“I can’t believe you.” Eva could, though—it was exactly the kind of thing Kate would pull.
“Like you wouldn’t have done the same thing.”
“I would never involve myself in your business.”
“Please. Yes, you would. And don’t give me that,” Kate said, when Eva glowered. “Anyway, our chat was…enlightening. She seemed very interested in you.”
Eva was immediately on edge. “What about me? If you mentioned anything, Kate, I swear to—”
“Oh, calm down. I did nothing of the sort.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Ask her, if you like. Although considering you seem to be avoiding her…”
Eva ground her teeth. “And what’s wrong with avoiding her?”
“Come on, Eva. You must have had some sort of connection or you wouldn’t be this rattled. So she got to see the real you through the app. Why is that such a bad thing?”
“I already told you.”
“No, you gave me excuses.”
“It just wouldn’t work, okay? She’s annoying, she’s naïve, she’s far too soft, she has the dress sense of a teenager, she—”
“I think she’s good for you,” Kate said, and Eva’s mouth dropped open in shock.
“Did you not hear a word I just said?”
“Oh, I did. But I think the lady doth protest too much. After all, you got along talking just fine online, didn’t you? That has to mean something.”
“It means nothing.” The words came out more vicious than Eva intended.
“If she means nothing to you, why are you so worked up about it? Why are you avoiding going back to your hotel room?”
“I didn’t realize that was a crime.”
“It’s not. The crime is not exploring something that might be wonderful because—”
Eva shook her head. “There is nothing wonderful about Lily and I together. We can barely be alone without it devolving into a screaming match—how is that healthy?”
“If you put that tension to other uses, then maybe—”
“We already tried that,” Eva said, without thinking, and Kate’s eyes widened.
“I’m sorry, what?”
Fuck. Eva hadn’t meant to expose that little secret.
“You’ve had sex with her?” Kate pressed, pouncing on Eva’s weakness. “When?”
Eva sighed. “Months ago. Just before I found out she was the one I’d been talking to all along.”
“You left that out the other night. Seems like a big part of the story.” Kate leaned forward in her chair. “If you don’t like her as much as you claim, why did you have sex with her?”
Eva rubbed a hand over her face, knowing it was a question she couldn’t answer. “I knew I shouldn’t have come here.”
“But you did, because I’m your only friend. Look, I think you wouldn’t be crazy to give it a chance. What’s the worst that could happen?”
