by Jay, Donna
The stunned look on Lucy’s face, eyes wide, mouth open, made Kelly recoil. A sickening wave of nausea washed over her. If only she could somehow magically take back the last three words.
“See what I mean?” Lucy asked, the comment further knocking Kelly off kilter.
“No,” Kelly said softly, unsure if she’d heard right and anxious to clear things up.
Lucy pointed at her face, drawing Kelly’s attention to her dark complexion.
“Like everyone else, you assume attractive means player. You could’ve just asked, and I would’ve told you I’m clean, Kelly. Perhaps I should be angry with myself for being remiss and not asking the same of you.”
Bristling, Kelly clenched her jaw. Lucy’s words felt like a judgement, as though she thought Kelly was diseased, which was ridiculous considering Kelly had just told her she was clean.
Nothing like having the shoe put on the other foot.
Before Kelly’s mood grew any darker, Lucy chucked her under the chin.
“Cheer up, chicka. I was testing out what Jo said. Apparently, she was right.”
Still not trusting herself to speak, Kelly drew her brows together.
The amused grin Lucy flashed her was downright infectious. Kelly bit the inside of her cheek, determined not to return the smile until she knew what Lucy found so funny.
“What, exactly, did my little sister say? ”
“That you’re easy to wind up. Relax, Kelly. You slept with someone, you didn’t know who, it made sense you got tested.”
Annoyed with herself for taking the bait, yet relieved that Lucy hadn’t taken offense, Kelly huffed out a breath. “You’re positively evil. Do you know what happens to brats?”
Lucy shot her a sassy sideways glance. “They get punished?” She turned her gaze back to the road. “Oh, fuck.”
“You said it.” Kelly chuckled.
“Not that.” The car slowed.
Unnerved, Kelly dragged her gaze off Lucy’s horror-stricken face; lips pursed, brow furrowed.
A tangle of metal filled her vision. Red, white, and blue lights flashed. An ambulance sat in the middle of the chaos. People milled around on the side of the road. Police scribbled on pads, speaking to bystanders.
The nose of a white sedan was buried in the driver’s door of a red sports car, its busted radiator shooting steam into the air. The drivers of both cars had to be in a bad way .
As they drew nearer, the car inching along slowly, dread churned in Kelly’s belly. Hoping against hope she was wrong, Kelly strained her eyes trying to read the licence plate. The letter’s P A U 1 A confirmed her worst fears.
A vice wrapped around her heart and squeezed. Despite having entertained thoughts of doing Paula bodily harm if she hadn’t backed off at Te Papa, in the bright light of day, Kelly never wanted to see her come to physical harm.
“Fuck. That’s Paula’s car,” Lucy said, her voice a strangled whisper.
“Yay.” Kelly nodded. “Pullover. ”
Chapter 27
The minute the car came to a stop, they jumped out, shot each other a ‘this could be bad’ look, and took off running.
A gurney disappeared into the back of the ambulance before Kelly could get a look at the face, or body. A medic stood with her arm draped across a woman’s shoulders, body trembling, posture stooped.
The mid-thigh showy dress Kelly had glimpsed only hours ago, left no room for doubt as to the identity of the sobbing woman.
In the midst of disaster, any ill feelings Kelly harboured for Colette vanished. A potent cocktail of adrenaline, despair, and compassion flooded every cell of Kelly’s being as she closed in on the macabre scene.
A traffic officer stood in the middle of the road, directing traffic around the crash site. Rubberneckers hung their heads out of windows trying to get a closer look. A perfectly normal reaction that angered Kelly nonetheless.
She wanted to hold up a curtain and tell them to stop gawking. Or better yet, to come closer and get a puncture when they ran over all the shattered glass. That’d teach them.
“Slow down.” Lucy tugged on Kelly’s hand.
“What if she’s….” Kelly trailed off, a pain tearing through her chest. “I never wanted her dead. You have to believe me.”
Lucy gave her a sad smile. “I know, hun. I know.”
Not willing to step up to the rear of the ambulance, Kelly approached Colette. “Hey,” she said softly, trying not to spook her.
