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Holly faltered, hands in her shorts pockets. ‘I have a lot to do, Chloe.’
‘Honest, one min. We could be done by now.’
No point in delaying the inevitable. Holly stole a final look at Jen’s door, just to be sure this wasn’t some weird ambush. ‘Yeah, okay.’
Chloe pushed off the door frame. ‘Great – not out here, though. In you come.’
Chloe’s flat was the mirror image of Jen’s, but looked like it probably hadn’t been redecorated in a while. The kitchen looked old and worn, despite seeming well-cared-for. A picture pinned to the fridge caught her eye. Jen and Chloe at a festival, cheeks smeared with face paint. Seeing Jen’s smile made her stomach ache.
Holly lightly knocked her knuckles against Chloe’s breakfast bar to expel a little of the nervous energy that was threatening to make her knees shake.
‘Jen showed me your text,’ Chloe said, her back to Holly as she placed the hamper on the counter.
Great. How fucking embarrassing.
Chloe continued, slowly walking to face Holly on the other side of the bar. ‘I just want Jen to be happy—’
‘So do I.’
‘—and I’ve never seen her like this before. She’s like a different person with you.’
‘Okay?’ Holly replied, confused about where this was going.
‘She would kill me if she knew I was talking to you about this,’ Chloe said with a wobbling laugh, as if she was as nervous as Holly. ‘I just want to know: is there no chance, like, even the smallest one, you’ll ever see her as more than a friend?’
‘Me?’ Holly asked, positive she’d heard Chloe wrong.
‘Yeah, do you think, maybe with time, there might be a chance?’
‘A chance that I’ll like Jen? As more than a friend?’ Holly repeated, really needing some clarity. Her heart stuttered. Was this a real conversation, or had she finally lost it?
‘Yeah,’ Chloe replied, her voice soaked in uncertainty. She ran a hand over her hair, buying time. ‘I know you don’t see her the way she does you. I just want to know if that could ever change,’ She shook her hands in the air like she could dismiss what she’d just said and vanish the conversation from existence. ‘You know what? I’m meddling. Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.’
Chloe’s eyes met Holly’s for a split second before she busied herself with grabbing two wine glasses from the cupboard, placing them by the hamper.
Holly couldn’t move. Her brain had turned to mush. Everything tumbled into one. There was no sense in the world anymore. Did she even understand English?
‘Jen likes me?’ The words spilled out of her mouth, losing their spaces.
It was Chloe’s turn to freeze. ‘Isn’t that what your message was about?’
‘Erm, no. She’s made it perfectly clear she isn’t looking for a relationship.’
‘I’m so confused,’ Chloe said, joining Holly back at the breakfast bar.
‘So am I. Jen likesme?’ she asked, pointing to herself in case Chloe was getting her confused with the fridge or the kettle. ‘That doesn’t make any sense.’
‘How?’ Chloe’s eyes said she was still catching up too.
‘She told me only two days ago she wasn’t looking for anything.’
‘I think there’s been a misunderstanding,’ she replied, her features hinting that she was starting to put the puzzle together.
Holly shook her head, waving a hand in the space between them. ‘She said, more than once, “I’m not looking for a relationship.” How could I misunderstand that?’
Chloe sighed. ‘Jen’s a master at protecting herself. She hasn’t let anyone in since Alison; she always has her guard up, so things don’t come out like they should.’ She paused, adding her final point with a chuckle. ‘She’s also a fucking idiot.’
Holly didn’t find it funny. ‘I’m not buying it. No one goes three years thinking one way and then changes their entire perspective after three weeks.’
‘Yeah, well, she didn’t know you until three weeks ago.’ Chloe’s eyes said she meant it.
This wasn’t how this delivery was meant to go.
Holly felt sick, her stomach twisted with excitement, her heart racing. This was a lot to take it. She needed air, and lots of it.
‘I need to go. I still have loads of deliveries to do,’ she stated, not giving Chloe the chance to protest.
She followed her into the hall, calling after Holly as she unlocked the door. ‘Can you just go speak to her?’
Holly shook her head. It was all she could manage for fear of throwing up.
