The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones

The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones

Author:Sandie Jones [Jones, Sandie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan


16

‘You okay?’ asks Paige, as they pass on the stairs.

Rachel’s heart thumps in her chest as she looks at her, waiting for her to launch into a well-deserved tirade, but nothing about her suggests that she knows anything more than she did at breakfast this morning; before her run; before meeting Ali on the beach; before Ali might have told her everything she knows. Though, her unsuspecting expression only allows Rachel’s selfish guilt to poison her system even more.

Whenever she’d allowed herself to think about the potential fallout from her and Noah’s secret, she’d only ever thought about how her world would be affected: what Jack would do, how Josh would react, what she’d need to do to keep them all together. Seeing Paige’s genuine concern makes her realize what her friend stands to lose.

‘I’m not feeling too good,’ says Rachel. It’s not a lie.

Paige reaches a hand out to take hold of Rachel’s arm. ‘You don’t look great – what’s up?’

‘I’ve just been helping Ali get ready and I came over a bit weird.’

‘She has that effect,’ says Paige half-laughing. ‘Come back downstairs and I’ll fix you something to eat. Maybe you need a bit of sugar.’

Rachel doesn’t want Paige to be nice, because when she finds out she didn’t deserve it, she doesn’t want her to feel she’s been taken for a fool.

‘I’ll be okay,’ she says. ‘I should probably start getting ready anyway.’

Paige looks at her watch. ‘We’ve got plenty of time yet.’ She takes Rachel by the hand. ‘You know what you need?’

Rachel shakes her head numbly.

‘Hair of the dog.’

‘Oh, no, I don’t think so,’ Rachel says, unable to think of anything worse, yet knowing at the same time that alcohol is probably going to be the only thing that will get her through the day.

‘Come on,’ says Paige, pulling her down the stairs. ‘There’s that nice bottle of champagne that we bought at the airport in the fridge. What do you say we crack that open and get this party started?’

Rachel attempts to smile.

‘Because you and I both know that we’re going to need all the help we can get.’

Like the best friends they’ve always been, they look at each other conspiratorially, knowing it makes sense.

‘So how is madam today?’ asks Paige as she pours half a flute and waits for the fizz to dissipate before topping it up.

It’s the simplest of questions, and one that Paige should already know the answer to. Yet she’s not giving anything away.

‘I thought you’d seen her,’ chances Rachel, watching her expression carefully.

Nothing changes, apart from Rachel’s heartbeat, as Paige shakes her head.

As much as it pains her, she’d rather Paige and Jack just come out with whatever they know, than feign ignorance. Right now, it feels like she’s an animal that needs to be put out of its misery and she can’t, for the life of her, understand why they would deny her that.

‘She’s doing okay,’ she says warily.

‘No last-minute nerves?’ asks Paige, handing Rachel the glass.

‘No, she seems pretty set.



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