“Kelly? Oh, thank goodness you’re here.”
Before Kelly could process if she’d heard right, Colette was in her arms, holding onto Kelly as if her life depended on it.
Emotion flooded Kelly, along with the overwhelming grief that had torn her apart when her father was ripped from her life.
Behind Colette, Lucy stood talking to the medic. Kelly could make out the tone, bleak, but not the words. Lucy scrunched up her brow, nodded, glanced at the ambulance, pursed her lips and shook her head.
Getting herself under control, Colette stepped back. Black rings circled her eyes and she had a massive bruise on the left side of her head. She gave Kelly a watery smile, swiped her eyes, and wiped snot bubbles from her nose.
“Paula’s a fighter. She’ll make it. She has too.”
When the reality of what Colette said hit home, Kelly’s knees buckled with relief.
The siren whirred, and Colette jumped like she’d been shot. Her frantic gaze flicked to the medic standing nearby.
“Please, can I see her, before they take her away, just for a minute?”
“Sorry, ma’am. The elder gent, his wife, and your friend, all need urgent medical attention. We’ll only get in the way.”
A police officer crossed the road moving at a good clip. He nodded at Lucy and Kelly. “Ladies.”
He turned to Colette. “Let’s go, I’ll give you a lift to the hospital. You too, Jan.”
Ah, so that was the medic’s name. With her hefty bust, and mass of dark curly hair, Kelly expected her to have a name like Shirley or Curly.
The haunted look in Colette’s eyes tugged at Kelly’s heartstrings, and, apparently, Lucy’s too.
“She can come with us,” Lucy said, looking to Kelly for confirmation.
Kelly nodded.
Colette stared at the ground. “I’d like that, thank you.”
Gone was the condescending rude P.A. Kelly had come to know. Funny how grief humbled a person.
The medic put a hand on Colette’s shoulders and studied her face. “You still need to be checked for any internal injuries. I’ll only let you go with these ladies if they are going straight to the hospital.”
“We are,” Lucy and Kelly replied in unison.
***
For the first ten minutes after leaving the crash site, a depressing silence hung in the air. Lucy occasionally hummed along to the radio, but the tension was so thick it was palpable.
Shocking the hell out of Kelly, Colette ended the standoff.
“Was that your sister? At Te Papa.”
Unsettled by the question, Kelly glanced at Lucy. Lucy gave her a don’t ask me look.
“Yes,” Kelly said, not willing to give more information than necessary.
“She’s very pretty.”
“I love her to bits.”
“I could tell, even though I was being an arse.”
Squashing the urge to spit out the words, you said it , Kelly kept her eyes on the road. Sun glimmered off the tar seal, sending up a hazy wave.
“What about you, Colette?” Lucy said. “Any brothers or sisters? I’ve never heard you talk about your family.”
After an agonizing pause, Colette finally replied, “I don’t have any, family I mean.”
Colette couldn’t have been any older than Paula, possibly younger. How was it possible for someone in their early thirties to have no family?
Perhaps she didn’t mean it in the literal sense, maybe she’d shunned them, or been shunned.
“By choice or desi
gn?” Lucy asked as if it wasn’t one of the most invasive questions in the world.
Way to go Lucy, no sugar coating it, just cut to the chase.
“My parents were business people. They didn’t want kids. When they hit their forties, they got this idea in their heads they’d need someone to look after them when they got old. A year later, along came me.”
The tone of Colette’s voice suggested it wasn’t a happy story, or one she would’ve shared under normal circumstances.
“Hugs and kisses were sparse. Showing affection just wasn’t done.”
Lucy glanced in the rear-view mirror, but Kelly didn’t dare turn around. She didn’t want to feel compassion, Colette was an adult, she knew right from wrong.
“Although my parents were absent emotionally, I had the best of everything. I worked my butt off to get good grades. I left school and got a job that made my parents proud. Like any kid seeking their parent’s approval, I thought that was enough. Then they died. Long story short, I resigned from a gruelling job, and secured a position working for Paula.”
“And fell in love with your boss,” Kelly supplied feeling like she was in the middle of a tragic love story, which would’ve been comical if the joke wasn’t on her.
