Page 84 of The Mismatch

He turned, and when he saw it was Soraya standing there he laughed, as though it was all a joke.

And maybe it had been all along.

He knew she was a virgin. And he had only been seeing her as part of a bet. She’d been right about him all along.

‘I’m going,’ she said to him through gritted teeth.

She had to push past bodies to get to the front door. Leaving this party would be her salvation. She could processwhat she’d just heard once she was outside, away from the music, the people, the feeling of Magnus’s eyes on her retreating back.

Except, it wasn’t that simple. His hand was on her arm, pulling her to him in the packed hallway.

‘What’s going on? What’s happened?’ he asked, his voice harsh with drunkenness.

She shoved him away, ignoring curious looks from those around them.

‘Just get away from me. I know. I know about everything. You make me sick!’

His mouth hung open, eyes squinting as he struggled to comprehend her words. She didn’t give him time to think of an excuse, or attempt to explain himself, instead she prised the front door open and slammed it behind her.

Once outside she was determined to keep walking and not stop until she was a safe distance away from the house.

It was dark, the streetlights illuminating only isolated spots, leaving some areas in shadow. Soraya set off at a quick pace, hugging herself to keep warm. She often walked alone late at night in South London, and although she probably shouldn’t she usually felt safe. It wasn’t fear of the unknown that made her walk quickly.

Ahead she could see the main road, the red buses passing, people walking.

For now, she refused to think about what Tommy had said. She wanted to consider his words properly when she was home.

And yet the pieces were finally slotting together. Why else would Magnus have been so eager, so willing to wait? He had even said he was falling in love with her. But was it all a game for him? And had she been stupid enough to fall for it, fall for him? They hadn’t even gone all the way, which made her wonder if part of the bet was the other stuff they had done. That thought made her feel physically sick.

When she reached the main road, it was busy with people, a world away from where she had been moments ago, and she let out her breath. Her hands were shaking.

‘Do you have twenty pence?’ someone asked her as she passed a corner shop. She couldn’t look at them or utter a word in reply but stared blankly ahead. ‘Are you OK, love?’ the person continued. But she kept on walking, fingers playing with the keys in her pocket. She let them dig into her palm and pressed the metal harder and harder, until she snapped out of whatever spell she was under.

At the bus stop, the board said her bus would arrive in twenty-three minutes. She didn’t want to walk, although it would take the same amount of time to catch the bus as it would to return on foot. She didn’t have enough money in her bank account to justify getting an Uber. So, she sat on the bench, watching the cars go by.

A group of girls in the shelter were talking animatedly.

After a few minutes she felt a familiar presence next to her. Her heart quickened, her stomach turning unexpectedly hollow.

‘You need to leave me alone.’ Despite the coldness of her tone she was shaking. She clasped her hands tightly together.

‘Soraya?’ Magnus touched her hand and she snatched it away. Her breathing was unsteady. She refused to meet his eye.

‘Just go away.’

She could feel him looking at her.

On the other side of the road was a homeless man, wrapped in a blanket, asleep. By his side were chicken-shop boxes.

‘I don’t know what you think you heard—’

She snapped her head around then.

‘What IthinkI heard? Your friend straight out told me you were only with me for a bet.’ Her raised voice quivered on the last word. ‘That all of this was so you could win fifty quid after sleeping with me. That’s what messing with another person is worth to you – just fifty quid. You knew I hadn’t been with anyone before, you knew it all along.’ She shook her head, rage colouring her senses. ‘I don’t even know why you’re standing here. You don’t have to pretend to like me anymore. You can go back to your stupid fucking friends.’

‘Oh, come on, kiss and make up!’ one drunk girl said to them. The others cackled at her interruption. Upon seeing Soraya’s answering glare they laughed even harder. Tears pricked her eyes.

Magnus stood in front of Soraya, blocking the girls from view.