“We were friends, right? Before the accident, I mean,” I shout in her ear as I reluctantly drop her hand. She nods.
“Yeah, we were… friends.”
“How come I haven’t seen you around the house this week?”
“I guess I’ve been busy with work. Some weeks are like that.”
I hold her gaze, wondering if she’s telling the truth. “Surely you have to eat though? You haven’t eaten one meal with us, and Jacob’s been asking for you.”
Her face lights up in a smile. “He has?”
I nod. “He keeps asking for Ria to play. He misses you.”
“I miss him too.” It might be loud in the bar, but I can hear the sadness in her voice.
“Maybe we could do something with him tomorrow, the three of us, if you’re not busy?” I can see the indecision on her face, and I frown. “If you don’t want to—”
“No!” she says, cutting me off, her hand coming to rest on my arm. “I want to, but what about Zara?”
“She won’t mind.” I say the words, but I don’t believe them.
“I think she might. We’re not exactly the best of friends.”
“Why is that?”
She closes her eyes and shakes her head.
“Aria!” a voice shouts, interrupting our conversation. Dragging my eyes off her, I see Savannah waving to us from across the bar.
“Can we talk later?” she asks, her hand dropping from my arm. I nod, seeing Savannah making her way toward us.
“Promise me we will?”
“I promise.”
“It’s so busy in here! We thought we’d lost you. Come on, Josh is at the bar,” Savannah says, grinning at us before taking Aria’s arm and tugging her toward the bar. I follow, wishing we could have finished talking.
When we’ve all got a drink in our hands, we head across the room, managing to find an empty table on the edge of the dance floor. The girls waste no time drinking down their drinks and announcing they’re going dancing. I smile as I watch Josh and Brody telling Savannah and Quinn to stay where we can see them, only for Savannah to roll her eyes and ignore them. Aria looks at me and smiles as Savannah pulls her into the crowds and out of view. I chuckle as I watch them go.
“I don’t know why I even bother,” Josh says, rolling his eyes as he stands to try and see where the girls are.
“They’ll be fine. I can see them,” Brody assures him.
Josh sits down and picks up his Bud. “You seem to be getting along well with Aria, Jack,” he shouts over the noise of the crowd. Brody punches him on the arm and Josh turns to him. “What the fuck!” he cries, rubbing his arm. Brody shakes his head at Josh and looks over at me.
“Ignore him. How are you feeling?”
I frown as I look between the two of them. “I’m fine. Aria and I are friends, aren’t we? I mean we were, before the accident?”
“You could say that,” Josh mutters before taking a pull of his Bud.
“Josh! Enough!” Brody warns. “Yes, Jack. You were friends before the accident. Good friends.”
I look between them again and take a mouthful of Coke. “What aren’t you telling me? Come on, guys. Don’t you think I deserve to know?”
“Maybe Zara isn’t who you think she is,” Josh says.
“I fucking give up!” Brody exclaims, rolling his eyes. “No filter, just like your wife!”