Tricky Girls (Girls of Hazelhurst #1)

32. CHAPTER 32

CHAPTER 32

Elly

It’s rare I’m up early on a Saturday, preferring to sleep in and tend to my hangover. The sky outside my window is a bright white, the pine trees ruffling in a wind. I yawn as I strip my bed, balling the sheets into a pile on the floor.

This has gotta be a testament to how much I like that girl. Up at the crack of dawn to make sure the sheets are washed and dried and ready for her.

Saturday night. Our night.

I love it. Fucking love it. It’s not even just the sex—sometimes we don’t even have it, just cuddling and talking and sleeping in each other’s arms is enough.

Is this love? Like, for real?

Shit, probably. I’ve always been gone on that girl. Still trying to figure out what good I did in a past life to deserve her attention. The attention of a girl who used to swear blind she was only into guys. It’s a modern miracle.

Dirty sheets in hand, I jog down the stairs, not at all surprised to see Nic already up in the kitchen. She’s still in her pyjamas but her backpack’s on the table and she’s making up a meal that doesn’t exactly scream breakfast.

‘Hey.’

She glances my way. ‘Hey, yourself.’

I chuck the bedding into the washing machine, rummaging in the cupboard under the sink for softener. ‘Off on a hike?’

‘Mm-hm. Rainstorming later so getting it in early.’

‘Sweet. Watch out for the wolves.’

‘Always watching out for those puppies.’

I never know if I believe her when she says things like that. I’m inclined to believe the wolf thing is just a way to get us out the forest after dark. I’ve certainly never seen one and it’s not for lack of looking.

‘Going home this weekend?’ she asks, pausing what she’s doing for my answer. Showing she really cares.

I shake my head. ‘Not this weekend. Maybe next, though.’

Nic nods, resuming her lunch. She’s been pretty good since all the shit at Christmas, regularly asking how it’s all going, offering herself up to help. Mum’s home at the moment, having a bit of a mental lull. I know it’ll get bad again soon, as is the usual pattern, so we’re all making the most of this downtime.

I get the door of the machine shut when I hear a protesting buzz from inside. Yanking it back open, I unearth my phone from the heap of sheets.

Nic whistles. ‘Close one.’

‘Yeah.’ I unlock the phone. Saved by a text from Haz.

Haz: Congrats on winning the bet motherfucker

I blink at the message until the meaning of it sets in. ‘Shit!’

Leaving the washing, I run back upstairs two at a time. I don’t knock, throwing open her door to the sight of them both asleep in her bed.

Haz’s eyes crack open, gleaming in the dim. ‘Don’t worry. I didn’t defile her.’

‘Much,’ Tilda mumbles, stirring at her side.

There’s a ribbon going from her wrist to the headboard. Fucker tied her up. Now I sit with the meaning of that. I look around the room as though it might offer some clues. Nothing seems out of place. No lube or toys or shit. If she hurt her, I’ll kill her.

‘Hey.’

I’m drawn back by Tilda’s small voice. She smiles at me. ‘You okay?’

Dunno, am I? I take stock of how I’m feeling. Not much to be honest; I don’t think I’ve fully woken up yet. I don’t feel mad or jealous or anything. A little concerned, maybe. A lot protective.

It’s not awful, seeing the two of them together. In fact, it’s a big fucking relief. I hadn’t realised how much keeping a secret from Haz was messing me up. We don’t do secrets.

I grin, tossing my phone onto the bed. ‘Group spoon!’

There’s a certain satisfaction in hearing the breath being knocked from Haz. Relief or not, she clearly got her own back on me last night. I don’t know the ins and outs yet but it’s there in her smirking smug face, the way she keeps one arm possessively around Tilda.

‘Rather a group fuck,’ she says.

‘Sure you would,’ Tilda grouses. She smiles at me, a shy invitation in her eyes.

Brushing hair from her face, I lean down to kiss her. I linger there, putting a lot into it. Letting her know everything’s fine and also that I like her kind of a lot.

She sighs when we part, snuggling back into Haz whilst reaching out an arm for me. With her cuddled between us, I meet Haz’s eyes again.

There’s a lot going on in that gaze. I can’t make out what exactly, only that we’re going to be having a big fucking chat—and soon.

Tilda

‘Burritos are here,’ I tell the others.

‘I’ll get them.’ Elly removes her arm from me to sit up.

I push her back down. ‘I got it. You two stay cosy.’

