Chapters (60)
- Cover
- Books by Sheryl Browne
- Dedication
- KARLA
- 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
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Epilogue
- The Affair
- Hear more from Sheryl
- Books by Sheryl Browne
- A Letter from Sheryl
- The Babysitter
- The Second Wife
- Acknowledgements
Muting his phone, Jason sighed in frustration and acknowledged he was possibly a touch jealous of his friend’s freedom. What he’d give to be that carefree occasionally. Was he truly envious though? His marriage had hit a rough patch, but it could be fixed, given they could relearn how to communicate. He would quite like someone to be listening when he tried to. Judging by the profile photo, though, he doubted if the woman in it would be up for a night’s not-so-scintillating verbal intercourse. She might well be a complete nutjob, and probably didn’t look anything like her profile. Attempting to console himself with that thought, he climbed the stairs, swallowing back his guilt at even entertaining the idea as he bypassed his kids’ bedroom doors.
Five
KARLA
As it’s Saturday, and Jason was so late to bed after seeing to Josh, I left him to lie in for a while. Hearing him stirring now overhead, I flick the coffee machine on. I make it strong, thinking we could both use it after a stressful night.
‘Holly, Josh!’ I call, hoping to entice the kids to eat something rather than squabble about CBBC’s The Playlist and which episode was cool.
‘I’m not watching that one.’ Holly’s voice drifts huffily from the lounge. ‘Alessia Cara’s playlist is way cooler.’
‘Well, go and watch it on your iPad then,’ Josh retorts. ‘I bagsied the TV first.’
‘No, you did not, you little toad. I’ve been down here ages. You’re not even dressed yet. And anyway, I’m older than you, so I get to choose.’
‘No, you do not. Geddoff! Mum, tell her,’ Josh cries. ‘She’s snatching the remote off me again.’
‘Telltale,’ Holly mutters. ‘Weedy little—’
‘Holly!’ I cut her short, skidding into the hall. ‘Kitchen. Now! Both of you.’ Wearing my no-nonsense face, I wait while my little darlings slope past me – Josh sulkily, Holly mumbling and looking po-faced.
‘Stop picking on him, Holly,’ I say, behind her. ‘Repeating what the other children say at school is not clever.’
‘What? I’m not.’ Holly splays her hands innocently. ‘Anyway, he started it.’
‘Did not,’ Josh mumbles from the kitchen. ‘You did.’
‘Enough, you two,’ I warn them, ‘or no more TV today and no allowance.’ Sighing exasperatedly, I follow them, and almost collide with Jason, who’s hurrying down the stairs, wearing his work clothes and carrying his laptop bag and mobile, I notice, surprised.