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Kate felt the ground move from under her. If Alex hadn’t been holding her so close she would’ve collapsed. Her head was spinning, and as Alex let her go, she stepped back, looking from Maddie to Alex and back again.
“Kate?”
“She didn’t know,” said Maddie, her voice little more than a whisper.
“What?” said Alex, spinning round to face Maddie.
“She didn’t know.” Her voice shook, her hands wringing in front of her stomach.
“Fuck,” said Alex running his hands through his hair. “But you said?”
“I meant, I knew about the baby,” said Kate, her voice sounding like it was coming from somewhere far away. “Maddie hadn’t said anything about the father.” She looked over to Maddie, who was staring at the floor. “Look at me,” Kate hissed. Maddie kept her eyes down. “LOOK AT ME!” she screamed. Maddie started to shake, and took a step back towards the door. “Look at me,” pleaded Kate, tears brimming in her eyes. She wanted Maddie to say it wasn’t true, that she would never betray her best friend that way, but Maddie had tears running down her grey cheeks, arms wrapped round herself like she wanted to disappear.
“Kate?” Alex reached out for her arm but Kate snapped it away. “Kate, calm down.”
Kate’s breaths were coming too fast, she was taking so many but couldn’t drag air into her lungs.
“Kate, you need to take slow, deep breaths,” said Alex.
Something in Kate snapped. Without giving it any thought, her arm shot out, clenched fist meeting Alex’s nose with a satisfying thud.
“The bitch hit me,” he squealed, looking to Maddie for help.
Kate shoved past Alex. Maddie reached out her hand as Kate passed her, but Kate pushed it away.
“Kate, please let me explain. Kate, please, Kate…”
Kate could still hear Maddie’s wails as she ran onto the street. She stumbled past rows of houses till she reached an alleyway where she sat down, trying to calm her breathing. Maddie and Alex? When? How? Was Maddie really going to have his baby? There were so many questions Kate needed answers to, but she wasn’t ready to face either of them to get them. Kate pulled out her phone and dialled the only person who still had her back in this God forsaken city.
“Hello? Kate? Is that you?”
“Ye… yes…”
“My God, Kate, what’s happened?”
“Mad…Al…babe…”
“Babe?”
“Baby…having… baby… together.” Her last word came out as a wail.
“Where are you?”
“Don’t know… near Maddie’s house.”
“Meet me at the Horse and Groom. That’s probably your nearest pub. I’ll be there in half an hour.”
“Thank you,” said Kate through her tears.
*
Kate waited outside for Flo to arrive. She couldn’t tell if she was shivering through cold or shock, but whatever the cause, her arms and legs shook like someone was zapping her with a taser. The tears returned as soon as she saw Flo running along the road, resembling a teddy bear in her faux fur jacket and fake Ugg boots.
“Darling, come here,” Flo cooed, pulling Kate towards her and letting her friend’s tears matt the jacket’s fur. “You poor thing. I couldn’t understand much on the phone, but I got the gist. I can’t believe what those dick heads have done to you.”
“They were my friends,” sobbed Kate.
Flo held her tight and gently rocked her back and forth. “There are two things you need right now. Neat vodka, and a tissue. I’ll never get the snot out of my coat at this rate.”
