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“Raj!” says Cookie, trying to hobble after him in her towering heels and tight skirt. He turns around at the top of the stairs, his determination to get as far away as possible undiminished by her doleful eyes and quivering mouth.
“Where are you going?” she says. “Have you forgotten we’re supposed to be having drinks with Bronwyn and Graham?”
“I’m going home,” he says. “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you this evening, but I’m in no mood for socializing. I hope you’ll forgive me. ”
“But- I don’t understand!” she says. “What happened to make you so upset? What were you and Lincoln Porter talking about?”
“I’ll tell you tomorrow, after I’ve calmed down,” he says. “I’ll ring you, alright? Now, go back to your friends and enjoy the rest of your evening. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I just need some time alone.”
“Raj-” she says plaintively, but he is descending the stairs without another word or glance in her direction, and he doesn’t look back when he reaches the bottom, either.

“What are you talking about?” says Jackie. “Why is Isaac going to die?”
“Because people I get involved with die horrible, violent deaths,”  says Mia, giving her a wounded look from beneath her fringe. Jackie was proud of Mia for getting out of the house tonight, and had hoped it represented a kind of turning point; she knows she is selfish, she knows Mia is hurting and needs time to heal, but Goddammit she also wants her fun-loving, irreverent, loud, cursing, inappropriate bestie back. She decides to adopt a no-nonsense tone.

“What a load of crap, Mia,” she says. “Look, I know how terrible the last month has been for you, how Noah’s death must have made you revisit a lot of very painful memories, but that statement simply isn’t true. Besides, Noah was a criminal. The odds of him dying a violent death were pretty high, and had absolutely nothing to do with you. Please stop with the self-pity. You need to start celebrating the fact that you’re alive, surrounded by people who love you-”
“I don’t care what you say,” says Mia. “I’m cursed. I know I’m cursed.”
“I’m the one who’s cursed, having to sit here listening to this rubbish,” says Jackie. “Snap out of it, Mia. Otherwise you’re going to lose Isaac too.”
“He’d be a lot better off, ” says Mia morosely.

“Well, I’d better be heading back home before Saoirse calls out a search party”, says Roy. “Thanks for dinner, hon. I’ll be over at around 2.30 tomorrow to pick up Angus and take him to the game, okay?”
Sonia is stacking the dishwasher and doesn’t answer.
“Right, then,” says Roy. “I’ll just go and say goodbye to the kids and then I’ll be off.”
Sonia waits until they hear his footsteps creaking above their heads and then turns to Violet.
“So now we know why he bought a new Ferrari,” she says.“To bolster his poor ego.”
“So you don’t believe him either?” says Violet.
“Not a single word,” says Sonia.“I knew it wouldn’t last. Any fool would have known that.”
“Why don’t we invite them both around for dinner?” says Violet. “Then we’ll find out for sure.”
“Over my dead body.”
“But if they’re not together anymore-”
“He’d probably pay her to come with him, just to perpetuate the lie,” snorts Sonia.
“Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?” says Violet. “I mean, you wanted Roy to go with you to your parents’ place tomorrow, which is also perpetuating a lie-”
“It’s not the same thing!” shouts Sonia.“Why are you on his side?”
“I’m not on his side,” says Violet. “I’m just making a point. And don’t scream at me like that. I know you’re stressed about seeing your parents tomorrow, but there’s no need to be such a bitch.”
“Sorry,” says Sonia sulkily. They hear Roy yell out a cheery “BYE- BYE!” from the hallway, and then the front door slams. Sonia turns away from Violet to wipe down the counter tops. The raucous throb of the Ferrari’s engines as Roy accelerates through the gates makes the window frames rattle.
“Babe?” says Violet, after the noise has receded. Sonia turns around, her face a mask of rigidly controlled emotion.
“I want to come with you to your parents’ place tomorrow,” says Violet. ”If you’re ready to tell them the truth, that is.“