Tide - By Daniela Sacerdoti Page 0,29
not answering my texts. I’ve given up calling you. What’s going on?” Bryony’s eyes were full of hurt. “Since Leigh … Since she …”
“I know. I know. It’s just that …” Sarah wanted so badly to tell her friend the truth. The whole truth. But she couldn’t.
Or could she, one day? Had she made Bryony part of her secrets, would she have believed her?
“I know it’s been a terrible time. Your parents, and Leigh … but hey, it’s still you and me, isn’t it? Best friends?”
“Yes.” Sarah smiled, a thin smile. But better than nothing, thought Bryony.
“Sarah … If you’re on your own … if you’re having to cope with all that family situation all over again, having to move in with Juliet … You can always come and stay with us, you know that.”
“It’s OK. Really. I’ll find a way.”
“The offer is always there, you know that.” After a pause, she continued, “Why did Harry go? I can’t believe he let you out of his sight. He seemed so … so attentive.” A bit too attentive, Bryony thought. More like possessive.
“Work. Stuff to sort out down in London.” Sarah smoothed down her hair, checking that her ponytail was still perfect, ran her hands down her skirt, straightening it. Bryony knew Sarah like the back of her hand – when she started straightening and checking and sorting, it was time to change the subject.
“By the way … Michael. I haven’t had the chance to tell you. It’s serious,” she announced.
Sarah couldn’t help smiling. Bryony changed her boyfriend every few months, moving on from one to the other in her sunny, cheerful way.
“Is it?” She couldn’t keep a touch of amusement out of her voice.
“Yes, yes, laugh away! But it is,” Bryony grinned conspiratorially.
“You mean … you and him …”
“Yes!” The girls grabbed each other’s hands.
“Oh my God!” Sarah grinned. “So it is serious.”
Bryony nodded. Sarah stroked her best friend’s red, wavy hair gently, in a gesture that was unusually demonstrative for her. They looked each other in the eye, and Bryony took in how worried Sarah really looked.
“Are you happy?” Sarah asked, a strange look in her eyes, one that Bryony couldn’t quite decipher. All she knew was that something was troubling her friend, and she wondered if it all came down to Leigh’s death, or if there was something else. With Sarah it was always difficult to say.
“Yes, very. Very happy. Listen, why don’t you come up to my house tonight? Michael will be there, but my sisters will be around too, so I promise you won’t play gooseberry!” she laughed. “We’d love to see you.”
“I can’t.”
Bryony’s face fell and she tipped her head to one side. “Oh, come on. You and Michael can get to know each other better … My two favourite people in the world.”
Sarah smiled at her friend’s coaxing tone. “I really, really can’t. I’m seeing my boyfriend.”
“You what?”
“I’m seeing my boyfriend.”
“Yes, I heard what you said! You have a boyfriend and you never told me? Who is he? When can I meet him? Did you … do you? Have you …? No, of course not,” she added quickly, seeing Sarah’s face. “Tell me all!”
Sarah looked away again.
Oh, God, she’s not happy, thought Bryony.
“Well, his name is Nicholas.”
“Nice. Is he from Edinburgh?” chirped Bryony, trying to be upbeat in spite of Sarah’s vagueness.
“No, he’s from Aberdeen.”
“Cool. What does he do? How did you meet?”
“He’s taking a gap year from Uni. He’s doing law. We met …” In my dreams? He saved my life, and killed Cathy, the Valaya leader, by having her pecked to death by ravens? “We met in the Royal Mall. By chance. In Thornton’s. We were both buying chocolates.”
“Oh, romantic! But when? How long have you been together?”
“Just after my birthday. It’s early days, really.”
“Right.” Bryony played with her bracelets for a while, stroking the beads with her fingers, pretending to be totally absorbed. “Sarah,” she said then without looking up.
“Mmmm?”
“You asked me if I’m happy. But are you?”
“What? Of course I’m happy!”
Bryony raised her eyebrows and gave her a meaningful look.
Sarah sighed. “He’s my first serious boyfriend, you know that.”
“I know, I know. After years of being married to your cello!”
“Yeah, well, my cello is good to me!” Sarah laughed, in spite of herself. For a second she looked like the old Sarah, the girl she was before her life fell apart.
Bryony covered Sarah’s hands with hers. “But …? Because there is a but, isn’t there?”
“It’s just that – I don’t