Page 85 of East (The Moral Compass 3)

“Did he not ask you to go with him?” Kara asks, squinting her eyes.

“Yes, he did, but I said no. I don’t want to go back to Vegas right now, and Alicia is still there. I can’t stand being around her for a single minute. Who would have thought she used to be one of my closest friends? Urgh, how wrong can you get?”

“I didn’t know that,” Kara says.

“Yeah, East and Alicia were good pals for a while. Then, Alicia did what she always does: she takes something that isn’t hers. Namely, a dick head boyfriend named Donny,” North explains. Then, he starts laughing to himself.

“What’s so funny?” I snap.

“I just remembered we used to call him ‘Donny the Donkey,’ and not for any other reason than he stank of horses. Ha ha, yeah ‘Donny the Donkey.’ I wonder what happened to him?”

“He moved to Australia with his family after we finished school. I’ve never seen him since,” I say.

“What was the name of that other girl who was good friends with you and Alicia? She was always flashing her tits at us. Shit, what was her name?”

“Jessica,” I mumble. Jessica stole so many of my boyfriends. It got to the point I didn’t dare tell either of them I liked someone because they’d be straight in there, and they would drag them to bed.

A sick feeling rolls in my stomach.

“Sorry, East, I shouldn’t have brought her up. I know what a pain in the arse she was for you.”

“It’s fine. It’s not like she can do any damage now, right?”

“No. Why are you here, anyway?”

“I didn’t want to stay at the suite on my own. It was kind of creepy. I think I like being around people, and seeing that you two are here, I could probably take Rachel for a walk.”

“Oh, would you? Oh, East, that would be great. I think your mum is going to have a catheter fitted to her if she doesn’t stop pissing all over the floors.” Kara laughs, and North just shakes his head.

If there’s one thing you can always count on, it’s that North and Kara will make you laugh, even when you feel like crying. I’ve never met two people more right for each other. It makes my heart pang. I wonder if Zed and I will ever get that far.

I hope so.

I’ve walked the stupid puppy up and over the fields, through the orchard, and down through the paddock, and the stupid thing still isn’t tired. I, on the other hand, would love nothing more than to sit down and go to sleep.

I searched the internet about vitamin deficiency, and it makes sense. I’m always tired, and I could sleep on a clothesline. I hope these tablets kick in soon. I could do with a pep in my step.

I’m so tired when I get back to the house, I decide it’s perfectly acceptable for a twenty-six-year-old to take a granny nap. What I don’t think is acceptable is not waking up until 9:00 p.m. I’ve slept a whole nine hours. What the hell? My phone buzzes on the cabinet with a text.

Zed: Arrived.

Then, as if he thought a bit more:

Zed: xxx.

The second text makes my little heart flutter. It must have taken a lot for him to send that second text. He doesn’t even say goodbye on calls. I pull my phone close to my chest, and I realise I miss him.Reallymiss him. I want to tell him about the stupid dog that tripped me up twenty times on my walk, about my mum fussing over me like I’ve been away for months. And I will, but that will be when he’s back.

East: That’s good.

East: xxx.

I go downstairs to where the whole family is sitting around the island in the kitchen.

“What’s up? Who’s died?” I ask as I pour a glass of orange juice.

“Nobody yet,” Kara says quietly.

“Why? What’s happened?”

---