Ripples Read Online Free Page B

working properly. You can’t hear it if the TV’s on,” Ciara said.
    She was scared. “Dad’s going to kill me.”
    â€œNo he won’t. I’ll explain. I know you won’t drink again after this,” Kathy said kindly.
    â€œI promise I won’t. Honest,” Ciara said earnestly. She slid the key into the lock.
    Kathy followed her into the sitting-room. She heard Ciara gasp in horror before she laid eyes on the sight thatsent Ciara running from the room, crying loudly.
    Barry cursed.
    Brenda squeaked, “Oh my God!” as she lay underneath him on the sofa.
    Both of them were naked.
    â€œI … I … ” Kathy stuttered. “I’ll bring Ciara home with me.”
    I knew it, she thought. I knew he was having an affair with Brenda. Mike couldn’t see past the end of his nose! She had to get out of here. This was a nightmare.
    â€œBlast you, Barry! Could you not have gone to that one’s house?” Kathy exploded
    She hurried upstairs after Ciara
    â€œCome on, love. Come and stay the night with me.”
    â€œI hate him. I hate him. I hate all of them.”
    â€œI know, pet, we’ll talk about it athome. Come on, you need a good night’s sleep.”
    Kathy’s heart bled for her. Ciara, only five weeks older then her own Sara, had just had her innocence and security snatched from her in a very cruel way.
    Kathy had lost all respect for Barry. Having an affair was his business. But couldn’t he have had the decency to conduct it somewhere other than his own home.
    Brenda was supposed to be Alison’s best friend. Some friend. She’d always had a thing for Barry. Even before he was married. But then Alison had told her she could have him. She was out on the man-hunt too.
    It was crazy. The McHugh’s marriage was well-and-truly over. That was for sure.
    Kathy felt really sad. She led theweeping young girl out to the car. Hard as the break-up was for Barry and Alison, it was a thousand times worse for Ciara.

Chapter Ten
    Ciara lay in bed shivering. She couldn’t get warm.
    Sara, her best friend, was asleep on a pump-up bed on the floor.
    Sara had been very kind. She’d given Ciara her bed. She’d put her arms around her and told her that everything would be all right. Kathy and Mike had said so too.
    Ciara desperately wanted to believe them. But now they were all asleep. She wished she could sleep. All she wanted to do was forget the awful thing that had happened.
    Maybe it was a nightmare. She might wake up and discover that she had dreamt it all.
    Ciara took a deep breath.
    She gave herself a pinch.
    It hurt.
    She wasn’t asleep having a dream. It had all happened. She had seen her dad and Brenda bonking on the sofa. It was horrible.
    What would her mam say when she found out?
    Ciara knew the answer to that.
    Alison wouldn’t care. She was out dancing in Tomangos. Maybe she was with another man. She always said if a chance came her way, she’d take it.
    Why did they have to be like that? Why couldn’t they be normal parents? Why couldn’t they love each other and be happy? Like the Stuarts. Why did they have to ruin her life?
    Ciara cried in the dark. Big sobs that nearly choked her. She was afraid she would wake Sara. But Sara slept on, snoring gently.
    What was going to happen now?
    Her dad would leave. She just knew that. He was always saying that he was leaving.
    Ciara cried even harder. She loved her dad. Even if he was moody. She didn’t want him to move out of the house. She always felt safe when he was there. She liked knowing that he was downstairs watching his sport while she was up in her room. She’d hear him cheering and yelling when his team scored a goal. That always made Ciara feel good. She knew then that her father was happy for a little while. She liked to see her father happy.
    Maybe it was all her fault. If she’d been a boy all this might never havehappened. Men