Page 17 of In The Dark

Amelia had already put that idea out of Jo’s mind on Saturday night, but she would still throw it in Ada’s direction and see if she had a different opinion.

“Maybe. But maybe not. Some people go there to find a connection and not just orgasms.”

“Yeah.” Jo gave that a moment to settle. She didn’t know if she wanted Ada to agree with Amelia or not, it only made things more difficult for Jo, but she was grateful for her best friend’s honesty. “Amelia has a membership at Satin.”

Ada almost fell from the couch at that. “W-what?”

“Yeah. I was just as surprised.”

“Amelia.” Ada’s eyes widened. “Like…Callum’smum, Amelia?”

“The very same one.” Jo leaned back on her hands. “She turned up while I was having a drink on Saturday night. Said shewas curious after I told her about it. We ended up sitting around chatting for a while.”

Ada lifted a hand, confusion etched on her face. “Wait, you sat and had drinks with your ex-mother-in-law atSatin.”

Jo laughed. “I know. It sounds crazy, doesn’t it?”

“How was that?”

Jo bit her lip, mulling over the easiest way to describe it. Ada would jump to conclusions—she often did. “Surprisingly nice. Easy. She was…wearing a red pendant, though.”

“No fucking way!” Ada shook her head in disbelief. “Red? She’s bold.”

“Tell me about it. I mean, I know she’s attractive—God, she looked amazing that night—but seeing hertherein that dress, all confident and self-assured… It threw me.”

Ada studied Jo from across the room. “You’ve always had a soft spot for her.”

“That’s not what this is.” Jo shook her head. She didn’t need Ada to put any kind of ideas in her head. Jo was already up in the air as it was. “It just…surprised me. That’s all.”

“Have you heard from her since?”

Jo sighed. “Not really. She’s been quiet. I sent her a message earlier, just asking if she was okay, and she said she’s fine. She’s been busy.”

Ada gave her a look.

“What?”

“You seem a bit sad that she hasn’t been in touch much since.” Ada braced her elbows on her knees and searched Jo’s face. “So I have to wonderwhyit matters to you so much.”

Jo looked down into her wine. “We’ve always got along. Even when Callum left me, that didn’t change. In fact, I’d say it only grew stronger. Our friendship…you know?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Sitting with her, not thinking about him or what he did to me…I don’t know. I just felt like the old me again. She made me feel like myself again.”

Ada reached down and squeezed Jo’s hand. “I’m glad you felt like that with her. You deserve to be happy and find whatever you’re looking for. He doesn’t deserve any more headspace from you.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Sensing that the air was about to get a little heavy, Ada laughed and lifted her brows. “So…just to clarify, you’ve been having intense, anonymous sex with a woman in the dark room, while also bonding with your ex’s mum in the lounge…all in the same night?”

Jo winced. “When you say it like that, it sounds like I’m having some kind of crisis.”

Ada shrugged. “I didn’t say it was abadcrisis. Honestly, it sounds kind of epic. But Jo…” Ada paused. “Does it not seem a bit weird that Amelia could have been there the same time you were with Lia? Like, in the same building?”

Jo groaned. “I hadn’t really let myself go there, but thanks for putting it in my head.”

“Hey, I’m just the messenger.” Ada sprawled out on the couch again. “But seriously. Do you think Amelia’s into the club for the same reasons you are? Do you thinkshe’sinto the dark rooms, too?”