Page 64 of In For a Penny
My stomach feels like it’sfallen all the way to China. My heart is racing. I feel cold all over.
I swipe through the pictures.
Because there are more fucking pictures.
A picture of Claire’s dad with Austin, holding up fishing rods.
A picture of Claire, her sister, and Austin next to a campfire.
And finally, a fucking picture of Claire and Austin kissing by the fire, holding sticks with marshmallows at the end of them.
I keep staring at the image on my phone until the screen goes black.
“Hey, do you have any more kitchen towels? I think I over-sprayed, and you ran out of this roll.”
I am stone. I cannot move. I feel like screaming.
Really, Claire? Fucking, really?
My mind goes straight to Josh. I want to call him and say, “See, Josh? I was right. People fucking suck.”
“Hey, are you alright? What’s wrong?” Oliver turns me to face him, and I can feel myself getting redder and my eyes watering. “Whoa, hey,” he says, concern on his face. “It’s not a big deal. She’ll get over it. Your flatmate will get over it.” A tear slips down my cheek, and he brushes it away with his thumb.
They’re angry tears.No—rageful tears.
“There are more kitchen towels under the sink.” I try my hardest to control the volume of my voice. “I need a moment,” I say and push him off me, unlocking my phone again.
It’s two a.m. here. That means it’s nine p.m. in New York. Perfect.
I long-distance call Henry, my childhood friend who also happens to be seeing Claire’s sister. It rings several times before picking up.
“Uh, hello?” he asks.
“It’s me,” I say in a clipped voice. “Penny.”
He inhales. He knows why I’m calling.
No one thought to warn me? Seriously?
“So, judging by your reaction, it’s true then?” My voice cracks, and I can feel his pity through his silence. I want to tell him I’m angry-crying. I hate that he thinks they are sad tears. But I know that the second I try to explain myself, the floodgates will open. I can’t have that. I can’t have that information reaching Claire. Or Austin.
Austin and Claire.
Henry sighs from the other end of the line. “Yes.”
“You couldn’t have warned me?” I say icily, venom in my voice.
“Come on, Penny. You know I couldn’t. Claire is Lauren’s sister, and she…she made me promise.”
“Made you promise?!” Now I’m angry. Oliver looks at me like he’s afraid I might implode, and I don’t think he is too far off. “Are you kidding me, Henry? I’ve known you my whole life, and you’ve been fucking Lauren for what? Five months? Seriously? Are you that whipped already?”
“Hey! Don’t talk about her that way,” he snaps back. We both take a deep breath, and I pinch the bridge of my nose between two fingers, closing my eyes.
“Listen, I know it’s fucked up because you were friends and she’s tight with your group, but…I mean, she’s not your best friend, you know what I mean? And you left. And I don’t even know what else to say.” He sounds apologetic, but it’s not his apology to give.
I take another deep breath. “How long?”
Henry doesn’t like this question, because he doesn’t answer. He’s too quiet.
