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
A couple of miles down the road, Joey had cheered up immensely since finding out that Dominic had only binned him because of his father’s interference.
‘So, what do you reckon, Frankie? Shall I wait outside Dom’s office tomorrow? Or should I give him a few more days to calm down? What would you do if you were me?’
Not hearing a word her brother was saying, Frankie stared vacantly out of the pub window.
‘Frankie, whatever’s the matter with you today? You’re staring into thin air like a tit in a trance.’
‘I’m sorry, Joey, I was miles away. What were you saying?’
Knowing his sister better than she knew herself, Joey moved next to her and put a comforting arm around her shoulder. ‘What’s up? I know you’re not yourself. Have you had a row with Jed?’
Frankie shook her head. ‘No, it’s not that.’
‘Well, what is it, then? You know we can tell one another anything.’
Without warning, Frankie burst into tears. ‘Oh, Joey, I’m in a right mess. Please don’t tell anyone, but I think I might be pregnant.’
Joey looked at his sister in astonishment. ‘For fuck’s sake, Frankie, please tell me you’re joking.’
‘I’m not joking. My period’s late, and after we were chatting in your room this morning, I was sick twice.’
Joey held her in his arms. Frankie had always been there for him throughout his dramas, and now she needed him to do the same for her. ‘Sssh, stop crying. We’ll sort this, Frankie, I promise.’
‘How? I can’t tell Mum and Dad – they’ll kill me,’ Frankie wailed.
Joey wiped her eyes with his cuff. ‘You stay in here and get us another drink and I’ll walk down the road and find a chemist. I take it, you haven’t done a test yet?’
Frankie shook her head. ‘It was only when I was sick earlier that I thought about it. I checked my diary and my period is over three weeks late. I’m so frightened, Joey. I can’t tell Jed – say he says he don’t want a baby? He might finish with me or something, and I can’t lose him. I love him too much.’
Joey soothed her until she finally stopped crying. ‘Don’t cry, Frankie. You’re probably worrying over nothing and it’s just coincidence. I mean, you’re not stupid. You and Jed have been using something, haven’t you?’
Embarrassed, Frankie averted her eyes and stared at her lap. ‘Not all the time. Jed didn’t like using the rubbers – he said they made his cory itch,’ she mumbled.