Page 87 of The Way We Fell

Cam

how the fuck do I do this?

Katy

shouldn’t you have thought of that before getting balls deep?

Cam

fuck.

Katy

if in doubt, I’m sure Maisy will do it for you. Brass balls bigger than Texas on that kid.

Cam

not fucking wrong

Paloma squeals, releasing a sound I’m certain is only a decibel or two short of rupturing my eardrums.

“This is so exciting!”

“You gotta keep your yap shut, Lo,” I warn. “Amiecannotfind out about this. Not from you.”

She mimes a zipping action across her lips. “I promise,” she says solemnly, holding out a pinkie finger. I link mine with hers to solidify the promise, and then she leans in to wrap her arms around me.

“Everyone’s getting married off, I’m gonna need some new hats!”

“Chill your beans, love,” I laugh. “No one’s getting married here yet.”

“I saw the way Jay was eye-fucking you at his birthday dinner.” A wicked smirk curls Paloma’s lips. “Man’s gonna wife you up the second he thinks you’ll say yes.”

“You think?”

“Katy.” Paloma takes my hand in hers. “He is down badder than bad. He is totally whipped, arse over tits, out of his absolute mind crazy about you.”

A slow smile spreads across my face.

“Good,” I say quietly. “Because I’d say yes. I would, Lo.”

Lo squeals again, shaking my hand as she flails with excitement. “Show me your pinboards!” she demands. “I need to be ready when he asks for hints!”

It’s an absurd idea, but a little thrill zings through my veins anyway at the thought that Jay might solicit help from my friends to propose someday. I open the app, navigate to the same board I looked at when I helped Cam, and pass my phone back to Paloma. “Fill your boots, Lo.”

Chapter forty-five

Jay

“Comeon,Roo.Don’tbe like this, please.” I rub a hand down my face. “We both love you, Rooey. Please call me.”

I sigh heavily. This is the fifth message I’ve left for Ruth in the last two days. She’s either switched her phone off, or she’s blocked my number, because it doesn’t even ring anymore before her voicemail picks up.

“I miss you, Roo. Don’t let this ruin us.”

I end the call and fling my phone to the other end of the sofa. I haven’t heard from my sister since I left her flat after our fight eight days ago. Even during my deployments, I usually managed to find a way to send an email, at the very least. But I haven’t heard from her at all. I miss my sister. Katy has quickly become my best friend, but Ruth was there first. We’ll always have an impenetrable bond. At least, I thought we would.

But since last week there’s been a tension in my shoulders, an emptiness in my chest and what feels like a brick sitting in my stomach. Each time I’ve spoken to my parents, our conversations have been brief, and I haven’t told them about my fight with Ruth. I can only imagine she hasn’t told them either, because they haven’t called to talk about it.

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