A gasp. ‘The absolute bastard!’ Now this Steph she could get on board with – the Steph who was in her corner and supporting her rather than the other way round, the twin sister who had once gone to detention after school for a whole week in her place so that she could still make swim club and prepare for an upcoming competition.
Somewhat more willing to talk since she answered the call, Faye asked, ‘Did you really think that man would leave his wife, Steph?’
Her voice sounded so small across the miles when she said that’s exactly what she’d thought. ‘He told me they were talking divorce; he said he loved me. And now he’s bloody well come out on the news to say that he and his wife are working through this and requested that the public please allow them to do so for the sake of their family.’
That had to have hurt. No matter whether Steph did the wrong thing, thinking someone loved you, planning a future with them, and to have it all thrown back in your face was hurtful. She should know.
‘So… am I forgiven, Faye?’ And there it was, the lighter tone, the slight smile in her voice and the presumption that a little apology would fix everything and make it all go away. ‘Come on, I’ve said sorry.’
She was never going to change.
‘We’ll talk,’ said Faye.
Steph whined, ‘I miss you, sis.’
‘Yeah, you too.’
She ended the call before dropping the phone into her backpack and shrugging it on again. There was no point trying to argue about anything, trying to point out how what Steph missed the most was having someone to turn to when she made a mess of things. They were twin sisters, always would be, but Steph was just like their mother and fighting it was only going to bring pain and heartbreak to Faye when trying to change her didn’t work.
She put a foot over the crossbar of her bike and picked up the helmet but jumped as a figure stepped out of nowhere. The man who’d been staring at her earlier at the bookshop was suddenly right beside her.
‘You’re her, aren’t you?’ he said with no preamble.
‘Excuse me?’
‘Her. The one who shagged a politician and destroyed a family.’
‘I…’ The helmet fell from her hands. ‘No, I’m not.’
‘Liar!’
‘Please, just leave me alone.’ Claiming to be an identical twin seemed futile at this point; she just wanted to get out of there.
He sneered. ‘I’d recognise you anywhere.’ It was then she noticed his Australian accent. ‘I keep up with the news back home.’
‘Leave me alone, please!’ She didn’t want to get off the bike and reach for the helmet; she didn’t want to bend down in case she lost her balance or he pushed her.
‘Like you left that man alone? I don’t know him, but my own family was ruined by a slag like you shagging my dad. So, I know what it’s like.’ He jabbed a finger in her face.
She pushed her foot onto the pedal. But starting off uphill was hard let alone when someone was walking beside you determined to badger you. She tried to get some purchase on the pedals and get away from him.
Luckily for Faye, she had fitness on her side and was soon going faster than the man, although she could hear him running after her. Her heart was pounding. She was going as hard as she could.
She got some way up the hill and turned to look over her shoulder to see where he was and that was when she swerved. She lost her balance and fell onto the hard tarmac.
She heard more footsteps. She felt a warm trickle and put a hand to her head. There was blood.
And then she heard a woman’s voice yell, ‘Bugger off! Go on, get away! I’ve called the police!’
And when she looked up it was into the eyes of someone much nicer than the horrible stranger.
18
BONNIE
Bonnie tried to coax Faye up from the ground. ‘It’s all right; he’s gone.’ Faye wouldn’t stop trying to look around her, moving her head even more. ‘Come on, up you get. A car could come over the hill at any moment.’
Faye got to her feet but Bonnie took her over to the kerb rather than letting her get her bike.
