Chapters (48)
- Cover
- THEFEUD
- Dedication
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- PROLOGUE
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
‘I couldn’t give a fuck what she’s got! I’m not having all this for much longer, Jess. They both wanted to leave school at sixteen, so now they can go and get a fucking job. I was ten years old when I started work and I’ve always worked since. They’re a lazy pair of bastards. All they do is doss about – they don’t lift a finger in here. Going out on the piss all the time ain’t gonna get ’em far in life. Once they’ve spent their birthday money, that’s it, they ain’t getting no more. They expect continuous handouts and it’s as much as they can do to say thank you. Well, I’m putting me foot down from now on. Too soft we’ve been with ’em, and this is the fucking result of it.’
Aware that Ed’s eyes had started to cloud over, Jessica quickly changed the subject. ‘I’m sure I felt the baby moving this morning, Ed. It’s the first time, I’ve really felt it. Shall we go shopping tomorrow? We can get the cot and a few other bits.’
The mention of his unborn child put a smile back on Eddie’s face. He put his arms around Jessica from behind and gently fondled her stomach. ‘How about we choose some wallpaper and stuff and I’ll make a start on changing the spare room into a nursery.’
Jessica turned around and threw her arms around his neck. ‘Oh, Ed, that sounds wonderful.’
Frankie sat on the edge of her brother’s bed. ‘You can’t carry on like this, Joey. Why don’t you ring Dom? Talk to him.’
Joey’s eyes filled up with tears once again. ‘I’ve tried. He keeps putting the phone down on me. I can’t understand it, we were getting on OK. Dominic always treated me well. He loved me, I know he did, and last week he even spoke about me moving into his flat sometime soon. It doesn’t make sense, Frankie. He hasn’t even been out to meet anyone else, yet he said he’s fallen for some other bloke.’
‘You don’t reckon it’s got anything to do with Dad, do you? Maybe he found out and threatened him or something.’
Joey shrugged. ‘I doubt it. Surely Dad would have gone mental at me if he knew something. I wonder if Dom’s met someone at work; maybe a new bloke’s just started there or something.’
‘Why don’t you go up to where he works. Wait outside the building, you can see for yourself then. I’ll even come with you, if you want.’
Joey and Frankie’s conversation was ended by a gentle tapping on the bedroom door.