"Hey you!" I pulled back and checked her out.
She was dressed in the most gorgeous summery frock, her rounded belly protruding slightly, under quaint flowers and the odd butterfly in pinks and blues and reds. Her growing boobs were cupped in a fitted, ribbed bodice, the dress falling away just beneath, with just enough fabric to hide her belly, but not make her look like a tent. I reached out and fingered the material, it was light and soft, exquisite.
"This is stunning," I remarked.
"Katie bought it for me. It's awesome, isn't it? From this preggie designer in Grey Lynn. I haven't had a chance to wear it, but I thought today would be perfect. I'm not sure how much longer it's gonna fit, though. I've put on another kilo in just under four days." She cringed, flushed pink, and ducked her head.
"You're beautiful," Dominic murmured, appearing out of nowhere, and kissing the top of her head. His hand wrapped around her baby belly, giving a reassuring and affectionate rub.
I stepped back, allowing them some privacy, and returned to the items on the table. Strangely not seeing a single one.
It was several minutes later that Gen sidled up beside me and said, "What's up?"
I flicked a glance at her, a carefree smile already on my lips. Her face was shadowed in concern, her look pointed.
"What's going on?" she said softly, her hand resting on my arm.
I froze. I fucking stood there and stared at her, the smile falling off my lips.
"Nothing," I finally managed to say.
"Not nothing," she countered. "You didn't tease Dominic or me. In fact you turned away and have stood here unmoving for over five minutes."
Five minutes? And, OK, I tease them when they get all lovey-dovey, but just because I choose to be mature and give them some space, she thinks something's wrong?
"Kelly," Gen whispered. "I've known you since we started high school. What's wrong?"
She had. Gen had known me since eighth grade. She came into my life spreading sunshine and daffodils, just when darkness and shadows had started to encroach. She made me forget everything that was happening at home, she gave me a world outside of my problems to live within. She lifted me up, when I was falling down, and gave me the courage to find a way through the black.
With Gen at my side I was able to reinvent myself. When my perfect world shattered, I became someone else. It started then; this road I've been walking on. But without Genevieve Cain it may not have even led here. I was at crossroads when she came into my life, one road leading me down into black, the other leading me to red.
She accepted who I became, because she didn't know me beforehand. She just welcomed me with open arms. And let me choose red.
I looked into her familiar blue eyes, saw the friendship and love we shared, and decided I'd spare her my troubles today of all days. I'd talk to her, when things settled down. But right now it was my turn to protect
her
. To let her live in yellow, and not join me in black.
Dom had said she was tired, the pregnancy and wedding taking their toll. Now was not the time to burden her with my issues. Now was the time to pretend everything was fine.
"Sweet-pea," I said, smile back in full force. "Too much tequila and not enough sleep, that's all. Now," I said with purpose, "Do we do the games first or get pretend drunk on the cocktails, singing at the top of our lungs to the soppiest love songs we can find? I know!" I added, really starting to embrace a Genevieve run-away mouth moment, "We'll work up to the singing with a dress-up first. I've got tiaras and feather boas, and some flashing badges that say 'Kiss The Bride' somewhere here. I'm sure Wayne and Edward will be honorary bride kissers. Unless, of course, Dominic puts a kibosh on that."
I'd been pulling things at random from the boxes on the table as I'd talk, or more appropriately haemorrhaged words. I glanced up now and saw Gen flicking a worried look at Dominic, over by the stove. His face was perfectly blank, but I knew that look. I'd seen him use it before.
It was the one he adopted whenever he was most concerned, and was trying to hide it from Genevieve. She knew it too and I watched her shoulders slump, a weight settling there that did not belong.
I needed to get a hold of myself, act like I usually did. Upbeat. Carefree. Full of life.
But it's hard to do that, when you're nothing like alive inside.
I was in trouble and I knew it. I needed to sort my fucking life out now, or others would get hurt. Tomorrow I'd phone Dan and end things with him.
And then there'd be only three.
Genevieve
I watched Kelly like a hawk. But she wasn't giving anything away. As soon as the guests started arriving she pasted on that Kelly Quayle smile, put a swing in her hips and started to entertain.
If I hadn't have been so worried about her, it would have been a blast.
But the old Kelly was back, not the new, distant, shadow shrouded one of earlier today.
