Page 53 of Meet Me in Berlin

‘Just explain it to Holly tonight and call Eva in the morning.’

I chew my bottom lip.

‘Casey, are you for real?’ Jaz says. ‘Don’t fuck this up. Be honest with Holly.’

I nod. ‘Totally. I will. I mean, if it comes up, like.’

Jaz rolls her eyes. ‘Are you allergic to having proper discussions with people you’re shaggin’?’

‘It’s a?—’

‘Gemini thing?’ Jaz finishes my sentence.

I grin. ‘Yeah.’ My phone beeps and a message from Eva appears on the screen.

Going out with Leila. Call you tomorrow xx

‘That’s Eva now. See, I said she’d be going out.’ I reply with ‘have fun’ but a surge of guilt rises in me.

‘Okay, so you’re not breaking it off tonight, then. But that doesn’t mean you can’t tell Holly,’ Jaz says.

‘I don’t want to scare her off when I was going to split with Eva anyway. She might disappear again. I don’t want to hurt her, you know?’

‘Okay, first of all, she’s not the one who disappeared – that was you. And secondly, you don’t want to hurt either of them, but someone is going to get hurt. If Holly still likes you after dinner, she won’t disappear. You’ve got each other’s phone numbers, yeah? And you know where to find her on Insta now. Hang on, my mum’s calling me.’ Jaz shouts, ‘What?’ A pause. She faces the screen again, picks up her wine and walks through the house to the kitchen. ‘Tea’s almost ready.’

‘I need to go anyway,’ I say. ‘I don’t want to keep Holly waiting.’

‘Have fun,’ Jaz singsongs, sitting down at her parents’ dining table. ‘Do everything I would do.’

‘Is that my daughter?’ my mum says in the background.

I groan. ‘Is my ma at yours?’

Jaz nods and flips the screen. ‘So is Chandice and your dad.’

Mum and Jaz’s mum are at the table, food platters spread out in front of them. Chandice is in the background with Jaz’s dad, transferring chicken pieces from a pan to a plate, while my dad carries over a tray of fish.

‘Hiya,’ I say to everyone. ‘You having a neighbours’ feast without me?’

Mum ignores my question and points a fork at the screen. ‘Why is Jazzy telling you to do everything she would? Are you up to no good over there?’

‘No, Ma. Course not.’

‘Why you all dolled up, then?’

My brows furrow and I look down. ‘I’ve got a T-shirt and jeans on.’

‘No. You’re all fresh and done your hair and got a short-sleeve shirt on to show off your tats. I bet you’re smelling all nice, too.’

I sigh. ‘I’m just going out for my tea. I’m in a hotel room. I can’t cook.’

‘With who?’

‘Never mind. I have to go.’

‘It’s Holly,’ Chandice says, placing down the plate of chicken and taking a seat.

‘Shut it, Chandice,’ I say.

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