The Sum of These Things (A Story of Now Series Book 2) by Emily O'Beirne

Author:Emily O'Beirne [O'Beirne, Emily]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Ylva Publishing
Published: 2015-12-15T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 45

Later they stroll, beer-flushed and laughing, through the dark side streets back to Mia’s place.

Mia hooks her hand around Claire’s elbow. “I forgot how much you and Robbie make me laugh.”

“Glad we’re here for your amusement, Mia.”

“Oh and you do amuse me.” Mia shakes Claire’s arm. “And it was great to hang out with you guys again.”

“What, don’t like your new friends any more, Mia?”

“What?” Mia gives her a quizzical look. “Of course I do. But I love seeing you and Robbie. I don’t know, it’s just…you’re my favourite people.”

Claire thinks over their night together, all the talk and stories and silly arguments, first over pints in the beer garden and then over dumplings and more beer in the city. It was so fun and relaxed and easy. “I know what you mean.”

Claire breathes in a deep breath through her nose, taking in that smell of summer nights in the city, of hot concrete, traffic fumes, and the smoky smell of the kebabs commingling with the sweet stink of the biscuit factory nearby.

“I love summer,” Mia says with a sigh.

“Hey, when does your friend Kristen come visit?”

Mia claps her hands together excitedly. “The twentieth. I can’t wait!”

The date reminds Claire. Michelle’s party. She never did decide what to do about it. But, perhaps intoxicated by the beer and the being with Mia, she plunges right in.

“What are you doing on the eighteenth?”

“Not sure. Nothing that I know of. Why?”

Claire asks it quickly, before she can change her mind. “Want to come to a party?”

Mia raises her eyebrows. “A party? And what party might this be?”

Claire tells her about the invitation to Michelle’s birthday and how she knows she has to go even though it will be kind of painful and boring. She doesn’t mention the fact that Brendan might be there, not wanting to offer too many complications at once.

“And you want me to come to this party? With your old friends?”

“Well, I’m not sure I’d call many of them my friends any more, except Michelle, but, well…yeah, I do.”

Mia unhooks her arm from Claire’s and takes a hold of her hand instead. “Then sure, I’ll come.”

Claire squeezes her hand, suddenly nervous. She gnaws on her bottom lip and then says it. “So, uh, maybe the jury is still kind of out, though, on whether we’re going to this party as girlfriends, or just friends?”

Mia squeezes her hand back. “Okay.”

Claire looks at her. “Doesn’t that bother you?”

“No. Should it?”

“Maybe.”

Mia pauses in the middle of the deserted footpath, turns, and takes Claire’s other hand. “Claire, it’s not up to me if your friends know about us or not. If you want me there for support or just as your friend, I can do that. If you want me there as your girlfriend, I’ll be there as your girlfriend. I don’t mind. Besides, these people don’t even really seem as if they’re in your life any more. Why do I care what they know about us? I mean, I guess if it were Nina or something, I’d be a little hurt if you still hadn’t told her.

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