AllFreeNovel
Share Us
31
‘Where’s Jen?’ Holly asked as Chloe retrieved her near-finished beer from Ryan.
She took a sip before answering. ‘Just nipped to the loo.’
‘Is it just me, or is she being weird?’
Chloe pulled a face Holly couldn’t quite decipher. ‘She was. But we’ve had a chat. Everything’s fine.’
‘Anything I should know about?’
‘She’ll explain when she gets back.’
Well, that did nothing to stop the uncertainty coursing through Holly’s veins. It ramped up a notch, her blood now sharp like acid. Distrust formed a ball in her throat, solid as beer washed over it.
She’d been close to telling Jen she loved her, just after they’d chatted to the Daddy Bears. The moment had felt right, the emotions of Lovefest getting the better of her, and the words had been half-out of her mouth before Jen yanked her away.
Now the moment was gone and her insides felt muddled. Something was up. Very up.
She gulped again, trying to rid herself of the lump in her gullet.
Chloe sipped her beer and Ryan’s eyes flitted between the pair. ‘Am I missing something?’ he asked, his voice unsure.
‘Jen’s just nervous,’ Chloe offered.
He nodded slowly, not buying it but aware his time was better spent being a buffer. ‘Will we make our way to the stage? Better early than late.’
‘Good idea,’ Chloe said, taking his hand.
Holly downed the rest of her beer. ‘You go. I’m going to look for Jen.’
Chloe stopped mid-step. ‘She’ll be back soon – she’s getting us at the stage.’
‘I know,’ Holly said with a decisive nod. ‘I just want to have a quick chat with her before we go on. I can do it while we walk back.’
Silence hung for a beat, the gaudy laugh of a nearby stranger filling the gap.
‘Right, okay,’ Chloe answered with a small smile.
Holly moved through the crowd, making a beeline for the toilets.
She’d done this dance enough times to know the score. The distracted conversations, the quick glances. Lies that tripped off the tongue without a second thought. She’d believed Jen last night when she said Alison wasn’t on her radar, but tonight was washing that trust out to sea. Just because you're paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.
Jen’s behaviour reeked of Alison.
There was no sign of Jen in the queue for the toilets, so Holly loitered, watching it move slowly.
There couldn't be many loos inside. If she marked the person fifth in the queue it would be a safe bet there’d been a full rotation when they came out. Unless Jen was having a full-scale panic attack.
Guilt crawled over Holly’s skin. She hugged herself, arms crossed over her chest. Maybe Jen was just feeling nervous.
No. There had been more. Something in the way she was looking everywhere but directly at Holly.
She’d been spoiled with Jen’s affection in the last few weeks. She’d gotten so used to being her sole focus that now the spell was broken, it was glaringly obvious.
The queue moved forward.
Holly continued to hold herself, wishing and hoping Jen that would be the next person to leave the toilets. She’d look up, flash Holly that killer smile, then take her hand in hers, lacing their fingers together.
