Katie’s green eyes glittered. ‘The thing I don’t understand is what happens then?’
Allie fell silent. She’d never told the others about the plan she and Isabelle had concocted. In fact, she and Isabelle rarely spoke of it. They’d both tacitly agreed that all their energy was on getting Carter back. They’d worry about tomorrow when it arrived.
She wanted to tell them. She wanted them to know there was a plan. To start over somewhere safe.
But was this really the time?
She was still trying to decide when Nicole gave an elegant shrug.
‘Well,’ the French girl sighed, ‘we will not solve it tonight. We need a distraction. Rachel and I are going for a walk. We have to get out of this building.’ She glanced at Allie and then looked away. ‘Sylvain and Zoe are coming with us. You could come too…’
Katie met Allie’s gaze and arched one eyebrow.
‘No thanks,’ Allie said. ‘I’ve got to go back upstairs for something… in a minute.’
Everyone at that table knew she was lying.
‘If you change your mind, seriously… come if you want,’ Rachel urged her. ‘It would be fine.’
No it wouldn’t, Allie thought.
She wondered if there would ever be a time when she and Sylvain could be in the same room together without it all being a confusing, tense mess.
‘I might come out in a bit,’ Katie said, waving a hand at the room around them. ‘I’m sick of this place.’
Nicole and Rachel left a few minutes later, walking in perfect sync, their heads close together.
As she watched them go, Katie sighed. ‘They’re so cute.’
Bemused, Allie shrugged. ‘I guess.’
‘What?’ Katie blinked. ‘You don’t think they’re basically the cutest couple at Cimmeria right now? Honestly, Allie. What’s the matter with you?’ With an indulgent smile, she glanced back to where the two were just disappearing through the door. ‘I think they’re adorable.’
At first, Allie couldn’t understand what she was talking about.
‘What do you…?’
Her voice trailed off.
Then, with the sudden impact of a hammer strike, Katie’s words made sense. Complete and absolutely stunning sense.
Katie’s gaze floated from the door to her, and stopped. Her eyes widened.
‘Oh Allie. Come on.’ She didn’t even try to hide her disbelief. ‘You can’t not know this. Rachel is your best friend.’
Mute, Allie just shook her head. Blood rose to her cheeks.
Because she hadn’t known.
‘I don’t understand.’ Katie watched her with dismay. ‘Everyone knows. How can you not know? They’re “Cimmeria’s Adorable Lesbian Couple?”.’
She made air quotes around the words.
‘I mean, everyone always knew about Nicole, of course. Although I have to say Rachel was a bit of a surprise.’ She tapped a nail against her chin as she considered Rachel’s sexuality as if it was a menu option in an expensive restaurant. ‘But they’ve been together for… I don’t know. Months.’
Allie couldn’t believe this was happening. Had Rachel intentionally deceived her? Had she hidden it?
Or was I just a self-absorbed idiot?
Across the table, Katie was still working through the puzzle of Allie’s ignorance. ‘I guess we all just assumed you knew about Nicole. Especially after that kiss.’
Allie’s head jerked up. When she didn’t speak, Katie shot her an exasperated look.
‘Remember? During Truth or Dare? God, Allie. Do you just sleepwalk through your whole life?’
A sudden memory flooded into Allie’s mind: a bonfire, Nicole’s unexpected embrace, all soft lips, expensive perfume and long hair.
It had never once occurred to her that Nicole hadn’t kissed her solely to shock people. That she might have just… wanted to kiss her.
Katie was still looking at her as if she should be explaining herself, but she didn’t know what to say.
Yes, we kissed but I thought it was a game?
It was all coming together now. Rachel and Nicole, always together. Rachel and Nicole holding hands. Nicole’s protectiveness of Rachel in Night School. The laughter she’d heard from Rachel’s bedroom.
It was so obvious.
Her face felt hot. Her eyes had begun to burn with unshed tears.
How could I be so stupid?
Katie was watching her piece it together. ‘You two have never talked about this?’
Allie shook her head.
‘And you never noticed…?’
She never said a word.
A tear rolled down Allie’s cheek, warm at first but leaving coldness in its wake. She felt so stupid. So betrayed.
Everyone knew.
‘I have to go,’ she whispered and stood so suddenly her chair screeched against the polished wood floor.
‘No, Allie, wait…’ Katie began. But Allie was running away even as the words left her mouth.
In the quiet of the formal hallway, she stopped, uncertain where to go. She couldn’t go outside. She might run into them. Then she’d have to explain how unbelievably stupid and naive she was. In front of Sylvain. Who hated her.
She didn’t understand how Rachel could keep this from her. This was huge. Best friends don’t keep secrets like that.