Page 95 of Not So Very Sensible

She turned her head so Katie wouldn’t hear. “I think I saw Jason here earlier.”

“At the concert?”

She nodded.

Emma-Jane winced. “Better you than me. If I saw that man, I don’t know what I’d do.”

Ellie didn’t know either. That same protective instinct that made them all care for Katie ran hot and deep right now. “I think it’s best we just get out of here as quick as we can.”

“Amen,” Emma-Jane murmured.

Then the crowd in front parted, and a man appeared, his arm around a woman. Oh no. Ellie nudged EJ and pointed. She frowned, then tried to distract Katie. “Hey, do you want to visit the restroom again?”

“What? No, I just want to get out of here.” Then Katie blinked. “Is that—? Wait. Jason!” she called. “Jason?”

He turned, caught their glares, and instantly dropped his arm from around the blonde.

Katie shoved her drink at Ellie, then marched up to him. “What are you doing? Why haven’t you answered my calls?”

The woman looked at him, then looked at Katie, then moved closer to him, placing a hand on his arm. “Who is that?”

He shrugged. “Somebody I used to know.”

For real? Heat streamed through Ellie’s chest, and she moved forward to give him a piece of her mind, then realised Katie had stopped, even as the crowd continued to surge around them. EJ had her arm around Katie, who had paled, was shaking, and looked like she might faint at any moment.

“Hey, do you mind?” somebody muttered. “Get out of the way.”

She glanced back. Jason had disappeared into the crowd. Again. Now wasn’t the time for him. Now was the time to help her sister.

“Ellie, a little help please,” Emma-Jane muttered. So Ellie rushed to support Katie’s other arm. Trying to move through the crowd in such a fashion was clumsy, but it was the only way to ensure Katie could get out of there as quickly as possible.

Finally, they were able to access the concourse area again, and found a nearby seat, which Katie instantly slumped into.

Katie was shuddering, shaking, her whole body trembling. “He called me somebody he used to know.”

“Don’t think about him. He’s not worth it.”

“He’s got another girlfriend.” Tears rolled down her cheeks.

“See? Definitely not worth it.” Emma-Jane grimaced at Ellie.

“Katie, let’s get you back to Emma-Jane’s, okay?”

Katie shook her head. “I don’t want to. I want to go home.”

“Honey, I know you feel this way right now, but he’s not worth getting upset over.”

“How long do you think he’s been going out with her?”

“Who knows? He’s certainly not the man he made himself out to be. You’re better off without him.”

“But—but …”

By now, people were starting to look at them, a few children were pointing. Poor Katie. They needed to get out of this crowd as soon as possible.

“What should we do?” Emma-Jane asked Ellie.

“I don’t know.”