15. Wingwomaning

Leonie

Issy was so excited to see Ghost that she didn’t notice my bra hanging out of Dom’s pocket. He went to my room without a word after putting down the cat basket and opening the small gate.

She swooped the feline up in her arms, made some cooing noises and tickled his chest before she rolled her eyes as her brother slammed the door.

“I think your daddy needs to get laid,” she squeaked, throwing a thumb over her shoulder towards my bedroom. “Let’s go out tonight and wingwoman him.”

Oh, Issy. God help me.

“This will be the first time the three of us are single!” she cried, then added, her voice lower, “And on speaking terms.”

I filled up Ghost’s water bowl and placed it down. He scrambled to get out of her arms and, begrudgingly, she popped him on the wood floor before he made a jump for it.

If I could, I would throw myself face-first into a bowl of water. Instead, I pulled the dishwasher open and retrieved my newly cleaned blender. A milkshake was the only thing to cure the heat still rolling across my body. Ice cream, milk and peanut butter would be enough to cool me down. Dad always made them to cheer me up. I could really do with that.

“Are you both on speaking terms?” she asked softly, leaning against the back of the sofa, our temporary divide between the two functions of the room.

I threw the ingredients in the blender, not bothering to measure them and let the machine whirl my milkshake together.

Through the loud noise, I didn’t hear her approach. She swatted my hand away and I winced as she touched the scrape from Jared shoving the drawer closed. “What happened?” she cried and gently took my hand. “Did you punch Jared?”

“No,” I said and pulled back, turning on the blender again.

Next thing, she was at my bedroom door, shouting at Dom over the noise. I watched the ice cream spin, breaking down until it was liquid.

Dom took my hand, and I almost cringed at him touching me in front of his sister. I couldn’t look at her as he rubbed antiseptic into the wound and then wrapped some gauze around and around as I tried to pour my milkshake one-handed.

“Priorities, Leonie Lion,” he muttered as Issy looked on.

“I haven’t heard anyone but Derek call her that for ages,” Is said. “I almost forgot how cute it is.”

Over my shoulder, I glared at her.

She shrugged. “How did that happen?”

“Jared,” Dom practically growled, his hands still gently wrapping.

“So he’s dead now, right?” she asked casually.

“Not yet,” Dom said as I blurted, “No.”

“She made me promise not to hurt him,” he continued. “I had a few choice words.”

Words he told me I wouldn’t want to hear. Words I worried might expose too much if I asked in front of Is.

“He won’t be bothering you again.”

My phone erupted. And, without thought or reason, I grabbed my now-poured drink, pulled away from Dom and lifted it to my ear. “Hello?” I asked, already hurrying to my bedroom.

“Leonie!” Mia shouted. “Where the hell is Ghost? I said you could grab some of Dom’s things, not my cat!”

I should have looked at who was calling. “He came in after me and took Ghost himself. I had nothing to do with it.”

“He can’t do this,” she said, suddenly sobbing. “He can’t.”

“He has, Mia,” I told her, sitting down on my bed with a sigh. “It’s his cat, too. He paid for him, he’s the one with a home.” It was out before I could stop myself.

She scoffed, but it was broken by her tears. “Gee, thanks for that. Remind me that he’s kicking me on the streets on Monday.” She paused, her breathing laboured and I felt sorry for her for a second. “Are you still my friend, Leonie?”

Were we ever?

When we went out, I was always the third wheel. We were nice to each other, but we were Issy’s friends. Not friends with each other.

I pulled my cushion onto my lap, running my hand over the silk. Dom didn’t mention having a good night’s sleep, nor if my bed was comfortable. His cock had been hard against me. Had he sorted himself out in my bed? Had he thought of me?

“Oh god,” she wailed when I didn’t respond. “I’ve lost everything. My friends, my house, probably my job… him.”

Her words resonated with me. I straightened at the realisation. I would lose my best friend. I would lose my house. I would lose my family.

“Issy hasn’t said anything to me about you losing your job,” I tried to reassure her. Mia ran socials for Issy’s bakery as well as other boutiques in town. She wouldn’t be losing her job, but she would probably lose a client.

