‘No, I do .?.?. I really do.’
‘Well, then, we know each other’s secrets. Let’s call it quits?’
Cassie nodded. ‘Quits.’
‘In case you’re wondering what to do next, please let me tell Finn. My call. I haven’t even shared it with the kids yet, so that’s next on the list.’ She sounded weary but resolute.
In fairness, it was true what Finn had said about her: Marisha really was a grown-up.
‘OK, I’d better go. Have a good weekend.’
‘I doubt it, but thank you.’
* * *
On the way home, Cassie’s head was buzzing, so she stopped off in Georgian Fare and grabbed an irresistible slice of baked cheesecake. When she got home and opened the door to her apartment, she was met with a blast of music coming from the back. She was happy to see Ramona curled up on the small plush sofa in the kitchen, cradling a mug of coffee.
‘You’re looking chipper, so what’s up?’ she asked.
Cassie made herself a cup of coffee and recounted the whole story to Ramona, having first sworn her to secrecy.
‘Wait .?.?. stop .?.?. stop .?.?. Let me get this straight, she actually confessed that whole pregnancy thing and the stuff with the headteacher to you just because you’ve made such a screw-up of your own life?’ Ramona looked at her wide-eyed. ‘That actually came out of her mouth?’
Cassie nodded. ‘She meant it in a nice way.’
‘Really? Holy crap, imagine what she’d have confessed to me.’
They both cackled with laughter.
‘Seriously, though, underneath she’s actually kind of a good person.’
‘Honey, underneath I’m Little Miss Muffet but who’s going to dig that far?’
‘Well, the good news is, she didn’t get me fired.’
Ramona’s light seemed to dim a little.
‘Good for you, sister,’ she said.
Attempting to lighten the moment, Cassie whipped the cheesecake out of her bag, cut it in half and placed it onto two plates, before refilling their coffee cups.
‘It’ll come right, Ramona, just give yourself a chance.’
Her eyes lit up. ‘This is such a relatable golden moment for the guys,’ she said, referring to her followers, who apparently hadn’t abandoned her en masse, as she’d feared. On the contrary, since the accident, her followers had soared and now they numbered almost seventy thousand. You had to admit, she’d a genius for marketing. From Cassie’s perspective, she was just sitting on a boring kitchen counter, eating a piece of squishy cake, but in Ramona’s Instagram story, especially with the filters on, the same picture became aspirational and inviting. It just showed how daft it was to take people’s social media personas literally. Real life happened moment to moment, without the special effects.
Chapter 25
Cassie lay on her bed, with very little going through her mind, for a change. She knew she should get up and go for a walk or do something worthy, like going to the gym, but somehow her limbs just didn’t want to move. A tree branch swayed in the breeze outside her window and, perched on it, a small crowd of starlings were gathering for an evening gossip before huddling up together for the night. It all seemed so simple and cosy. Just then her phone buzzed – Finn’s number flashed up on a WhatsApp video call and instinctively she braced herself. God, Marisha must have broken the news. He looked stressed. Her heart went out to him.
‘Hey, are you OK?’ she said.
‘Pretty shocked .?.?. No, stunned, if I’m being honest. Marisha told me her news, both parts, and said she’d told you already.’
‘Look, before you say anything, I’m so sorry, it was really awkward. It felt like something I shouldn’t have known and I couldn’t say anything because it really wasn’t my news to tell.’
‘No, I get it, I’m sorry you were put in that position. Anyway, Cici and Con are in bed, and Samantha’s stormed off to stay with her friend. I didn’t tell them about the baby or anything, I just wish you could come over.’
‘I know, I wish I could too.’
