Tricky Girls (Girls of Hazelhurst #1)

14. CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 14

Haz

Figured I had the house to myself until I heard something thump on the floor above.

I check the time. Weird that Nic’s in. Even at her most hungover, she usually just sucks it up with a bucketload of water and something stodgy. Then she’s out roaming the island, getting up to God knows what on her own.

Maybe she’s got a lurgy. Definitely the time of year for it.

I don’t fancy contracting one myself but since Elly and Tilda ditched me for a fun time by themselves, it’s only right I check in on my bestie. Especially after her disappearance last night.

I take the stairs two at a time, making sure she can hear me. It’s possible she’s got a girl round but it’s not often she does that, preferring to take them to her tent in the woods like some serial killer.

I rap my knuckles on her door and push it open. She’s sprawled over her bed, arm flung over her eyes against the climbing sun.

‘Incoming!’

I launch myself, falling heavily onto her blanketed body.

‘Fuck off, Haz,’ she grouses, half-heartedly pushing me away.

‘Mornin’, beautiful.’ I glance at the window. ‘Or afternoon. Hanging, are we?’

‘Mm.’ She removes her arm to stare up at the ceiling.

Her eyes are blank as fuck. She really must be hungover.

I peer more closely. Unless…

Shifting so I’m lying more comfortably on top of her, I ask, ‘Where’d you piss off to last night?’

‘Nowhere. Home.’

‘Liar. You weren’t here when we got in. I checked your room.’

‘Quit coming up here, would you.’

‘Had to check no one was in before I big-boned Tilda.’

‘Now you’re the liar.’

She sighs, closing her eyes.

‘Yeah. Must have been a dream.’ A wet one I’ve been having since Halloween. ‘So, I’m assuming the reason you won’t tell me what you got up to is because you were up to no good.’

‘I can get up to whatever I like.’

‘You can, but you promised. Not that.’

‘Lay off me will you,’ she whispers, turning on her side away from me.

I release a breath, my blood beginning to simmer. Fuck, I hate this. The aftermath, the desolation, it’s almost as bad as the mania. Fucking glad I wasn’t around to witness that this time.

‘Elly will kill you.’

‘Elly doesn’t have to know.’

‘Then I will. Nic, what the fuck? You promised!’

My concern lasts all of a minute before my anger kicks in—my default. Fuck her. Never again, she said. Not after everything we went through. Not after she almost died, her heart crapping out after the overdose.

Accident or not, we’re still not sure. We just know it can’t happen again.

‘If you’re going to lay into me, you can get the fuck out.’ She remains turned away, an arm wrapped around her head like she’s in pain. ‘If it wasn’t for you, anyway…’

‘If it wasn’t for me, what? How is this my fault?’ I rack my brains. I know she’s pissed about Tilda but surely that wouldn’t tip her to fuck up her sobriety. ‘Was it Tommy? Sorry, man. Shouldn’t have hung with him.’

‘Not just Tommy. Just…everything.’

‘If it’s all getting too much again, Nic, you tell me. You tell Elly. Shit, tell anyone. But don’t do that.’

‘Alright.’

I blow out a breath. ‘Good. Fuck. Want me to get you anything? Cuppa, food?’

‘I’m good.’

‘You better be. I’ll be in for a bit so just let me know.’

I leave the room, taking a moment to gather my shit.

Fucking drugs .

I grit my teeth, molars clacking as I jog down to my room. In a drawer there, I root around until a find a bottle. The green label stares out inoffensively, pills rattling around inside.

She doesn’t stir as I deposit them on her bedside table, a sense of foreboding following me all the way back down the stairs.

I take out my phone, rattling off to Elly, House meeting. Just us.