Page 87 of Tricky Girls

‘Hey,’ she says on picking up.

I screw my eyes shut at her dejected tone. ‘Hey Elly, I’m so sorry, I’m on my way now. Oh my god, this fucking day. You won’t even believe it.’ I put a hand on my heart where it’s still pounding.

She chuckles quietly. ‘You good?’

‘Yeah. Just. Still down for lunch?’ I cross my fingers that she’ll say yes, suddenly desperate to be enveloped in her chill, cosy presence.

‘Always. You know I once had a girl stand me up twice and I still went on a third date.’

‘I swear I’m not standing you up.’

‘No foul. Get you a pasta pot instead?’

‘Please. I’ll be, like, fifteen minutes.’

I make it in ten. I don’t know what kind of look I have on my face but she’s holding out her arms before I’ve even opened my mouth.

‘You’re not good,’ she says, squeezing me tight. ‘Tell Elly.’

I breathe out a laugh, feeling better than good now I’m cushioned against her soft, warm body. It’s not so dissimilar to how I used to feel when Ryan held me, his height wholly eclipsing and making me feel small in all the best ways.

Is that what this is? Just filling holes with these girls so I don’t lose myself to my own desolation?

It’s not a nice thought, that I might just be an exploiting, lonely loser.

I tip my head back to look at her. ‘Some fucker kidnapped me!’

She cradles my cheeks, searching my face. ‘Oh, yeah? Who am I punching then?’

‘Nic, I think. It was all her bloody fault.’ I peer round, suddenly remembering exactly what an NDA is. ‘Have you ever been to the Vaults?’

She snorts. ‘Nope. Too poor. Wouldn’t go there anyway. Haz has. Hated it.’

‘Nic took me. Last night. Super dark place. Don’t know who found out’—probably that poor fucker Nic held a knife to—‘but they made me sign an NDA.’

Elly frowns. ‘Well, now I really don’t want Nic going there.’ She holds me tighter. ‘Or you.’

I roll my eyes. ‘Not really my place. I’ll stick to baby bopping at Vipers.’

‘You stick with me and Haz, okay? Nic’s got demons. You don’t wanna get possessed by them too.’

I nod as she tucks me under her arm. That girl’s got demons alright, but so have I and last night, if just for a little while, they seemed to fit.

‘I’ve got us food,’ Elly says as she leads us off. ‘Wanna go find a rock and look at the ocean?’

I sigh happily, pushing all thoughts of dark things away. ‘Who in their right mind would stand you up?’

‘I know, right? Boggles the brain.’

CHAPTER 21

Tilda

I loiter at the side of the pitch, fingers of one hand hooked around the green mesh fencing, the other holding my water bottle to my mouth. December air freezes every bit of exposed skin but I’m still feverish from hockey practice.

Nic’s still out there, slumped on a bench, one leg outstretched having her ankle poked. She twisted it pretty badly but Coach is able to turn it left and right so I don’t think anything’s broken.

Finally Coach packs up her gear and exits, leaving Nic to gingerly walk off the injury.

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