Page 28 of Tears of Glass

I start trying to type back. None of the letters look like words I know.

Now my phone’s broken. Shit.

Another message beeps while I’m still trying to type. If I shut one eye, it’s a little clearer.

I was thinking about something you said. And I know it’s not my business but...

I wait for another message. What! Where has she gone? What was she going to say?

My arse aches on the hard floor. I need to get into the apartment. I stuff my belongings back into my bag and crawl towards the door and then pull myself up against the doorframe.

Halfway up the stairs my phone beeps from inside my bag. Well it can bloody wait now.

My front door key has expanded while I’ve been out and won’t fit in the lock.

Eventually the door opens and Lewis looks at me, his eyebrows somewhere near his messy boy hair.

“How long does your hair take?” I reach for a strand of it. How does it stay up like that? “You blow dry, right?”

“Tabs, she’s pissed as a fart,” he calls over his shoulder.

There’s a chuckle and Tabitha comes into the small hallway. This place is tiny. I don’t think we can all fit in.

“Jeez, Faith. I thought it was business meeting with Channel 4?”

I point my finger in Tabitha’s direction. “Did you know?”

“Know what?

My phone beeps again and my pointed finger turns into a wag. “Don’t run off. We are still talking.”

I stare at my phone. The words aren’t in English. I don’t think they are of the planet Earth.

“What the fuck does this say?” I thrust my phone at no one in particular.

Lewis clears his throat and I squint in his direction. “What?”

“I’m kinda scared of you. And you said under no circumstances were we to say his name.”

“Uh,” I shrug dramatically but I have no control over my body and my arms fly around my head like a helicopter. “What does that loser want?”

“No.” Lewis is looking at Tabitha and she’s nodding at him. What is this, some secret bloody code? “It’s from Angela Bartlett.”

“Oh goody, she had something to tell me.” The wall is so comfy right now. I slide down it slowly as it caresses my back. That feels good. My feet hurt.

“She says,” he hesitates. “You said Elijah Fairclough was getting married, but he’s not. Why don’t you know that?”

I look up at Tabitha and Lewis as I continue sliding down the wall. My butt’s on the floor, my mouth hanging wide open. “What the shit?”

I could just close my eyes for a moment. If I just sleep right now, then I think all of this will make sense.

Nope. Not happening.

“I’m sorry. What did you say?”

Tabitha drops to the floor next to me. Her hand clutching mine. “Faith, you’re drunk. Let’s talk in the morning.”

“No, no, no.” I shake her hand, holding it between us. “She’s wrong, right? Elijah stood on that stage with her.” A little bit of white wine sick floods my mouth. “He said...”