“I thought they were down in Darley for the weekend,” she mumbled. “So, clearly, Issy’s lying to me, too.”

I stayed silent. I didn’t want to confirm or deny.

“And so are you,” she whispered. “I’ve lost everything. And now Ghost.”

My voice was so quiet I didn’t know if she’d hear it over her tears. “Mia, what did you expect to happen?”

“I don’t—I don’t know! I just wanted him to love me, Leo. I just wanted him to love me.” And, at that point, there was no talking to her. She was overcome with her emotions and I just stayed on the phone, playing with the gauze around my hand.

“Do you have anywhere to go on Monday?” I asked when she had calmed.

“Just my parents’ house,” she answered, voice wobbly. “But it’s so far away and the commute will be long.”

I really hoped she wasn’t hoping for an offer to stay at ours.

“If things were different, you could have stayed here,” I said. “But I can’t ask that of Issy right now.”

“She won’t talk to me,” she mumbled. “He won’t talk to me.”

“He’s hurt,” I said, but I wasn’t sure if it was true. He did drink a lot but he didn’t seem hurt per se. More… annoyed, frustrated.

“Are we still friends, Leo?” she asked again.

“Yes,” I said with a sigh. “We are still friends, Mia. But I am his friend, too.”

“I thought if anyone would know why I did it, it would be you. You hate him. You see through the facade he puts on. He’s hurt you, too.”

I couldn’t get into that right now.

“So why do you want him?”

“I just… he’s always been unobtainable,” she said with a hiccup. “Even when we were together.”

There was a knock at my door then the slow opening of it. Issy’s face poked through the gap and she lifted a thumbs up to me before swinging it to a thumbs down in question.

I shrugged. “Mia, I’ve got to go. I’ll talk to you soon, though.”

Issy gave a long, angry blink at the mention of her.

“Okay,” Mia said. “Thanks, Leo.”

And I hung up.

Issy’s top lip was curled. “Mum said I have every right to fire her.”

Of course Vera would agree with her. Issy could do no wrong in her eyes.

And if she ever found out Dom and I had… oh, god. I was going to lose them all.

She gestured for me to follow her out to the living room and I sat in the armchair, feet up on the side with a huff. “Before you ask, she’s angry that Dom took Ghost and she wants everyone’s forgiveness. That was the extent of the phone call.”

Dom was scrolling through his phone. “Yeah, I don’t care.”

Issy looked at him, mouth slightly parted in shock. “Okay, you’re an emotionless mess.”

His eyes snapped up in warning.

“We’re going out,” she declared, not put off by his glare. “You need an Issy and Leonie special. Bar, bar, bar, home, takeaway, Just Dance.”

He groaned and leaned back on the sofa, placing a palm over his face. “We had a takeaway last night.”

Issy only gave him a shrug that said ‘so?’

“Mia told me about your Just Dance ritual. I am not playing. Over my dead body.”

“Okay, that’s fine,” she said with a little nod, stroking Ghost beside her on the sofa. “You can get laid and Leonie and I will come back here to get dancing.”

I felt Dom’s eyes on me, but I refused to look at him. I was right, it had been a mistake. It was in the past. He could be with someone else. He should be with someone else. And I should, too.

Jack’s text from earlier lit up my screen.

JACK: We could stick to the original plan if you wanted? I know it’s close to yours and I can always pick you up. If I wasn’t away, I would offer to see you tonight.

I couldn’t even remember the original plans, but if he wanted to escort me there, that was fine.

LEONIE: Sounds great.

Then I contemplated, stressed and sent my next text.

LEONIE: How is your weekend going? I hope the wedding is good! Can’t wait to see some pictures.

Awkward. Oh god, that was awkward. But I couldn’t follow it up with a third awkward text. I’d shown interest. Interest I wasn’t sure I really had, but interest all the same.

“Or maybe Leonie will get lucky, too,” Issy said, watching Ghost climb up onto the armchair with me. “That little bandage will have the men swooning to help a damsel.”