Page 111 of The Pearl Sister
‘Oh. Thanks.’
‘That’s okay.’
‘I mean,’ I added, beginning to see why she was so upset, ‘really, thanks.’
‘I said it’s okay,’ came the terse response from the blackness.
I closed my eyes and tried to think of sleep but it was impossible. I sat upright, feeling it was my turn to exit stage left. Groping for my shorts, and being as clumsy as I was, I tripped over Chrissie’s false leg, which stood like a booby trap between the beds.
‘Sorry,’ I said, fumbling for it in the darkness to stand it back upright.
The light was switched on again.
‘Thanks,’ I repeated as I looked for my shoes.
‘You running out on me?’ she asked.
‘No, I’m just not tired. I slept for ages this afternoon.’
‘Yeah, while I was off doing you a deal.’ Chrissie regarded me with her head propped up on her elbow. ‘Look, Cee, it’s my last night here and I don’t want us ta fall out. I was just gutted that you didn’t trust me to take care of that painting after all I’d said and done. And then today, I saw what kind of artist you could be, and I was so excited. But ya didn’t see any of that when you marched into the lounge demanding to know where your painting was. It just . . . shook me. I really thought you’d started to trust me. I was rapt when Mirrin loved it and I couldn’t wait ta tell you about it and go out an’ celebrate. But you came in so angry with me that the moment was ruined.’
‘I’m really sorry, Chrissie. I didn’t mean to upset you.’
‘Don’t you see? I came here to the Alice because I wanted ta be with you. I missed you when ya left Broome.’
‘Did you?’
‘Yeah. A lot,’ she added shyly.
‘And I’m really happy you came,’ I said blandly, wondering whether my mind was correctly processing what I was hearing. Or, more importantly, its undercurrent. ‘I’m really sorry again,’ I said, wanting to blank the whole thing out, because I really couldn’t deal with it right now. ‘I’m such an idiot sometimes.’
‘Look, you’ve told me about Star and the relationship you had with her, and how she let ya down.’
‘She didn’t really, she just needed to move on,’ I said loyally.
‘Whatever. I know you find it difficult to trust, especially in love when it’s . . .’ I heard Chrissie sigh heavily. ‘I suppose I just want you to know before I leave that I . . . well, I think I love you, Cee. Don’t ask me how or why, but it’s just the way it is. I know you had a boyfriend in Thailand and . . .’ I watched tears come to Chrissie’s eyes. ‘But I’m just being honest, okay?’
‘Okay, I understand,’ I said, averting my eyes. ‘You’ve been fantastic, Chrissie, and—’
‘No need ta say anything else. I understand too. At least we can be friends before we go to sleep.’
‘Yes.’
‘Night then.’ She reached to switch off the light again.
‘Night.’ I lay back down on my bed, suddenly too exhausted to move as my brain took in the implications of what Chrissie had said.
Apparently, shelovedme. And even I wasn’t going to be as naive as to think she meant it just as a friend.
The question was, did Iloveher? I mean, only a few weeks ago, I’d been with Ace. It struck me that now Star was gone, I seemed to be forming attachments to all sorts of people, maleandfemale . . .
21
I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. ‘Wake up, Cee, I gotta leave for the airport right now. I overslept.’
I pulled myself out of sleep immediately and sat upright.
‘You’re leaving? Now?’