“Correct, but that’s not the point I’m trying to make.”
“Well, you better hurry up and make it.” Lucy turned into Ruahine Street. “We’ll be at the hospital soon.”
Kelly wished she could see Lucy’s eyes to read her emotions. She doubted Lucy felt as blasé as she sounded.
“Seeing your life flash before your eyes is an otherworldly experience.” Colette sat forward in the backseat. “Having someone you’ve taunted rush to your side is the most humbling, slap in the face thing I’ve ever experienced. I’m so fucking sorry, Kelly. Can you ever forgive me?”
Hearing Miss Prissy curse made Kelly want to laugh, but her chest was too tight.
As if sensing Kelly needed to confront Colette, the second Lucy parked she jumped out of the car.
“I’ll go feed the meter. See you inside.”
The door banged shut, and every slur Colette had uttered settled across Kelly’s shoulders like a ten-tonne barbell.
She hated herself for caring what someone as heartless as Colette thought of her, but she wanted—needed—to make her accountable.
“Why?” Kelly asked.
For an agonizing minute, that one simple word bounced around the car like a ticking timebomb.
“I was jealous,” Colette said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Hardly able to believe her ears, Kelly turned in her seat and faced Colette head on. “Of me? I’m a fucking nobody.”
“You’re wrong, Kelly.” Colette smiled.
Kelly wanted to reach into the backseat and wipe the stupid grin off her face.
Instead, she took a deep breath and uncurled her fists. As she calmed a little, she noticed Colette’s smile held no malice, it was more one of a friend reassuring another, and that made her feel conflicted. She didn’t want to like this woman.
“You’re witty,” Colette said. “You’ve got attitude, you’re fiercely loyal. People flock to you.” Her voice rose in pitch. “Money, a career, mean nothing when you have no one to share it with. You, Kelly…” She dared to poke Kelly in the chest. “You taught me that.”
Breathing hard, Kelly didn’t hold back. “It took a fuckin’ car wreck for you to figure all that out? Are you sure you didn’t suffer a head injury? Because I’m certain you’ve got a screw loose.”
Colette recoiled as good as if she’d been slapped. “I deserved that.”
Backing down, Kelly ran a hand through her hair, pulling on the roots, head tipping back like a wild horse being reined in.
“No, you didn’t.” Kelly hated that she’d lost control.
Normally, she was a bigger person than to lash out when someone was already down. Not only had Colette attempted to apologize but she’d also been through a hell of an ordeal.
Hoping some fresh air would help cool her down, Kelly shoved open the door. By the time she rounded the car Colette was halfway out.
“Truce?” Colette asked, wringing her hands together.
“I can’t say we’ll ever be friends, Colette, but we can be friendly.” Kelly would never forget how Colette had treated her, but she could forgive.
Her mother’s wise words ran through Kelly’s mind. “Negative feelings are toxic, honey, let them go. You’ll be a better person because of it.”
God, she loved her mum. Tomorrow, Kelly’s day off, she would visit. They had a lot to talk about.
The beep of a key fob made Kelly jump. She glanced around. Her heart flipped when her gaze landed on Lucy. She stood with her foot against the white hospital wall, hand high in the air, key fob pointed at her car, and a warm smile aimed at Kelly.
As soon as she was within reach, Kelly pecked Lucy on the cheek. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Lucy squeezed her hand .
Kelly pulled her phone out. “I need to call someone.” Ashleigh was going to freak. No one wanted to hear their best friend had been critically injured.
Lucy nodded, her expression grave. “I’ll phone Grace.”
Colette furrowed her brow as if the concept of informing friends truly was lost on her. That, in and of itself, was tragic.
Chapter 28
Once Kelly had given Ashleigh a quick rundown of events, she finally exited the hospital hand in hand with Lucy. Gone was the excitement the day had begun with. Rather than end on a happy note, it had been one of the longest, emotionally draining days of Kelly’s life.
“How are you holding up?” Kelly asked Lucy as she turned into Knowles Street. Home sweet home.
