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Kate managed a small smile, taking the tissue Flo offered and blowing her nose so loud it made Flo jump.

“Just so we’re clear before we go in, I’m still getting my egg McMuffin tomorrow, right?”

“Promise.”

“Come on then, let’s get some booze down you.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

KATE LIFTED HERhead from the pillow and peeled a damp tissue from her cheek. Blowing hair away from her eyes, she looked around the room. Where was she? Her hand reached for the lamp beside the bed and in the sudden burst of light she realised she was in a bedroom at The Sunbeam. Kate groaned, and fell back to sleep.

When Kate woke for the second time, weak wintry light penetrated the threadbare curtains. Her phone showed eight a.m. Only an hour till she had to meet Flo for breakfast. Kate threw back the duvet and dragged herself over to the kettle. She filled it from the tap in the bathroom, and climbed back under the covers to wait for it to boil.

Memories of the previous evening came flooding back as the kettle bubbled away. It still hadn’t sunk in. How could two people she considered family betray her like that? Flo had been amazing in a typical Flo way. She’d shifted Kate from sadness to anger in a matter of minutes, only interrupting the flow of insults and exclamations with the oddmmm,yes,fuck them,dick heads. Kate had no idea how many vodka’s she’d drunk. The pounding in her head suggested it was at least three, though with Flo in charge of keeping her topped up, you could never be sure.

The kettle clicked off and Kate made her way across the room. On the way she caught her reflection in the mirror and gave a grim smile. Her hair stuck up in all directions, the odd strand stuck to her face. Her eyes had disappeared into red pouches, her lids so heavy it was tricky to see out from behind them. She was still wearing clothes from the night before and the button on her jeans had left an imprint on her stomach.

Each step sent a wave of pain through her head, and Kate retreated back to bed with her coffee, stopping to grab two painkillers from her bag. She rested the coffee on the bedside table, and picked up her phone. A notification told her she had twenty-five new messages. She opened the safest message first.

How’s your head? We can push breakfast to nine-thirty if you want. Flo xxxxxxx

Twenty-three of the messages were from either Alex or Maddie, and Kate deleted them without reading. She couldn’t bear to have any contact with either of them yet. The only remaining unopened message was from Bob. It was a risk to open it. She couldn’t face another rejection. Curiosity beat fear, and Kate opened the message.

Kate, I’m so ashamed of the way I spoke to you. Please know it had nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. Joy called me and told me how much I’d upset you. She also made me realise it’s time I was honest about what’s going on with me. I know you’re in Bath, but when you’re back, can we meet up? I’m so sorry for the way I’ve been. Bob x

Kate smiled at his message and tapped out a reply.

Thank you for saying sorry. I never meant to pry, I only want to help. I’m coming home today, things haven’t gone well. I’ll explain when I see you. Speak soon x

With a message sent to Flo to say she’d make their original time of nine o’clock, Kate downed the dregs of her coffee and forced herself into the shower. Of all the things wrong with The Sunbeam, water pressure wasn’t one of them. Kate stood beneath the torrent of hot water, letting it wash away the smell of stale alcohol and sadness. As she wrapped a towel around her, she didn’t quite feel a new woman, but at least now she was a clean one.

With dry hair and a change of clothes Kate felt more human, the painkillers doing wonders for her headache, and her swishy, clean hair rebuilding a fragment of the self-esteem last night had stolen away. She packed her clothes away in her backpack and gave the room a quick clean. The least she could do for Flo was make her shift a bit easier.

Kate handed her key into reception and wondered if she’d be back in The Sunbeam again. Aside from Flo, the reasons to visit Bath were few and far between. Her fragile strength couldn’t take the inevitable battering of seeing Maddie and Alex play happy families.

Flo was already waiting for her when Kate reached McDonald’s. The smell of the place made her feel queasy, but a bit of grease would do wonders for her hangover. Flo didn’t notice Kate come in, and sat flicking through a brochure of some sort. As Kate drew closer, she saw pages full of smiling, young faces. One lad had a hard hat on, a girl was holding a stethoscope up to a dog’s belly.

“What are you reading?” asked Kate, sitting down opposite her friend.

“Nothing,” said Flo, shoving the booklet into her bag and letting her braids fall over her flushed cheeks.

“It’s not porn is it?” asked Kate and Flo giggled.

“You think I’d be looking at porn in McDonalds?”

“I’m sure some people do.”

Flo shuddered. “That’s gross.”

“Come on, what was it? I promise not to laugh.”

“I’m not worried about you laughing. I just don’t want to rub my happiness in your face when things are going so wrong for you.”

“Oh, come on, I need cheering up.”

“OK, fine,” said Flo, pulling the booklet out of her bag and sliding it across the table to Kate. It was a glossy brochure for a local college. “So…um… I’ve sort of been taking night classes.”

Kate looked up at her friend in surprise. “Night classes? In what?”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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