My hopes for her mood plummet. “The one with the girlfriend.”
“Hm.” She presses her lips together, torso wriggling with excitement. “Well, I bumped into him at a club on Saturday night…”
“And…?”
“It’s not a girlfriend he has stashed away.” She leans even closer. “It’s a boyfriend.”
I study her beloved face, wondering which part of her brain connects so differently to mine she considers this good news. “You understand that’s worse.”
But she shakes her head, giggling. “They’re bi and open relationship.” She reaches over to fiddle with my collar until it’s lying flat. “He apologised for not explaining better or sooner, but he’s understandably cautious given it’s scouting season, and he has interest from overseas.”
That at least I understand, but my concern takes another hike. “He wants you to act as his beard. Shouldn’t he search for an employer who doesn’t have those rules?”
“Okay,” Clare says, blinking. “First off, bit judgy considering sports people have a limited window to earn decent money. Second, no one’s made an offer yet, so we don’t know with which club or even whether he’ll sign. And third…” She checks over her shoulder as though anyone else could have the slightest interest in our discussion.
“And third…?” I say, giving her a poke to hurry her along.
“I have a date with his boyfriend this coming weekend and if we get on, then they might expand their current relationshipto include me.” She fans her face, and it looks a lot pinker than normal. “Can you imagine that attention? Excuse me if my legs never work on a Monday morning, ever again.”
“Are you sure this isn’t a rebound?”
She gives an exaggerated sigh. “Who cares? Next, you’ll be asking me if I’m using protection. Yes, Mum. Thank you, Mum.” She nudges me. “I’m eighteen. If I’m not making disastrous choices in my love life now, when am I meant to make them?”
She follows my gaze as Zane and Maddox enter the hallway, glancing my way and smiling. I smile back, something Clare immediately leaps on. “Oh, ho.Nowwho’s making terrible choices? I absolutely forbid you to go out with him again.”
“What? You can’t do that!”
“Yet, I just did. Funny how that works.”
“Okay. I’m ecstatically happy for your love life and if I ever climb back in the saddle, please put in a good word for me.”
“Better.” But her smile dims as she gives me another once-over. “You keep too much to yourself, you know. If I were really playing Mum, I’d tell you a secret shared is a secret halved.”
The observation hits close to home. I understand it’s conditioning from years when any personal revelation was turned into a weapon to use against me. But she’s right.
It’s not fair to treat my new friends like my old enemies. “I’ll try,” I promise her. “I find it difficult to talk about bad things.”
“No kidding.” She chews on her bottom lip for a second. “I know you went through a hard time at your last school, but you must know I won’t judge you or make fun of you.” She touches the back of my wrist. “Just like I know you’re not really judging me.”
I snort out a watery laugh. “Oh, I’m judging. I’m just friends with you, anyway.”
“And another piece of premium deflection.” She wraps her arms around me, squeezing me until I can’t breathe. “If you findit hard to talk, then text me, you goose. I can eat lunch and read while you starve and lighten your soul.”
Gratitude makes me teary-eyed again.
“Goddamn it. Are you flirting with him right now? There’s no other need for waterworks.”
The observation sends me into peals of laughter as Dahlia arrives, lounging beside me, waving to Evie who’s heading our way from along the hall.
Wilder walks past, his face a developing patchwork of colours, swelling improved but still noticeable.
“Wow,” Dahlia calls out. “It’s amazing how quickly your looks fade when the money dries up.”
He glances over, brow thunderous, takes a step past, then swivels on his heel and comes right up to her. “The money’s all you ever cared about, isn’t it?”
She rolls her eyes. “And what did you care about besides your dick?”
“I love you.” His jaw works, nostrils flaring. “I’ve loved you since we sat next to each other in Mr Ormand’s class in year four. But you only ever wanted the money. It didn’t matter what I did, who I saw, you never cared.”
