Beth Anderson looked at the two women she’d known most of her life and sighed. If only they’d never met. If only she hadn’t decided to go to the university bookshop that particular day, if she’d said no to joining Joanne for coffee, or if Megan hadn’t chosen that day to have her lunch in the same café. But it had all happened, and in meeting, their fate was sealed.
They were standing hand in hand, only a few inches from the edge of the cliff, Beth in the middle, Joanne to her left, Megan on her right. There was nothing to hear but the wind that whistled in their ears and the thundering crash of waves breaking against rocks at the base of the cliffs far below. A sudden gust blew Joanne’s long blonde hair across Beth’s eyes, the wet tendrils blinding her for a moment until another stronger gust swept the hair away. Rain washed her cheeks, taking with it the tears that gathered and fell in quick succession. Her hands were wet and slippery; she felt the hold on her friends’ hands loosening and tightened her grip.
The next step? There was only one thing to do, wasn’t there? After all the secrets and lies, there was nothing left for any of them here. Beth looked at each of her friends, at their rain-soaked almost-calm faces, and smiled. ‘Still time to change our minds,’ she said, immediately feeling their hands clasp hers tightly. Nobody was letting go. Nobody was having second thoughts.
‘Okay!’ she shouted, her voice carrying on the wind.
And as one, the three friends took a final step forward.