Followed

Tanya’s footsteps catch up to you before you’ve gone the twenty metres before bumping into Alice. She calls your name once, then again, and you sigh before you’re able to talk to Alice, because the alternative is making a scene on a public street.

“I know you’re angry,” she starts, slightly out of breath. “But walking away doesn’t change any of it. We should finish talking.”

You turn. Alice is still standing a few paces back, watching the exchange with quiet interest. The last thing you want is this conversation continuing with an audience, even a familiar one.

“I don’t want to do this right now,” you say, voice flat. “And I especially don’t want to do it with you. You’ve known for weeks. You sat on it while I was walking around thinking the problem was me. I need space from that.”

Tanya’s face tightens, but she doesn’t argue. Alice’s gaze moves from you to Tanya and back again, an appraising look that takes in the tension, the body language, the unfinished business hanging between the two of you. Whatever conclusion she reaches stays behind her eyes for the moment.

Then she steps forward slightly, addressing you more than Tanya.

“Sounds like you could use a drink and a proper catch-up,” she says, calm and practical. “Just the two of us. There’s a place two streets over that’s quiet this time of day. Come on.”

She waits, giving you the clear exit from the conversation with Tanya without forcing it. The offer sits there between the three of you on the pavement, simple and immediate.