“I don’t know.” Lucy shifted down a gear. “I haven’t had time to stop and think.”
Kelly hadn’t wanted to see Paula, and didn’t think it was a good idea for Lucy to either, but Lucy had insisted on escorting Colette to Paula’s bedside.
“How was she?”
“A few broken ribs, punctured lung. It’ll be slow going for a while, but she’s expected to make a full recovery. Good thing she’s not a smoker.” Lucy chuckled but the sound lacked any humour .
“I meant how was she with you?”
Kelly hadn’t heard any raised voices through the standard issue green curtain, but then again how much could someone with a punctured lung holler?
“Tearful, happy to be alive. Rambling, probably due to the morphine. She said she was no better than you, whatever that meant. She doesn’t hate either of us, and that I don’t have to move out in a hurry.”
Well fuck, so much for silver linings. Kelly’s heart sunk. Whether Paula accepted their relationship or not, she couldn’t bear to see her ex and lover in the same room.
Lucy pulled up outside Kelly’s block of flats. After shutting off the engine, she turned to Kelly, her expression unreadable.
“I thanked her for all she’s done for me, which she interpreted as giving me a roof over my head. I told her I’d be moving anyway.”
Daring to ask the question, Kelly sucked in a breath, her chest expanding. “What, exactly, did you mean by what she’s done for you?”
“If Paula hadn’t let me move in, I never would have met you, Kelly. At least not in the way I did. So, for that I am thankful. I could hardly rub that in her face, though.” She gave Kelly a wry smile. “Her and Colette seem smitten and I can’t begrudge them that.”
Still fixated on the words, “for that I am thankful,” Kelly’s hopes soared. “Move in with me.”
Lucy opened her mouth and Kelly pressed a finger to her lips. “Please, just think about it.”
“Tell me this, Kelly.” Lucy’s penetrating gaze held Kelly captive. “Would’ve you asked me the same question if today hadn’t gone to shit in a handbasket?”
“No,” Kelly said. “But I’ve…”
Lucy cut her off. “I didn’t think so, and I don’t want to be your charity case
.”
“Shut up.” Kelly smiled, her confidence returning. “I’ve done nothing but think about what it would be like to live with you, wake up with you, come home to you, since our night out. I didn’t ask before now because I didn’t want to scare you. And, fuck me, Lucy.”
Lucy smirked, and Kelly’s heart grew wings.
“With my permission, that is. But goddamn, we’re good together. Life’s fragile, there are no guarantees. Let’s grab it by the balls.”
This time Lucy laughed.
“Oops, bad word choice. Let’s grab it by the vagina and embrace it while we can?”
A tear rolled down Lucy’s cheek.
“That better be a happy tear.” Kelly wiped it away with the pad of her thumb.
“It is.” Lucy sniffed.
A couple walking their dog peered through the windscreen, eyeing them curiously. “Let’s go inside? I can’t wait to tell Nicole and Steve.” Fit to burst, Kelly pushed open the car door.
“No.” Lucy’s arm shot out, her hand latching onto Kelly’s.
Taken aback, Kelly glanced at the stranglehold Lucy had on her.
“Sorry,” Lucy released her grip and Kelly wondered what had spooked her.
“What’s up?”
“I need to get home, shower, pack some clothes.”
“And?” Kelly asked, sensing there was more .
“Your best friends might not be as happy about the news as you are. It will be easier for them to say no if I’m not here.”
“Why would they say no?” Kelly frowned. “They adore you.”
“Your flat’s not exactly spacious. There’s barely room to swing a cat.”
“Here’s the thing, Lucy. As long as I’ve got your pussy to lick, I won’t need to swing a cat.” Kelly swept her arms wide. “See, no problem.”
Lucy grinned. “I’m trying to be serious.”
“Okay.” Kelly dropped the jokes. “But I’m not getting out of this car until you promise me you’ll come back here tonight.”
“If you promise me you’ll be honest about Nicole’s reaction. I know Steve doesn’t live here, but his opinion matters too.”
“It does,” Kelly agreed, certain Lucy was worrying about nothing, but respecting her concerns all the same.