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‘Here it is, word for word. “I can’t believe I saw Erin Porter going to town on a random girl.” Hashtags at your discretion.’

‘Send the snap. It’ll go out in the next two minutes.’

Alex sent it and opened Instagram to wait and refresh. The post came out exactly as she’d asked a couple of moments later. The sharing started quickly, mounting speed by the minute. It wasn’t half an hour later that several news sources started to report it.

Alex laughed to herself. For the blinder Leigh had played, she hadn’t been able to capitalise on a scoop. Alex had won.

Fourteen

When Leigh saw the photo, she knew it wasn’t going to be enough to just get it out with her own spin. It would be torn to bits. Because Erin wasn’t making any physical contact with this mystery girl, but it didn’t matter. The body language was damning. Erin was leaning into her and smiling with a look in her eyes that said, ‘I’m gonna rip your clothes off the first chance I get.’

It wasn’t concrete proof, but it didn’t need to be. If you wanted to look at it and see two people who were either sleeping together or about to be, you could see it.

Leigh called Erin from the road. ‘We need to talk.’

‘Yes?’

‘It’s the photo. It’s going to get released any minute.’

‘Oh. OK. I thought I had a bit more time.’ She paused. ‘Have you seen it?’

‘Yes.’ Leigh took a breath. ‘The other person in the photo will probably be found soon. I need to know… What would they say?’

‘Can we talk about this in person?’ Erin asked.

***

Leigh was back in Erin’s flat. Erin was crying. ‘I’m sorry I lied!’ she was wailing. Erin was not feeling quite as sympathetic as before, so she was simply watching the tears and waiting for them to be over. ‘But you must understand, I couldn’t leave Isabelle. I haven’t loved her in a long time. But she made it clear she’d ruin me. Like she’s doing right now.’

‘So, youdidcheat. Because she’s emotionally abusive.’ Leigh rubbed her temples. She had a headache coming on. ‘If you’d told me this at the start, it would have made my life easier. We could have told your side right away. You might have come out of it all well. But now… We’re playing defence.’

Erin nodded snottily. ‘Yeah, I know. But it was hard, you know? Do you know how embarrassing it is to feel like you’ve been fooled?’

Leigh sat back in her chair, irritated. ‘Yes. Which is why I’m pissed off that I defended you today.’

‘What? To who?’

‘Helen Archer. I called her out for getting involved in something she didn’t understand, and it turned out she was right. I’m expecting Jack to call me any minute now to read me the riot act. He exploited a relationship to help me, and I’ve probably burned it.’

‘Your boss is retired. What the hell does he care?’ Erin said dismissively.

‘I don’t think that’s the point,’ Leigh said impatiently.

She was seeing a new side to Erin, a not-very-honest side, a self-serving side. Leigh was trying to adjust.Actors, she thought.Should have known.

But Leigh would have been lying to say she didn’t understand her. She knew what it was to get the wool well and truly pulled over your eyes.

Ten Years Ago

Leigh put the key in the door and jiggled it. Nothing happened. ‘Oh no. The deadlock is on.’

‘Who did that?’ Alex asked.

‘The three idiots I live with. I hope they’re still up.’ Leigh knocked on the door nervously.

She was bringing Alex back to hers, at her own terrified suggestion, and she hoped that meant they could keep this night going, maybe take it to the next level. And now the three stooges were going to have to be dealt with.

The door swung open, and there was Jamie. His mouth fell open at the sight of Alex. ‘Dude! You pulled!’