Page 110 of Sisters

Abby pulled a face.

‘Admit it. If it hadn’t been for Fredrik, we would’ve been in the back of a police car by now.’

‘It was Fredrik who got us nearly caught in the first place!’

‘Right, pull over,’ said Ellie.

‘What?’

‘Let’s get this sorted once and for all.’ She tugged on the steering wheel and, alarmed, her sister slowed the car until they stopped on the side of the road.

Ellie turned to face Abby. ‘I am sorry.’

‘For what?’

‘Jon.’ Ellie saw her sister stiffen. ‘You still seem to have an issue with it so I want to clear the air.’

‘An issue?An issue?Well, I think I’m entitled to have an issue.’

‘It was ages ago.’

‘You stole my boyfriend from me.’

‘It wasn’t like that.’

‘I would really find it a whole lot easier if you would just admit the truth,’ said Abby.

‘You’d already broken up. You’d dumped him!’ said Ellie. ‘Told him work was making it difficult to find time for a relationship or something. He was gutted, as I recall,’ she mused.

‘Iwhat?’

‘You broke up with him,’ repeated Ellie. Abby was looking at her incredulously. ‘Right?’

‘He broke up withme,’ said Abby.

‘Seriously? That is not what he said.’

‘You’d better not be lying...’

Ellie put her palm on her chest. ‘Swear on my moth— my life.’

‘The bastard...’

The two sisters were quiet for a moment as they contemplated this change in history.

Ellie thought for a moment. ‘I didn’t feel good about it,’ she said. ‘I was envious of you, of your job, your new flat, how everything seemed to be falling into place...’

‘I was working like a lunatic. I would fall asleep the second I got home.’

‘It didn’t look like that. Not from the outside. It looked like you were succeeding in everything. Again. Jon made me feel as if I had the right to be at your level as well. Except it was weird. I only met him twice. And no, for the record, I didn’t sleep—’

‘Blah blah blah blah,’ said Abby suddenly, drowning her out.

‘What’s up?’

‘I don’t want to know.’

‘That I didn’t sleep wi—?’