‘Stick the kettle on,’ I shout, angling my face upwards.
I drag myself out of the car, lock it, and saunter up Ashley’s cobbled pathway. She opens the front door as I approach, her cheeks slightly rosy. Jees, I hope I’m not interrupting anything.
‘Sorry for just dropping in like this.’ I plant a kiss on her cheek and accept the hug she offers.
‘Don’t be. Your timing is perfect. I’ve just finished a “Get Fit With Finn” workout online.’ She points to her Lycra running shorts as proof. ‘Do you follow him on Instagram? He’s running this intense new abs program. It’s a killer,’ she runs a palm over her flat stomach, ‘but it works.’
Once again, I’m catapulted seven years back.
‘I’m pregnant.’
‘I’m actually married.’
‘He and his wife have opened a new chain of gyms in the UK. Wouldn’t it be cool if they opened one in Ireland?’ Ashley continues, oblivious to the blood draining from my face.
No, it would not be cool. It would be horrific.
I follow her along the corridor, willing the rage simmering inside me to subside. Ashley nods towards a closed doorway off the hall. ‘Matt is locked away in his man cave writing.’
I have no interest in Matt’s manuscript, but I’d rather pull my own fingernails off than talk about Finn Reilly, his wife, or his abs program. ‘Is he any closer to finishing yet?’
She shrugs, and a brief flicker of frustration flits across her face before she catches herself. ‘Hopefully.’
Ashley’s boyfriend of almost eleven years has been working on the same sci-fi novel for eight years.Eight years.Seriously. Real life cities have been built quicker than his fictional world.
I don’t like Matt. Neither does our other best friend, Holly, and there’s not many people she can’t warm to. He lives in Ashley’s house rent free, promising he’ll pay her when his novel sells millions of copies. Which wouldn’t be so awful if he was good to her in other ways, but he’s not. Ashley would love to get married, but Matt has shown absolutely no sign of that becoming a possibility anytime soon either.
None of us are getting any younger and Ashley’s made no secret of the fact she wants kids.
I have mine, obviously.
Holly had baby Harriet last year.
Ashley has two cats and a boyfriend who refuses to entertain the idea of anything more.
She deserves better.
I hope one day she gets it.
‘How did the swimming lesson go?’ she asks, closing the maple wood kitchen door behind us. Brilliant sunshine illuminates the kitchen. The back patio doors are open and the scent of freshly mowed grass wafts in, along with sun cream and lavender. A million summer memories slowly soothe the rage rippling inside of me.
‘Okay, I guess.’ I take a seat at one of the high-backed stools at the island.
‘Only okay?’ Ashley flicks the kettle on and turns to face me. ‘Is it because of what happened when you were a kid? Are you afraid?’
‘No.’ I slump forwards and press my forehead against thecool granite counter. ‘The only thing I’m afraid of is shagging Ronan “I’m asking you to fuck me” Rivers.’
‘Shut the front door!’ Ashley’s green eyes sparkle. ‘I knew you guys had the hots for each other!’
‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ My reply is automatic, defensive, and utterly obvious to my best friend.
Laughter bursts from Ashley’s cherry-coloured lips. She suppresses it with a hand, but not nearly quickly enough. ‘Me thinks the lady doth protest.’
I groan. ‘Okay, okay, the man is a fucking ride.’ It pains me to admit it aloud, but not nearly as much as I thought it would.
‘You want to kiss him, you want to touch him…’ Ashley sings, dancing on the spot, glee dripping from her every word.
A heavy sigh escapes my lips. ‘I did kiss him. And now I want to touch him.’
