“Youaregood enough,” I tell her firmly. “If you want more, youdeservemore. You should never have to feel like you don’t. You’re amazing. The best person I know.”
Her shoulders sag. “Do you promise?”
I nod. “Pinky promise.” I hold out my hand. “Which, you know, means it’s legally binding in pirate’s code.”
She huffs out a laugh. It’s not much, but at least it’s something. I tug on the end of her braid and she smiles.
“What are you guys talking about?” Bobbie suddenly appears out of nowhere and slides between us, draping an arm around Kath’s shoulders—just a little too possessively. My stomach drops.
“Nothing,” I say evenly. “Just catching up.”
“You don’t mind if I steal this one for a bit, do you?” He tightens his grip around her shoulder. My jaw clenches.
“If that’s what she wants, I’m fine with it.” I force my tone to stay neutral. “Kath?”
She glances at me, then at Bobbie, then waves the rest of the KitKat in my direction. “Oh, sure. Sorry, Sam.”
And just like that, she’s gone, trailing after him. I stand there for a second, exhaling slowly. I don’t know if anything I said even landed—if she’s still leaving with him, does it even matter? I sigh and pour myself another glass of water.
“That’s a long sigh,” a voice says from behind me. “Carrying the weight of the world?”
I turn, caught off guard, before breaking into a smile when I spot a familiar brown-haired girl. It’s Molly—one of the few people from St Hilda’s I actually know. She’s easy to talk to, even for someone as bad at small talk as I am.
I put down my water, pushing Kath to the back of my mind. Worrying about her isn’t going to change anything tonight.
“Hey, Molly.” I give her a half-wave. “Just contemplating the meaning of life, you know. Standard party stuff. Sorry—it’s nice to see you. How’ve you been?”
She steps past me to reach for a glass in the cupboard directly above my head. Her arm brushes mine, and when she stretches up, her skirt rides a little higher. I immediately stare at the floor like it’s the most fascinatingpiece of laminate craftsmanship I’ve ever seen, trying to avoid the fact that her top looks like it lost a fight with gravity.
“I’ve been good.” She fills her glass. “Broke up with David.”
“Oh. Uh… sorry?”
Why does everyone want to talk about breakups tonight? Did someone lace the punch with emotional vulnerability? Am I in relationship purgatory?
She snorts. “Nah, it’s a good thing. Or at least I realise that now. He was a prick.”
“Ah. Congrats, then?” I rub the back of my neck like it might help me reboot. “I’m not exactly a relationship expert, sorry.”
She laughs and sips her drink. “You famously don’t date.”
“Not sure how that became famous,” I mutter. “It’s not a rule. I just… I don’t know. It wouldn’t be fair to date someone when I barely have time to reply to texts, let alone be a decent boyfriend. I want to focus on swimming. I don’t think I could do both.”
Molly tilts her head, considering me like I’m a slightly confusing but not uninteresting puzzle. “Well, it’s paying off.”
There’s a look in her eyes now; amused and something else. I think she’s flirting with me.
She edges closer, her smile turning playful. “Just because you don’t date,” she says lightly, “doesn’t mean you have to live like a monk.”
I raise an eyebrow. “I don’t live like a monk.”
“Could’ve fooled me.” She brushes her dark hair back over one shoulder. “I don’t think I have your number,” she adds, casually brushing my arm again. “We should hang out sometime.”
“Maybe we should,” I say, and I actually mean it.
She touches my arm again, and it makes me think. Molly’s easy to be around. And unlike Kath, there’s no high-stakes emotional landmine beneath every interaction. No fear of ruining years of friendship. No quiet,lingering history.
I should probably find that reassuring, but instead, it feels like something’s missing.