Page 50 of Vying Girls
Haz stares dumbly. ‘What? No, you weren’t.’
‘I was. Matilda. Didn’t Nic ever tell you her name?’
‘She never really talked about it. Not in specifics. Are you being fucking serious right now?’
I stroke her hands. ‘I’m not lying to you, Haz. I wouldn’t. I’ve only just found out myself. She’s only just told me.’
Haz frowns deeply. ‘Why would she have to tell you? Why wouldn’t you know?’
‘She’s so different. We were just kids. She looks nothing like she did back then. Like…she’s just not her. Except she is.’
Haz searches my eyes. ‘If you’re lying to me, Tilda...’
‘I’m not. Swear on my future kids’ lives.’
‘You want kids?’ she murmurs.
‘Yeah. Always have. Take it you don’t.’
‘You know, Tilda, you have this way of assuming things about me that aren’t true.’
‘So you do want kids?’
‘A whole army of them, yeah.’ Her teeth flash in the dark. ‘Since it won’t be me popping them out.’
That’s nice to know, I guess, but I’m far too distracted to think about aligning life goals.
Haz gives me a quick kiss before releasing me. ‘So. You’re Nic’s old stepsister? Is that what we’re saying here?’
‘Yeah,’ I whisper.
‘Holy fucking shit.’ She grins up at the ceiling. ‘What the fuck are you doing here?’
‘Getting an education. Same as you. This wasn’t planned, believe me.’
‘Man.’ She shakes her head. ‘That’s some manifestation shit right there.’
I smile, remembering our countless spells. ‘More like magic.’
‘Right. And she hates you, why?’ Haz sighs, rubbing her forehead, obviously trying to remember something. ‘It endedbadly, right? Between your parents. That’s why you never saw each other again?’
‘Could say that.’
‘So she hates you on behalf of, what, her dad?’
‘Wish she’d tell me, Haz.’
‘He killed himself.’ Haz is still rubbing her forehead, eyes closed now. ‘Was that over your mum leaving him?’
‘She didn’t leave him,’ I all but snap. ‘She kicked him out because he was a fucking monster. Mum told me he went to prison. Never said he hanged himself.’
I’ve been thinking on that a lot, on the verge a few times of picking up the phone and calling her. Either she lied back then or she never heard about his hanging. Pisses me off that he never got locked up. Bet that’s why he did it. Even criminals aren’t fans of those who prey on kids.
‘Yeah, you’re not her stepsister,’ Haz decides, releasing a satisfied sigh. ‘Nic fucking worshipped that man. Still does. Think your mum’s been having you on. You two don’t get on, do you?’
I shift away, eyes burning with tears. That was exactly the reaction Mum had when I told her the fucked-up shit Nic’s dad had been doing. Only believed me when I showed her the evidence.
‘I’m not lying. I don’t know why Nic hates me. But I promise it’s true.’
