Page 173 of Healed

“I’ve aged just as much. Plus, I have Vienna to deal with every day. He’s hard work.”

“Oh, no you don’t!” Rachel huffed. “I’ve had him for the past three and a bit years. We are not on the same level.”

“I had teenager Vienna. I needed the break,” I laughed back.

Rachel shuddered. “Yeah, I’d probably shack up with a psycho as well if it meant a break from him and—oh, shit, Gabriella, I’m so sorry, I didn’t think!”

“It’s fine,” I said, waving her horrified expression away.

“It’s not fine. It’s one thing to bring dark humour when I’m speaking to the lads. It’s completely different to do it to you. I’ve just become so comfortable with you and—”

“Rachel,” I said, placing my hand over hers. “It’s because you’ve become so comfortable with me that I’m telling you I don’t mind. A few weeks ago, I thought I’d never be accepted. I certainly never thought I’d get to the stage where I liked you of all people. And yet here we are, gossiping and teasing like life-long friends. It’s fine, I promise.”

We were laughing together when my phone interrupted us, its loud ringtone blaring out.

“Is that… please tell me that’s not Sexual Healing by Marvin Gaye, for fuck’s sake,” Rachel cackled.

“Fucking Vienna,” I muttered, pulling my phone out. “He’s always changing this sodding thing. And now look,” I said, showing her the screen. “He’s calling me on a withheld number. If he asks what my favourite scary movie is, you better lend me that potato peeler of yours.”

I brought the phone to my ear, pressing accept. “Vienna, this is getting ridiculous.”

“Gabriella,” a familiar voice rasped in my ear.

My entire body froze.

“Nico,” I whispered, feeling the blood drain from my face.

Rachel’s head shot up, and she gestured for me to put it on loudspeaker before standing up and rushing over to the camera in the corner of the kitchen. She waved at it three times, letting Hacksaw know that this needed to be concentrated on, and then came back to the table.

I put Nico on loudspeaker and placed the phone on the table.

“I’ve missed you, princess. God, your voice. I’ve missed your breath on my skin. Tell me you’ve missed me.”

“Go fuck yourself, Nico,” I said, feeling my strength return as Rachel wrapped her arm around my shoulder.

Nico laughed in response. “Oh, the fire is back. I loved breaking you the first time. It would be my fucking pleasure to do it again. But that will need to wait. I’m not ringing for you, I’m afraid.”

“Vienna isn’t interested in what you have to say, either.”

“I don’t want that bastard,” Nico spat, losing some of his composure. “Where’s the old lady?”

“Old lady?” I asked, sharing a puzzled glance with Rachel.

“The blonde bitch with big tits. Where is she?”

“I take it you mean me?” Rachel said, rolling her eyes. “And they’re not just big tits. They’re fucking fabulous big tits.”

“I can see that. They’ve done a phenomenal job,” Nico said, and I could practically hear the manic grin through the delight in his voice.

“I beg your pardon?” Rachel asked.

I didn’t like where this was going. I didn’t like this at all.

“It must have taken a lot of milk to feed a kid like this. Exclusively breastfed, was he? He’s a big lad.”

I stopped breathing.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Rachel hissed, snatching the phone up and waving at the camera more frantically.