“Fuck,” Scarlet hissed again. She only resorted to cursing when things got bad, but this was one situation where multiple fucks would be more than excusable.
“We’re good.” Neera hovered closer and smoothed down Scarlet’s hair. She smiled reassuringly again. “We’re good, Scarlet. Just— we were— reading.”
“Reading?”
“Okay, that’s not a good excuse. I was asking you for care tips on that dress you gave me. I came in here and I couldn’t find it. I know that my mom took it and hung it in her closet next to the clothes she gets dry cleaned, but maybe I forgot.”
“With the door locked?”
“She doesn’t know it’s locked.” Neera raced to the door and twisted the handle so fast that the lock couldn’t be heard clicking. So fast that she beat Elodie’s steps by a good twenty seconds.
“Hey!” Neera peeked her head around the hall. “I was just asking Scarlet about that dress she gave me. The New Years dress. I have no idea how to wash it. I thought I hung it up but it’s not in my closet.”
“Oh. Yeah, no it’s not. You were probably too hung over to remember, but I hung it up in mine. I read the tag. It says dry clean only.”
“Thank goodness you’re ahead of the game.” Neera laughed. She talked so easily, like she hadn’t just been doing what she’d been doing and been caught completely unaware.
It made Scarlet’s stomach sour and her mouth taste like sawdust to hear how easily Neera lied.
What are we doing? She’s going to tell Elodie. She’s going to tell her. Tonight. I’ll make sure that she does it tonight. Tonight, or it’s no deal.
I can’t do this. I can’t do this. I can’t do this.
“Scarlet?” Neera popped her head back into the room and motioned with her hand. “Mom’s back. And that dress is all good.”
Scarlet was more nervous than she’d ever been in her life when she walked past Neera into the hallway. Elodie was standing there, wearing her uniform since she must have changed at work. They wore white uniforms. Scarlet knew that Elodie had an apron and an adorable little hat thing that went over a hairnet, but she never wore those home.
“How was work?” Scarlet asked, a little in disbelief over how her voice was totally neutral. She still felt like she was going to throw up and she wondered what her face looked like.
“It was fine.” Elodie didn’t notice anything was off. “Jan got her keys back. It was quite a bit of a struggle, and they had to call and call until someone answered and came and fished them out. The grate actually wasn’t that deep, and they could see the keys. The city wasn’t going to do anything about it after hours and on the weekend, and the fire department couldn’t send someone down just for that until tomorrow. Jan’s neighbor is a mechanic, and he came and fished them out with a bunch of tools he put together. It was pretty cool actually. And we got a lot of stuff done for that big order tomorrow, so I guess I don’t have to stress when I get there.”
“I’m glad.” Scarlet gulped. “Well, I should probably go.”
“Are we still on for Tuesday?”
“Tuesday?” If she stood there any longe
r, she was going to have to grasp the wall to hold herself up. How on earth had Bryan lied to her for years about being unfaithful? Was it this hard for him at first? Did he feel like this, like the world was going to tilt on its end, spilling everyone upside down? Did it get easier and easier the more he did it?
“We’re going to that movie?”
“That’s right. I— um— if you want to go, I’m still good for it.”
If Neera talked to her mom tonight, which Scarlet was going to insist on if she could manage to get another moment alone with Neera somehow, she doubted that Elodie would want to go anywhere with her for a good long while.
Elodie trusted her. She trusted her because they’d been friends for more than half their lives. Was it worth throwing everything away for an infatuation? For a crush? For what everyone else would probably call a mid-life crisis?
Yes. Yes, it’s worth it. And that’s not what this is. You know that’s not what this is.
I don’t believe in fate. I don’t believe in fate. I don’t believe in fate.
Maybe it believes in you.
“Be careful walking home,” Elodie advised. “It’s wicked cold out there and it’s starting to snow, so it’s probably getting slippery.”
“I only have a few houses to go.”
“I know, but I worry about you. Do you want to take some leftovers?”