I’m just a girl.Standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.
Love was bollocks.
‘You look better,’ Mum said, inspecting my bun.‘Could’ve washed your hair.’
‘Mum!’
‘All right, all right.Baby steps.You’re lucky I didn’t invite the whole lot up.’
I narrowed my eyes.‘Who is “the lot”?’
‘Operation Sunshine.Ren said—’ She stopped herself mid-sentence.
My stomach dropped.‘Ren?Mum…’
‘No, no.He’s not here.I know you two are like chalk and cheese… God knows why.You know, a lot of people thought you’d end up together one day.’
Heat rushed to my face, my heart kicking into overdrive.Does she know?I fought the urge to deflect – to steer us away from anything Ren-shaped.
‘Right,’ I said, forcing my voice sharper.‘Because bisexual women are just secretly into men.Only men.’ I rolled my eyes.‘As if they’re so annoyingly irresistible, we must all fancy them.’
Mum gave me a level look, folding her arms.‘That is not what I meant, and you know it.I don’t give a shit who you shag.’
Guilt throbbed at my temples.I knew that.Mum and Dad had never blinked at who I dated.But I was raw, and the high horse was right there.
‘I know, Mum,’ I muttered.
She kissed my forehead.‘I just want you to be happy.’
Ugh.Cue more guilt.
‘Now.’ She pushed the door open.‘Chop, chop.’
We stepped into the stairwell and, when she opened the front door, five familiar figures waited.Amy, Claire, Gen, Kat, and her best friend, Willa.
‘Operation Sunshine is go!’ Mum declared, clapping.‘I’m off to work.Claire, see you at book club next week.’
‘If I finish that dreadful World War II book,’ Claire muttered.
‘Peter is never picking again.It’s a bloody doorstop,’ Mum nodded, waving as she vanished into her car.
‘What are you guys doing here?’ I stared at the five women in front of me.‘It’s a Tuesday morning.’
‘Wednesday, actually, love,’ Claire corrected.‘We took the day off.’
Amy smiled proudly.‘We cancelled our memberships after that toad sacked you.’
‘And I’ve told anyone who will listen,’ Gen said.‘Quinn is in bits, bless him.He sends his love.’
‘Oh, and Mrs Daniels gave Craig a piece of her mind in the cafe the other day – in front of everyone!’ Claire laughed.‘It was quite a scene.So don’t think we’ve forgotten, Lydia.’
‘Guys,’ I said, my voice croaking.‘You don’t have to do that.Cancel your memberships or become vigilantes.I don’t want you to lose your love of the gym—’
‘We can find another gym.’ Gen cut me off.
‘We can’t find another Lydia,’ Claire said, pulling me in to her side.‘You know, I never liked that man.He always looked so slimy.’
Claire let me go and I was pulled into a hug from Kat, the top of her curly ginger hair brushing my chin.
