Page 101 of Making Choices

The one thing that I am certain of is that he won’t share her.

So, if Cherub’s choice is a refusal to pick between us, does that make us both losers?

26

LILY

Five days later

The strange glimmer that flickers across Bebe’s face when her gaze flits from me to Slash, who’s walking next to me as we enter the woman’s health clinic, makes my step falter. Not for the first time, my chest tightens as my intuition tries to warn me about her. Normally, I’d heed my instincts, but it’s clear that her reaction is nothing more than misplaced jealousy.

I chalk up her hostility to society and the competition it deliberately fosters between women.

Her reaction to my closeness with Slash isn’t unique or even her fault.

So, I decide to kill her suspicions of our friendship with kindness.

Plastering a smile on my face, I hold my hand out, and despite my nervousness at the procedure I’m here for, I say as warmly as I can, “Thank you so much for this. I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”

“Oh, it’s not a problem.” Bebe waves off my gratitude with a dismissive flick of her hair. She descends on Slash, and I take note that the competitive gleam doesn’t dim until she’s tucked herself under his arm. When she drags him a couple steps away from me, the confirmation drives home the rightness of my plan. “Dr. Squire won’t be long. She’ll meet you in her outpatient clinic. Room three. Second door on the left.”

“Awesome.”

“Now, this is a nice surprise,” she coos at Slash. Turning him so he can’t see my face, Bebe tilts her head to the side. “I have three hours before my shift starts. You can take me for coffee while Lily is with the doctor.”

At her use of Zeke’s nickname for me, my hackles rise.

The negative mood that descended in the wake of my argument with Fret at the rehab centre returns. My brother’s begrudging agreement to enter the program had deteriorated overnight, and it’d taken me all weekend to talk him into following through. His acquiescence was begrudging in the end. The silent treatment he gave me on the drive to the centre was painful in the extreme, as was his refusal to say goodbye when we left him there to attend this appointment.

Seeing Fret struggle is agonising.

Another blow to my fragile mindset.

Yet more damage inflicted on my family, slicing my already frayed emotions to ribbons.

Faced with Bebe’s unwarranted hostility and her verbal jabs, my petty side tries to goad me into being a bitch. With gritted teeth, I rein in my worst instincts so I can at least try to continue to live by my belief in sisterhood.

But damned if Bebe doesn’t make it hard…

Touching the back of Slash’s hand, I tell him. “I’ll text you when I’m done here.”

For some reason, Slash swings around to hit me with a pleading look that sits at odds with the comforting arm he’s slung over Bebe’s shoulders. Rather than appreciating that I’ve given him my blessing to spend time with his girlfriend instead of accompanying me like he promised, he seems to be imploring me to demand his presence at my appointment.

For a drawn-out moment, we stare at each other.

Wide-eyed and clearly beseeching, Slash frowns.

I wait for him to speak.

He doesn’t.

Unable to decipher his silent request, I try again to show Bebe that I’m not a threat to her relationship. “Nadia’s roped me into a girl’s night next weekend. Most of the Shamrocks’ old ladies are coming to Slash’s for pre-drinks and to dabble in the arts before we head out clubbing. You’re welcome to come if you’d like? Might be nice for you to put some faces to all the names...” I trail off when Slash makes a face like he’s sucked a particularly bitter lemon. “Or maybe you can come over for dinner one night if nightclubs aren’t your scene?”

“I’m not a nightclub kind of person.” Bebe screws up her face. “Does this mean your presence in Slash’s home is permanent?”

“No.” I hold my hands up, palms out like I’m surrendering. “No. It’s not permanent. I’m looking for a place of my own.” Realising that my posture is unnecessarily submissive, I drop my arms back to my sides and stuff my hands in my pockets. “In fact, my real estate agent has three apartments for me to check out as soon as I’m back on my feet.”

“O-kay.” The way Bebe draws out the two syllables acts as the perfect foil for the scepticism that’s etched on her face. She tugs Slash closer and stares up at him with naked need in her expression. “Looks like we’ll have the place to ourselves soon.”

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