Page 48 of None of This is True

‘So – how are you going to move forward?’

Alix hears a small catch in her voice as she words her last question. Josie has been here for only a day or so, but Nathan hates her, the kids are weirded out about her face and the cat is not happy about having a dog in the house who keeps growling at her.

‘I really don’t know, Alix. I feel like I have a lot to process.’

‘Maybe your mum could—’

‘No!’ Josie breaks in before Alix has got even halfway through the sentence. ‘I am not involving my mum. No. I am just going to work this out for myself.’

‘Yes, but, Josie, you have to work this out with Walter. Don’t you see? You’re going to need to see him.’

Alix sees a dark shadow pass across Josie’s face, accompanied by a slight shake of her head. ‘Not yet. I’m not ready to talk to him yet.’

‘Do you want me to talk to him?’

‘No. God. Definitely not. I just want to … I just need to … Alix, I need to be here. Just for a while. Is that OK?’

Alix feels her insides curdle. ‘I … Well, yes. Of course. For a while. But I have my sister coming to stay next week. I’m afraid we’ll need the guest room back then.’

‘Oh.’ Josie blinks. ‘Right. When is she coming?’

‘Saturday.’

‘Oh. I see. OK. Well, I’ll be out of your hair by then. I promise.’

Alix swallows down a bilious realisation of what she has just allowed to happen – Josie thinks she is welcome to be here all week – and smiles. ‘Thank you. And I’m sorry.’

‘You have nothing to be sorry for, Alix. Honestly. You’re amazing.’

Alix waits a beat before she asks her next question. ‘Listen, Josie. I know people who can help you – women who can help you. My friend Mari le Jeune who I told you about. I interviewed her for my podcast. She’s the co-founder of a domestic abuse charity, the biggest in the country. She’d be able to help. I can put you in touch with her if you want. If you’re feeling unsafe?’

She draws in her breath as she waits for Josie’s reaction, but Josie merely nods, and says, ‘OK. Thank you. But I feel safe. I promise.’

‘Oh,’ says Alix. ‘Good.’

‘What are you doing today, Alix?’ Josie asks.

‘Oh. Nothing much really. Nathan’s working today so I was going take the kids out for lunch.’

‘I … Never mind, then.’

‘No. Go on.’

‘I was just thinking, since I’m here, maybe we could spend some time on the podcast. I really feel like I want to talk about the girls.’

Alix nods, containing her response. ‘Sure,’ she says, ‘yes. Let me just tell the kids where I’ll be and we can get going.’

Hi! I’m Your Birthday Twin!

A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES

A woman sits in a café next to a large steamed-up plate-glass window.

Behind her and out of focus, a man is cleaning a big chrome coffee machine with a white tea towel.

The woman smiles uncertainly at the interviewer and clears her throat.

Below, the text reads:

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