Page 21 of Plot Twist

‘I just wanted to. . . I don’t know.’

‘Right, well, I’m hanging up now,’ I said.

‘Becca, please.’

‘Don’t bloody “Becca, please” me. Do you even know you crossed a line? I mean, you were way over the line before you started seeing her and now you’re so far past the line. You’re actually so far past the shitting line, Drew.’

‘You don’t need to tell me about the line. I know exactly where the line is and what I crossed and what I didn’t.’

His speech was slurred. I should have known.

‘You’re shitfaced, Drew. Call me when you’re sober.’

‘That won’t be for at least a year or so,’ he slurred.

‘Listen, I’ve managed a whole lot longer than that without hearing from you. I don’t need this shit.’

‘I miss her, Becca.’

Tears stung in my eyes. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

‘If you’re looking for sympathy, you’ve come to the wrong place. I am the last person you should be calling right now, Drew. Don’t you get that?’

I began pacing up and down in the garden.

‘You’re the only one who understands, Bec. You’re the only other person who really knew her and—’

‘Becca, are you all right?’

I looked up. Riley stood in front of me with a face full of concern. Drew’s voice exploded in my ear.

‘Who the fuck is that?’

Bollocks.

I mouthed a quick ‘sorry’ to Riley. He nodded and went back inside.

‘It’s, erm, I’m away for a while,’ I said.

‘You’re away? What– on holiday? With a guy? I never knew you were seeing anyone.’

‘I never knew you were banging my best friend, Drew, but here we are.’

I didn’t correct him. I wanted Drew to think I was with someone. I hoped that he felt that sting of jealousy, to know how it felt, even just a little bit.

‘Becca, it wasn’t like that. I thought Adam told you. Rae and I, it wasn’t just a fling. We were serious. We were going to get married.’

That’s so much fucking worse, I wanted to scream. I took a deep breath.

‘So I hear, and I was apparently going to jump on board and be your bridesmaid? That was a lovely surprise. I really would have needed some notice so I could have caught the bouquet.’

‘You would have done it. You’d have been the bridesmaid. You’d have done anything for her,’ he said.

‘I guess now we’ll never know.’ I ended the call with a shaking hand.

10

TEN YEARS AGO