I need a moment to breathe anyway. I slide out from between them, cooler air immediately rushing in. These dumb pyjamas. They’re practically underwear. I peek down at my nipples standing to full attention. If I lifted my leg even an inch, my pussy would be on display.

Not that these two would mind. Quite the opposite.

I hear a knock from the front door just as Nic thumps onto the landing. She’s in her walking gear—canvas trousers and a dark grey fleece, water bladder in hand. I’m relieved she’s going out, but she is the last person I want to see right now.

She flits her eyes over me then through Haz’s open door. When her gaze returns, it’s devoid of expression. ‘Not so straight then?’

‘Things change.’ I shrug.

‘Not people. Not in my experience.’

‘Well, your experience isn’t mine.’

Nic glares. ‘My experience is you.’

‘Okay, Ms Cryptic. Are all you English Lit lot like that?’

‘You don’t belong with them. They don’t know you.’

I fold my arms, mindful of my revealing outfit. ‘Careful, or I’ll start to think you’re jealous.’

‘Please. Straight girls are the worst lays.’

‘Not according to your two best friends.’

‘Well, that’s them.’ She steps closer, face still closed. ‘One night with me and you’d be in tears.’

‘Because you’re that bad?’ I mock.

‘Oh I’m definitely bad, Tilda.’

‘Alright, big man. Take your word for it. Because I certainly won’t be finding out for myself, will I?’

I stare her down, my own anger not letting me back away from this. Every time we interact, the need to goad her, push her, only grows stronger.

She’s not giving me a reaction today though, merely stares back, something strange flickering across her face. My heart beats quicker upon remembering what I just said.

‘Yo, Tilda,’ Haz calls out. ‘You getting the food or what? These muscles won’t feed themselves.’

‘You couldn’t hack a night with me,’ Nic finally says.

I roll my eyes and push past her. ‘Yeah, because you’re so bad, I remember. Excuse me.’

I gasp when she grabs my arm, pinching to the point of pain.

‘Break their hearts and I break this.’

I stare, too afraid to move in case she snaps my arm.

‘Things were good, Tilda,’ she hushes, a peculiar note of pain in her voice.

Loud and clear, I hear the part she leaves unsaid.

Until you . Things were good until you.

I yank back my arm. ‘Yeah, well, sorry for fucking breathing.’

I turn away before she sees the tears in my eyes. I flee down the stairs, my appetite fleeing too.

I barely eat half of the burrito before tossing it onto the bedside table and lying back down. I hook an arm around Haz’s thigh, stroking my face against it. Every so often Elly ruffles my hair, letting me know she’s here and she cares.

So precious. The both of them.

Below us, the front door slams, signalling Nic’s exit. Something inside me releases, the energy in the lodge lightening.

It’s getting unbearable. This sensation of something brewing, simmering, ratcheting up. Something sinister. She’s got this look in her eyes when she looks at me now. Like my time here’s up. That I’ll be paying in something more than rent.

She looks at the others like they’ve betrayed her, slayed her newborn or something. They try their best to let it wash over them, trying to balance us both. But Nic doesn’t want balance. She wants it to tip, preferably in her favour.

I won’t come between them. I’d leave before I blew the three of them apart. Bros before hoes and all that. Thing is, I think Nic would too. As much of a bitch as she is, she does love Elly and Haz. It took me while to see it but it’s there in every interaction they have, as acerbic as they may be sometimes.

In the face of all of this, it’s easy to forget I actually haven’t done anything to the bloody girl. That her hatred for me’s unfounded. I’ve gotten so used to it I don’t even question it anymore. Kind of fucked up.

When Elly finishes her burrito, she lies down too, spooning me from behind whilst Haz remains solid and warm next to me.

At least we have today. A day without Nic, a day to explore whatever’s going on here. I don’t want to lose all this before it begins. I don’t want anything marring this beautiful, burgeoning thing.

I’ll have to have it out with Nic. It’s the only way any of us are going to be able to move forward. It won’t be pleasant; I imagine it’ll be downright messy. Tricky when she won’t even begin to show me what’s going on in that vault of a mind of hers.

Maybe that’s where I can meet her. My eyes pop open at the thought. Come down to her level, possibly to the detriment of myself. She was freer in that godforsaken place. Almost human. Get her in one of those little glass rooms again and we might actually get somewhere.

The back of my neck tickles when Elly sighs, her lips pressing a soft kiss there. I let my eyes fall closed, purging Nic from my mind. It’s not a day for her. It’s a day for them—for us.

Nic can bloody well wait.