I have to pick up.
I make a small gesture to Sophie to tell her to wait, then pick up and bring the phone to my ear as I quickly make my way to the bathroom.
“Hello?”
“Rachel?”
The voice on the other end of the line is frail, unsure. Meanwhile, my heart’s beating so fast I can feel it in my throat.
“Yes. It’s me.”
Silence echoes for a beat. “Could we… talk?”
I want to run away. Throw up. Close my eyes and not have this conversation.
The last time we spoke, Martine witnessed me at my worst. And she didn’t like what she saw.
Is she ever going to respect me again?
Then I think of Karan, and all my discomfort, my anxiety over speaking to her, seems like nothing compared to what he must be going through.
“Um, sure.”
“In person?”
“When?
“Is now a good time?”
I grit my teeth. If I delay this conversation, it’s going to weigh on me the entire time.
I won’t be able to think. And Karan will see right through me.
“Somewhere neutral,” Martine adds. “I thought ofLa Fabrique de Bagelnear your place.”
Now that’s surprising. I’d expected Martine to invite me to her house. The consideration needed to think of a neutral space like the cozy café she suggested is something I didn’t think her capable of.
What has been going through her head over the last two months?
I’ll have to make up an excuse for why I’m walking out of our own move for a good hour. Karan cannot know about this—not right away. There must be a reason Martine is reaching out to me first, and until she tells me, I don’t want to get Karan’s hopes up.
“I can be there in half an hour,” I reply, my throat dry.
“Okay. I’ll be there.” Another beat of silence. “Thank you.”
She hangs up.
My fingers are shaking as I place the phone back in the pocket of my jeans. When I open the bathroom door, Sophie’s standing there, her brow furrowed.
“Who was that?” she whispers.
“Martine,” I mouth, hardly letting a sound escape my lips.
Sophie’s eyes go wide. “Holy shit.”
“Shit,” Julian repeats after her with a giggle as he grabs Sophie’s ponytail.
“Oops.” Sophie makes a face, but lets it go. “What did she want?”
