‘Too harsh?’ Fauna asks as we sit on the plastic medical chairs.
‘He’ll get over it.’
‘So big day, huh? A lot of reunions for you.’
I scoff. That’s an understatement of the year.
‘How, in the space of an hour, have I managed to come across my brother, childhood crush and the… the father of my unborn child? What sick sort of game is that?’
Fauna chews her bottom lip, ‘it’s pretty insane.’
My head is pulsing from the news, and to make it extra spicy, the swelling from being knocked out isn’t making me feel much better.
‘Talk to me, Isla.’
‘About what?’
Unimpressed, Fauna give’s me a don’t talk shit look.
‘You know what. Most people would be ecstatic to find three people they know. Never mind one being your brother and the other your childhood guy.’ She weighs things up with her hands. ‘Alright, not everyone would be jumping for joy to see the random guy they fucked, but …. I mean, this is a special circumstance, right?’
Defeated, I shrink in on myself, pulling my jumper around me and wishing for it to swallow me whole.
‘Tell me about Ru,’ she says.
‘He’s my brother.’
‘No shit. Tell me why you’re not happy to see him.’
‘I…’ Am I happy to see him? ‘I don’t know.’
‘Is it because you’ve spent all this time slagging him off?’ Fauna smirks. ‘Because I promise not to tell him what you said if you do. I don’t think he’d be very impressed to find out I’ve been calling him a dickhead for the past however many years.’
I laugh, wiping at my runny nose. ‘I promise not to tell.’
‘What about Vishrut?’
‘He’s similar to Ru. It’ll take time to get over it, they both really hurt me.’
She nods, ‘make them sweat girl. Liam?’
Ergh, I sigh.
‘It’s me, Isla. You can tell me.’
‘I’m so fucking scared, Faun.’ I admit, tears finally falling. ‘What does he want with me?’
Her face softens, not in pity but sympathy. ‘He sounds like he’s been looking for you for a while.’
‘Really?’
‘Yeah. Kind of searched the entire west coast for you.’
I feel myself pale.
‘Not in a crazy bad stalker way — well, from what I can tell anyway. Maybe more like a love-sick puppy dog kind of vibe.’
‘How long?’ Searching all that land… it wouldn’t have been easy.
