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My nerves are probably still there, waiting to get out, but right now, there’s food to be eaten.
I stop at the bottom of the stairs and yell out, “Pizza’s here!”
Then I walk into the kitchen and put the boxes on the table.
I put my keys in my pocket, knowing the girls here have locks on their bedroom doors. Scarlett might never usually lock hers, but I know I won’t be able to help it. It’s too weird to be in a strange place with people I don’t really know for a whole week. I need to know no one’s going to mix my room up for theirs when they’re drunk and try to crawl into bed with me, or whatever.
I shudder at the thought.
Cleo’s the first to appear at the kitchen doorway.
She looks as glam as she always does in a tight-fitting dress and heels, her hair perfectly styled as if she just walked out of the salon. I’m pretty sure she’s wearing false eyelashes, and her square cut, French polished nails are too perfect to be real.
“If you haven’t yet, you’re still going to have to text Karma and Erin,” she tells me. “I knocked their doors in passing, but Karma has music on, and Erin never takes her wireless headphones off.”
“Oh, right,” I say, rolling my eyes. “Guess I forgot.”
“I figured,” she says, going to the cupboard that’s full of plates.
“They have roadworks in Silver Lake. It took even longer than usual to get back.”
She brings four plates out and sets them down, before getting a single set of silverware out of the drawer to the left of the sink. “How was Sapphire?”
I press my lips together. It’s a weird question to have to answer, considering it’s about me.
I have no idea how much my sister shares about me to her house mates.
These women are her friends, too, I guess.
It would be strange if she didn’t tell them anything.
“She was feeling a little better when I left. She’s up for a promotion at work, so that’ll take her mind off other things for a while.”
“That’s good,” Cleo says, arranging the boxes on the table so they’re both open, with the lids leaning against the wall. “I hate to hear about men who do such awful things to the women they’re supposed to care about. There are so many of them out there. Where have all the real gentlemen gone?”
She doesn’t just sound like she cares, she actually feels bad for me.
I swallow the lump that starts to rise in my throat. I don’t need to cry.
Especially not over that idiot. I’m out here to forget about him.
“They’re a dying breed for sure,” I respond, giving her a wry smile.
She puts two slices of pizza on her plate, alongside the silverware.
“You’ve got nothing to worry about if you’re looking for real gentlemen,” she says. “But I won’t bother you about that again. I know you’re not there yet.”
I blink at her, not sure what she’s talking about.
Does Scarlett have a boyfriend? Or an admirer?
Someone who wants to be her mate?
I open my mouth to ask, but Cleo leaves the room and I’m left feeling stunned as Karma steps in next, raising her eyebrow at me.
“You forgot about texting us again, didn’t you?”
I shrug helplessly. “Sorry.”
