Page 161 of Tricky Girls

‘Not people. Not in my experience.’

‘Well, your experience isn’t mine.’

Nic glares. ‘My experienceisyou.’

‘Okay, Ms Cryptic. Are all you English Lit lot like that?’

‘You don’t belong with them. They don’t know you.’

I fold my arms, mindful of my revealing outfit. ‘Careful, or I’ll start to think you’re jealous.’

‘Please. Straight girls are the worst lays.’

‘Not according to your two best friends.’

‘Well, that’s them.’ She steps closer, face still closed. ‘One night with me and you’d be in tears.’

‘Because you’re that bad?’ I mock.

‘Oh I’m definitely bad, Tilda.’

‘Alright, big man. Take your word for it. Because I certainly won’t be finding out for myself, will I?’

I stare her down, my own anger not letting me back away from this. Every time we interact, the need to goad her, push her, only grows stronger.

She’s not giving me a reaction today though, merely stares back, something strange flickering across her face. My heart beats quicker upon remembering what I just said.

‘Yo, Tilda,’ Haz calls out. ‘You getting the food or what? These muscles won’t feed themselves.’

‘You couldn’t hack a night with me,’ Nic finally says.

I roll my eyes and push past her. ‘Yeah, because you’re so bad, I remember. Excuse me.’

I gasp when she grabs my arm, pinching to the point of pain.

‘Break their hearts and I break this.’

I stare, too afraid to move in case she snaps my arm.

‘Things were good, Tilda,’ she hushes, a peculiar note of pain in her voice.

Loud and clear, I hear the part she leaves unsaid.

Until you.Things were good until you.

I yank back my arm. ‘Yeah, well, sorry for fucking breathing.’

I turn away before she sees the tears in my eyes. I flee down the stairs, my appetite fleeing too.

I barely eat half of the burrito before tossing it onto the bedside table and lying back down. I hook an arm around Haz’sthigh, stroking my face against it. Every so often Elly ruffles my hair, letting me know she’s here and she cares.

So precious. The both of them.

Below us, the front door slams, signalling Nic’s exit. Something inside me releases, the energy in the lodge lightening.

It’s getting unbearable. This sensation of something brewing, simmering, ratcheting up. Something sinister. She’s got this look in her eyes when she looks at me now. Like my time here’s up. That I’ll be paying in something more than rent.

She looks at the others like they’ve betrayed her, slayed her newborn or something. They try their best to let it wash over them, trying to balance us both. But Nic doesn’t want balance. She wants it to tip, preferably in her favour.

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