Page 46 of One Golden Summer

Kirsty stared out the window, the bunting crushed in her fist.

Helena touched her leg. “Put it back up, get down, put the ladder away, and come have a tea with me.” She held up the box. “I bought iced buns.”

That pierced Kirsty’s veneer. A glimmer of a smile broke through. “I’m not sure even iced buns can fix this.”

“There’s no problem iced buns can’t fix.” Helena made tea and waited for Kirsty to join her at the counter. “So?”

Kirsty took a bite of the iced bun and sighed.

Her friend waited for her to carry on.

“I’m just pissed off that I allowed her in. That’s all. She’s not available and I should have known that.” Kirsty put down her bun. “Ididknow. That’s the annoying thing. I’d read the magazines, seen Saffron shift when she spoke about her. What the hell was I thinking even putting myself in that position?” She rapped her forehead with her knuckles. How could she have been so careless? “I thought with age comes wisdom, but I’m a walking, talking example that doesn’t apply here.”

Helena put a hand on her arm. “Circle back and start talking English, please.”

Kirsty took a deep breath. “Saturday was great. You saw that. We had drinks, we ate dinner, and then everyone else left.”

“And you stayed for a final drink with Saffron.”

“Yes.”

“And then ignored my texts all day yesterday asking how it went.”

“Not well.”

“I’m getting that.” Helena paused. “So, tell me.”

Kirsty cast her mind back to Saturday night. When she’d been wondering whether or not she’d be going home. To the frisson of walking back to Saffron’s house. To being in the kitchen. To finally getting the answer to the question: what was it like to kiss Saffron Oliver?

The answer: beyond magical. When Saffron’s lips had met hers, real life had taken on a new, improved quality. It had been so perfect while it lasted. The feel of Saffron’s lips on hers. The heat of her tongue. The crackle of possibility.

Until it had been destroyed by the text from Echo Black. Kirsty’s stomach rolled just thinking about it.

Fuck Saffron.

Fuck Echo Black.

Fuck both of them.

It didn’t matter Saffron was a movie star, did it? All Kirsty’s disappointments with women felt exactly the same.

When Anna had told her she’d met someone else, a key part of trusting anybody else with her heart had fallen away. Kirsty had worked so hard to repair the damage over the past few years, but she’d never opened herself up too much. Because deep down, even though she’d never admitted it to Saffron, she agreed with her. People couldn’t be trusted.

Saffron had proved that by claiming Echo and her were just a publicity stunt, but Echo’s text had told Kirsty a different story. Publicity stunt or not, lines had been crossed. They’d shared a bed. They’d been a thing. Saffron had lied to her. Kirsty didn’t need to know much more.

Saffron Oliver might be famous and a big deal, but she couldn’t be trusted.

For someone who was just allowing herself to like Saffron, that was a bitter pill to swallow.

Helena clicked her fingers in front of Kirsty’s face. “What happened?”

Kirsty sipped her tea before she replied. “We went back to hers, and we ended up kissing.”

Helena made a face. “Was she a terrible kisser? I once had a guy who was so enthusiastic when he kissed me, I felt like he’d shredded my lips.”

Kirsty shook her head. “No, the opposite.” Her body revved at the memory. “She was all the things she should be. Until her ex texted a sweet nothing to her phone. I mean, her ex, her co-star, who the fuck knows? But you don’t text someone at gone 11pm if there’s nothing going on, do you?”

Helena winced. “Maybe, maybe not. Who knows? It might just be habit.”