small part of her hoped it was all a mistake, a misunderstanding between them, and that now that they were finally talking, they

"It is not a hobby. I am

lly at their age. People took that sort of risks when they were in their early twenties and didn't have the financia

we are going to record a demo, and there is this manager

she pulled

e other side of the kitchen bench, bracing his ar

b, sell your house, and run away with

care about my job. Designing carparks," he snorted in disgu

ei

. "Yes, beige, Em. It is humdrum. It is just existing. It is doing t

ace pale. "You have neve

, or I'm hurting myself. My life, my job, my clothing... It's all just bullshit. Not what I want, to do, to wear.

you. I want to be. But there is no... fire to it. I want more." He drew in

hem. "You want more than me," she repeated, tasting the bite of those words on her tongue, and fee

m sorry. I hope we can be friends. You have been my friend for as long as I remember

n a breath, the sound ugly and raw, and she pre

gainst him. "I am sorry. I wish... I wish I were the person you want me to be, or

he did so, she would never get him back, feeling as if t

he expression, as if he were trying to make something work that he felt wasn't going to happen, offering a compensation prize to sooth the hurt away. "I had better go. We need

him although it hurt

the door. "Message me, hey? We will talk by me

would just be friends? That w

s he closed the door behind

next morning. She hadn't eaten bread since ninth grade declaring it em

of Owen, pushing her into the bathroom, and selecting clothes from the closet, before pushing her reluctant sister into her car. She had whisked Emily away from the misery of the empty house to th

ewhere that looked as miserable as Emily did and had decided that was an appropriate fit for the situation and so had parked. There was ev

"How do you just... walk away from your life like that? He is having agents through the house tomorrow. He is actually seri

oing to go? He i

nd the house, in the shower, making coffee in the kitchen... She had missed his clothing in the cupboard, his shoes, his things. It was as if, in one swoop, he

e house will be worth more than you bought it. He doesn't want you to

am still at Owen saying he doesn't want to marry me and moving next door. I am not

ean, Owen is pretty

it," Emily moaned into the palm

lish and you can fit a bottle of wine, a box of tissues, and half a make-up case inside it without destroying how it h

nt from grieving kin. She knew what Megan would say if Emily pointed out the macabre side of her purchase

he floor, and grimy paint on the walls, totally in keeping with the street visible beyond it. The chairs and tables they sat at were sticky to the touch, an

er, but then discarded the idea. She d

ers, as if settling in for a long wait... Though, in hindsight, she was not sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

th, hon. No one can see. C

ly reached for another tissue. "I

al," Megan replied. "You have to

a breakup. She approached it as an opportunity to forever imprint herself in her ex's life, with a savagery that ranged from petty to chilling and often result

.. I just want to curl

ou need to do. Call in sick tomorrow. Take annual leave for the week, whatever you need to do, because, believe me, this is going to get messy. These things always do when you have been

ust call in sick. I can't just say, sorry, my fiancé has

l not? Other

ly as relevant as the last book. If I ever hope to become

you put a deposit onto your wedding dress.

gan to cry again. "Wh

et your deposits back?" M

with me? Why ar

posits back from the wedding vendors. Ask the agent to sell both houses. Get a new haircut and begin again. It is like they sa

ove

t it. Brutal and gentle at the same time. "It sucks, babe, it really