Page 52 of The Sunrise Sisterhood

‘Fine!’ Clare grunted. ‘The keys are in my jeans pocket.’

She hitched one buttock off the seat and winced as Skye retrieved them.

Skye was so on edge that it took her a few seconds to get the key in the ignition and it crossed her mind that she probably wasn’t in a fit state to drive at all.

Suddenly, Clare shrieked. Skye followed her gaze to see Adam flying out of the house towards them.

‘I need to talk to you.’ Adam knocked on the window. ‘Saskia, I need to talk to you. Please!’

‘Drive!’ Clare yelled. ‘Drive.’

‘I’m trying!’ Skye yelled back in frustration. ‘But why does Angel’s brother think you’re called Saskia?’

Clare blinked at her. ‘Because … I told him I was.’

Skye stared at her uncomprehending. ‘You’re not making any sense.’

‘Adam is Ivy’s father, OK?’ she replied, dropping her chin to her chest. ‘Now, please, can we go?’

‘That is Ivy’s father? The man who left you?’ Fury raged through Skye, and before she was even aware of what she was doing, she sprang from the car and shoved Adam with all her strength. ‘You bastard!’ she yelled in his face. ‘How could you?’

‘What?’ He looked bewildered. ‘What have I done?’

She jabbed him in the chest. ‘It’s what you haven’t done more like, you spineless piece of shit. How could you turn your back on her when she needed you?’

He held his hands up, as if surrendering. ‘I’m so confused right now.’

Clare managed to wind the car window down. ‘Skye. Get in. Now. Please.’

‘I don’t know what’s going on, but I hope you’re OK,’ said Adam, taking a step away from the car. ‘Maybe we can meet up soon, grab a coffee?’

Skye was overcome with indignation and anger. Seriously? How could he stand there, all casual, and say that? She leapt towards him and thumped him in the stomach as hard as she could. ‘You stay away from her.’

‘Oof.’ Adam doubled over in pain. ‘What was that for? I was only trying to help.’

‘As if you don’t know!’ Skye gave him a look of disgust before jumping into the driving seat.

‘Oh God,’ Clare whispered, her face as white as a sheet. ‘You shouldn’t have done that.’

Skye put the car into reverse and put the wipers on fast.

‘Yes, I should,’ she said through gritted teeth. ‘No one treats my family like that. Not even my half-sister.’

‘That’s just the point,’ said Clare, watching Adam clutching his stomach. ‘No one has.’

‘No one has what?’ Skye demanded. ‘I don’t understand.’

Clare closed her eyes. ‘Long story. And not for today.’

Chapter Fourteen

Clare

NOVEMBER 2020

‘This has been a lovely treat, thank you.’ Mum gave me a hug goodbye. ‘I shall drift down to Devon on a cloud of bliss.’

We were in the reception of the Ivy Hotel and Spa at the end of a day of pure indulgence: swimming, saunas, massages, and best of all, hours of uninterrupted conversation catching up with each other’s lives.