gwen, it’s the best thing ever.’ Chloe felt a surge of happiness. ‘I’ve got so many books to introduce you to.’ Already, several titles came to mind. What would Gwen be most likely to enjoy? Fantasy? Romance? Thriller? Maybe smut?
‘All right, calm down,’ Gwen said, as though she could see the shelves flicking through Chloe’s mind. ‘I’m not sure if I even like reading yet.’ She gave her sister a knowing look. ‘Besides, I saw a certain someone outside.’
‘We really need to get darker curtains,’ sighed Chloe. ‘I’m allowed to have friends, you know.’ She slid off the couch and busied herself with her handbag, though she wasn’t entirely sure what she was looking for.
Gwen snorted. ‘Most people don’t kiss their friends.’
‘Gross, you were spying?’
‘Of course.’
Gwen grinned, and Chloe couldn’t stop her reluctant smile either. ‘I got a job,’ said Gwen, and Chloe’s mouth fell open in shock. Gwen looked at her over the book, a glint in her eye. ‘Remember, I was out the other night? And a few nights since then?’
‘On a date, you said the first time,’ said Chloe. ‘And I heard you talking the other morning.’
‘I was on the phone, you muppet.’ Gwen rolled her eyes.
‘The first evening was a job interview, and I’ve been working shifts there.
It’s the bar on High Street, the Pride it was orange, like his, and hung from her ears. She had her face buried in her arms and her shoulders were shaking.
Clementine padded towards her, his tail swishing through the air. She wasn’t holding a book.