“Where the hell have you been?” Gina stood at the door of Neeta’s apartment, even though the answer to her question was staring her in the face. Neeta was dressed in her work gear. “My life has been imploding and you’ve been at work!”
Gina brushed past her sister and stomped through to the lounge. On the sofa was Neil. Gina stopped. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d seen him. It had to be at least a month ago.
Gina took a breath, then another deeper one. “Hi, Neil.” She kept her voice as steady as she could. She’d been about to berate her sister for no reason other than she needed to vent at someone. Neil had tempered her mood.
“Hey, favourite sister-in-law!” Neil got up and gave her a hug. He was very much a hugger. He was also exceedingly tall, so when he did so, his limbs seemed to ensnare you in a trap.
Today, Gina needed it. She hugged him tight right back.
When Neil let her go, he stepped back, eyeing her suspiciously. “Everything okay?”
“Gina’s life is apparently imploding so I would say everything is definitely not okay, am I right?” Neeta raised an eyebrow Gina’s way.
Neil took that as his cue. “Right. I wanted to go for a run anyhow.” He brushed Gina’s arm on the way out. “I hope things aren’t as bad as your face says they are.”
Gina sighed and waited for the front door to click shut. Then she sat on the spot where Neil had been, and put her head in her hands.
“What’s happened?” Neeta sat beside her sister. “You left an agonised message on my phone. Now you’re rocking on my sofa. You. Gina. She who does not get involved with people. Who’s never been in love.” Neeta paused. “Ooooh, fuuuuuuck! I get it now! That’s why you’re swearing, stomping and generally acting like a maniac. You’ve fallen for India! I mean, I assumed you had, but this confirms it.”
Gina brought her head back up. It was what she’d thought on the bridge. That she could fall for her. But had she already? Perhaps. It would make sense. The way her stomach was curling up inside. The way her brain was on fire. The way she couldn’t process a single thought without an image of India, her feet bleeding, pleading with her on the bridge. She shook her head.
Gina loved India.
This was what love felt like.
If this was love, then fuck it all to hell.
“Although I have to say, I am enjoying this new Gina a bit. I mean, I’m sorry for whatever’s happened, but you’re alive. I’m half expecting you to pick up our TV and lob it out the window.” Neeta gave her a look. “Don’t though. I’d be sad. I love that telly.”
Neeta sat next to her and put an arm around her. “Go on then, tell me what happened.”
Gina did.
By the end, Neeta’s mouth was hanging open.
“Wow, that is some afternoon. Andi Patten proposed to your girlfriend in public?” Neeta grabbed her phone and checked Twitter. She winced. “It’s trending, so I think maybe you shouldn’t check your social media today, no matter how tempting.”
Gina shrugged. “It was bad enough seeing it live. I have no desire to see it again.” Gina wriggled free of her sister’s grasp and leaned back on the sofa. “But it’s not that easy, is it? I introduced her to you. To Mum and Dad. To my life.” She shook her head. Perhaps she and love just weren’t compatible. “I opened myself up to her. Now what?”
Neeta gave Gina a sad smile and put a hand on her knee. “Now, you have to talk to her to see her side of the story.”
“I already know it.”
“Do you? She said it was nothing.”
“Andi Patten is a national treasure and India’s ex.”
“She seemed pretty into you when she was here. You’ve slept together, and that’s not something people do lightly. People I know at least.” Neeta paused. “Do you think she did it lightly?”
Gina wanted to believe India hadn’t done it lightly. But right now, she had no idea.
Neeta’s door buzzer interrupted their chat. She jumped up and went into the hallway to answer.
She was back in seconds. “That was India. She’s outside. I told her to give you five minutes to get upstairs, then to buzz your door.”
Gina’s heart wheezed in her chest. She couldn’t see India now! “What did you do that for?”
“Because you need to sort this out. You’re in love with this woman. She’s come over here, so she must think something of you, too. You’re not giving up at the first hurdle. Love isn’t like that. It’s messy and it hurts. But it can also bring the best kind of pleasure.” She grabbed Gina by the shoulders and marched her down her hallway before opening the front door. “Put one foot in front of the other, go back to your flat and speak to India.”