Page 30 of Diverge

“We should talk.” I nod. “But not here.”

*****

My phone rings as soonas I open the door to my apartment, and I put it on loudspeaker.

“Billie! Oh my god, you will never guess who I ran into today.” Grace’s voice fills my apartment.

“Let me guess, Hugh Jackman?” I chuckle, knowing that she would absolutely die if she met Hugh Jackman in person.

“I wish! I bumped into Jess from high school. I was at the salon getting my nails done, and she walked in. I couldn’t believe it.”

“What? I thought she moved to the UK with her parents when she was sixteen,” I ask.

“Well, it turns out they’re back now and living in Sydney. They’re in Melbourne for a couple weeks for her dad’s job or whatever.”

“Oh, okay.” Grace can sometimes go on tangents and be a little bit of a gossip. She doesn’t mean it in a nasty way, but sometimes she can chew your ear off. “Anyway, do you want to come over later, or are you going to another party of yours?”

“No party tonight sadly, but I will come over. I need your help planning my birthday party!”

Fuck.

Her birthday party, where Nate and Finn will be in the same house with me. Fun.

“No worries, come whenever. I’m home now.”

“Did you speak to Finn?” Her question leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

“Can we talk when you get here?”

“Yeah, of course. I’ll come now, see you soon!” She hangs up.

I place my stuff on the kitchen counter and immediately change into something comfortable. Plonking myself on my lounge, I turn on the next episode ofBridgertonand continue to binge the show until Grace gets here. My front door flies open because, of course, Grace is not at all graceful in her entrances.

“If you break that key, I’m not giving you a new one.” I smirk from the lounge as I watch her haul her multiple shopping bags inside.

“I’ll have to break your door down then if I don’t have a key. Your choice.” Shrugging, she crosses her legs on my lounge. “Oh, he’s so cute!” Byhe, she means the actor playing Anthony Bridgerton. “How are you so far ahead of me already? You just started watching the show.”

“I don’t party every chance I get.”

“That’s why I’m the fun friend,” she says matter-of-factly.

“Sure.” I nod sarcastically, and we both laugh.

I twiddle my thumbs as I consider telling her about everything that went on with Nate and Finn the past few days, but before I can speak, she does.

“What’s going on with you, B? I feel like we haven’t spoken properly since the bonfire night.” Right, the night I was caught off guard.

“I slept with Nate,” I blurt out, and her eyes go wide, her smile even wider.

“What?! That’s fucking great!” She moves closer to me on the lounge. “Does he have a big one?”

“Grace! What the fuck is wrong with you?” I chuckle as I playfully push her shoulder.

“Oh, come on! It's not like you weren’t wondering the same thing when you first met him! You told me yourself!” She’s totally right.

I sigh. “Yeah, okay, fair, but I’m still not saying anything.”

“So, it’s big then?” She whistles.

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