‘Change? I’ve done nothing but change for you! The hair, the clothes, my goddamn name, even my personality. See this dress? I love this dress,’ she snarled. ‘And I love my hair when it’s wavy and wild and I love walking around barefoot, even though my feet get filthy, and I love my big fat arms.’
Christine looked around uncomfortably, aware that people could overhear them. ‘Rebecca, I—’
‘I’m not finished. I believe that we’re all connected. Every living thing. I believe in energy work and magic and rituals.’
‘What on earth are you talking about?’
Becky picked up some sand and let it run through her fingers. ‘I’m talking about the parts of myself I hid to be with you.’
‘I didn’t ask you to do that.’
‘I know,’ Becky replied. ‘I chose to. That was my first mistake.’
‘And your second?’
Becky brushed her sand-covered hands against her skirt. ‘Thinking I could be happy with you. That I could trust you.’
Christine exhaled loudly. ‘For God’s sake. You can trust me. I’ve done nothing but support you.’
Becky laughed. ‘Are you serious? Even now, you’re more worried about people hearing us than what I’m saying to you. I wouldn’t trust you if you told me my own name.’
Christine began to get up.
‘The truth is we both chose to hide a part of ourselves in this relationship, only your choice was far, far more insidious than mine. You hid the fact that you’re a manipulative, calculating excuse for a human being. We’re done, Christine.’
Christine threw her hands in the air. The first true sign of emotion all evening. ‘Fine! Run along to your band of merry misfits, Rebecca.’
‘It’s Becky,’ she replied, kicking off her shoes. ‘And these are my people and they know me better than you ever will.’
‘Your people? My God, you’re quite delusional. These women don’t know you; these women don’t even know themselves!’
‘Jesus, you are so bloody arrogant. Two days and you have already got everyone figured out, huh?’
Christine cackled. It was a harsh, spiteful sound, unlike anything that Becky had heard before. ‘I’ve been doing this job a long time and I havenevermet a more chaotic group of people, you included, my darling.’
‘I’m done, Christine,’ Becky said. ‘We’re done. Take your shit, take the car and go home. You don’t know half as much as you think you do.’
‘Oh, I know a lot. I can read you all like a book,’ she sneered. ‘You have Erin, who clearly has no one so she had to scramble together a band of oddballs from her past for comfort. Beth, who’s obviously lying about what’s wrong with her and doesn’t trust any of you enough to be honest. Tara, who frankly doesn’t have a clue what she wants and then you have Alex, who’s been carrying on with Tara’s boyfriend, Aiden, behind her back! I saw them earlier, at the beach. And you, Rebecca… you’re just a—’
‘You say one more word and you’re going to see just how fucking chaotic we can really be.’
Becky spun around to see Erin, her face almost contorted in anger. ‘You get your shit and you get out of my house and never so much as breathe this woman’s name again.’
Christine laughed again, but it wasn’t quite so cocky. ‘My pleasure.’
As she walked back to the house, Becky turned to hug Erin, but it wasn’t only Erin who’d heard everything.
‘What did she say?’ Tara asked, her wide eyes looking at Becky. ‘Aiden and Alex? What is she talking about?’
