Page 57 of Now and Again

‘You areso fucking wrong,’ Riley told her. ‘I liked Noah because he was a good person, and we had a lot in common.’

‘And what about Juliet?’

Riley was surprised into silence.

‘Didn’t think I knew about that, did you?’ India said smugly.

‘God, what does it matter now?’ Riley said, giving up. ‘Yeah, there was a moment, back in the day, I thought… But it didn’t get very far, you’ll be delighted to know.’

‘Yeah, and I’ve no doubt she’d have put the moves on you again if I hadn’t gotten you out.’

‘Gotten me out? It wasn’t a war-torn country. It was my dad’s house. And Juliet and I aren’t going to happen.’

‘You wanted it to, though,’ India sneered. ‘It’s written all over your face.’

‘That’s none of your… Oh, for fuck’s sake. Why do you care who I pick?’

‘I don’t,’ India said with more defensiveness than seemed fitting. ‘Not really. I just thought you needed a hand.’

‘YouthoughtIneeded a hand? You’re not a love guru, India. You dump men over almost nothing,’ Riley heard herself say, and she knew they were teetering on the edge of a real row. Maybe even headed to the point of no return.

‘I’ve never dumped anyone for a small reason,’ India screeched.

‘What about the guy you broke up with because he had a cat?’ Riley reminded her.

‘I’m allergic, Riley. What was I supposed to do? He wouldn’t evenconsiderhaving it put down.’

‘Do you hear yourself?’ Riley asked.

‘Yes, unlike you,’ India said, looking rather red-faced now.

‘What does that mean?’

‘It means… Do you think I don’t see you rolling your eyes at me? Glazing over when I talk?Ialways have to chase you to get five minutes of your time, while some poor-o like Juliet fucking Sullivan has you practically drooling over her!’ India screeched.

‘India…’ Riley began feeling bad. India wasn’t wrong. Riley had done those things. She’d hurt her friend.

India looked embarrassed. ‘Hey, look, before you start overreacting, I’m not fucking in love with you or anything!’

Riley wasn’t sure how to tackle that one. ‘I never thought you were.’

India laughed very loudly. ‘Don’t make me laugh. I mean, you and me? No way. I’m strictly dickly, you know that. Jesus, I’ve had more peen than you’ve had hot dinners.’

Riley pushed that image away as she tried to tiptoe through this minefield. ‘I know you’ve had plenty of… But, I mean… You don’t think… There’s no chance that you’re, maybe, possiblyovercompensatingfor anything, is there?’

‘I knew it. Iknewyou’d think this,’ India said, walking over to the bar and pouring a really large drink of vodka, neat. ‘Well, fuck you. Just because it’s in vogue now to be bisexual or whatever…’

‘Actually, that’s not really true,’ Riley corrected, but India wasn’t listening. ‘…Doesn’t mean we all have to jump on board,’ she finished, upset.

Riley was truly down the rabbit hole. She wasn’t sure what to do. Was this something they could talk about if India didn’t want to be honest with herself? Probably not.

Oh, and also, wait a fucking second… ‘Shit, India. Youdidshove Juliet in that pool, didn’t you?’

India, mid glug on her enormous drink, paused. ‘Ha, what? No. What?’ Riley fixed her with a look. India, either from guilt or more likely from that hit of booze, cracked pretty quickly. ‘Jesus,fine. I’m not ashamed of it, anyway. It was fucking hilarious.’

Riley looked at her friend, the girl she’d known her whole life- thought she knew- and walked away from her, going into her room, packing her stuff.What she could carry out today, anyway. She had to go, and she had to go now. She walked out of her room, bag in hand.

‘Off, are we?’ India asked bitterly, topping herself up.

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