Page 107 of Tricky Girls

‘I’ve got Haz. Alright. There’s some flashy stuff over there. Might be good for Maisie.’

I smile at the sound of my sister’s name on her lips. Despite our close proximity over the last couple of months, we don’t really know each other outside of our flirty banter and academic endeavours. I don’t know, maybe that’s been subconsciously deliberate on my part. Keeping the straight girl at arm’s length. But it warms me to hear her take an interest in my family, fucked up as they may be.

‘What about you? Who are you buying for?’

‘Exactly no one,’ she sings, the brittle smile on her face telling me she’s feeling less casual about that than she sounds. ‘I’m not going home this Christmas.’

‘What, you’re not? Why?’

‘It’s weird with my mum. Always has been.’ She breathes out a laugh. ‘She doesn’t like me very much but this year, shedoublydoesn’t like me because I refuse to have Christmas with her and her abusive dick boyfriend.’

Right. So not just me with the dysfunctional family. No wonder she fits in so well with me, Haz, even Nic. ‘So what are you doing instead?’

She shrugs. ‘Staying at Hazelhurst.’

‘With Nic and Haz?’ I blow out a breath. ‘That doesn’t sound very fun for you.’ I frown the more I think about it. I don’t like the idea at all. ‘Nah, we’re not having that.’

‘Aren’t we?’

‘Nope.’ I pull her to a stop, cupping her cheeks so she sees my sincerity. ‘You’re coming to mine for Christmas.’

‘What? No! You don’t even have the room for you lot, you said.’

‘There’s room with Mum at the crazy house.’ I smile, quickly warming to the idea. ‘My grandparents will love it, honestly. They love people. I’ve got dogs. You love dogs. My siblings will love you.’ I bark a laugh. ‘Especially Dan, shit. We can camp out in the summer house. It’ll be fun.’

Tilda stares at me, a reluctant smile on her face. She’s trying to work out whether I’m serious, but I am. Isoam. I refuse to let this girl be alone at Christmas. Haz and Nic won’t do shit for it. No turkeys to be found on Hazelhurst. Tilda deservesallthe trimmings.

She takes my hands from her cheeks. ‘Wait, are you serious?’

‘Deadly.’

She bites her lip, glancing away. ‘Can I think about it?’

‘Yeah, but there’s no point. You’re coming.’

‘Alright,Haz.’

She’s thoughtful for the rest of our outing, sipping her mulled wine and absorbing the activity around her. With the few bits I find, I’m able to call the trip a success.

The journey back is pretty much the same as the one there. We stand like sardines, swaying with the motion of the train. It’s dark out now, only my reflection to be seen in the window.

‘Okay, I’ll come,’ Tilda murmurs.

My head shoots up. ‘Yeah?’

She nods. ‘Yeah. Only if it is completely cool with your grandparents.’

I take out my phone. ‘I’ll text them now, but it totally will be.’ I pause to grin at her. ‘It’s gonna be fuckingmint.’

‘Better be,’ she chuckles, the same smile on her face that there is on mine.

She leans into me after I’ve sent off the text, staying that way for the rest of the journey.

I draw in a slow breath against this ache in my chest. Not gonna lie, this is starting to hurt. I always thought I was immune to straight girls, as a kind of defence mechanism.

But against this girl, I’m finding there’s no defence at all.

CHAPTER 24

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