Something niggled at me though, in the back of my mind. I tried to cling to it, draw it out, make sense of the memory that hung just outside of my grasp. But there were presents to open, and tiaras to wear, and kisses and hugs, and guessing games that made everyone almost fall off their chairs laughing, clutching their stomachs with tears down their cheeks.
I couldn't help it, I had to laugh too. I had to make shocked faces and squeal and flush pink at some of the things Kelly had set up. Just what did one do with a condom covered cucumber anyway? And hello! The condom's a little late.
Through it all Kelly was her normal self; happy-go-lucky, raunchy, devilish, loud. It was a great party, but something was wrong with my best friend. And it hurt a little that she thought she couldn't share.
The non-alcoholic cocktails were just being handed out. We'd played the games, dressed up and sung songs, eaten every possible thing that could be filled with cream in every possible suggestive way. Now we were on to the colourful, umbrella topped, fruit accompanied Martini glasses with sugar coating their rim. She'd gone to so much trouble and made my bridal shower so sweet.
But when no one was looking, distracted by the antics of Wayne and Edward, my old neighbours, or Abi and Katie trying to work out which way the batteries went in to a hot pink vibrator with too many parts. Or listening to Eva sing - way better than the rest of us - or being scolded, good naturedly, for their language by my mum, I watched her. And I saw something I had thought never to see again.
"Where's Dominic today?" Marie asked, a little more reserved around the rest of us, but starting to fit in.
"He's playing golf with his partners, Finn and Drew, and his dad."
"Bet there's a whole lot of legalese going on there," Wayne threw in from across the room.
"Oh, I don't know," Liz, Dominic's mother, said. "Finn and Drew have a way of steering things back to much more pleasant topics."
"What sort of topics?" Kelly said, a little too forcefully.
"The sort of topics that would fit in here, I dare say," she replied with a chuckle, and then took a sip of her mocktail drink.
My eyes stayed on Kelly's, while the conversation continued.
"I thought Nick would have joined him, if that's Dom's bachelor party," Abi offered.
"That's not his bachelor party," Liz returned. "I believe that was spent out on the town."
"And Nick's on a case," Eva added, while Kelly picked at a thread on her top. "Something big going down that I'm not supposed to know about."
"But you do, don't you, chickie?" Edward pushed.
"Naturally. He talks in his sleep."
"Oooh," Wayne exclaimed excitedly. "What does the hot and sexy private investigator say when he's in dreamland? Bet it's downright dirty."
Eva smirked, but I couldn't stop watching Kelly. This sort of convo would be right up her alley. Hell, I was surprised she hadn't made a few suggestions of exactly what Nick would have said in his sleep.
"Now, that would be telling," Eva drawled. Then leaned forward conspiratorially and added, "But I will mention this." Everyone stilled, held their breaths and looked toward the cowgirl.
Everyone except Kelly, who was staring off into space.
My heart clenched. I'd hoped I was wrong. That I wasn't seeing what I thought I was seeing. But I was.
"Declan King has been spotted in the city, radar has him stirring up shit."
There were appropriate gasps and shocked murmurs, and Abi wrapped an arm around Katie giving her a hug, at the news Auckland's premier drug lord was back in town and no doubt about to cause trouble. It was scary stuff. Declan King had shot at Nick and Abi, he'd tried to kill Jason and Katie, making Dom's sister throw a knife in defence. He'd even made himself known when I was dealing with my loser ex, Brett. He was an evil man, a blight on society. And Nick dealing with anything to do with the vile creep was not good news.
But Kelly didn't even blink.
My stomach rolled, I rubbed my huge belly, and let out an unladylike burp.
"I think I have to pee," I announced quietly and stood - well, struggled - from my chair. Almost four more months of this? Argh!
"You need a hand, Genny-Benny?" Mum asked.
"Kelly's closest," I declared. "She can hold my hand."
I walked up to my best friend and had to poke her shoulder to get her attention. She looked up stunned for a second, blinked a few times, and then noticed that everyone was watching.
"What?" she said, her voice sounding so lost.
I fought the tears that threatened to deluge any moment and said, "Come with me for a sec?"
"Sure," she answered automatically and rose from her seat to follow me from the room.
I headed to the main bathroom downstairs. No way I could make it up to our ensuite and then back down again. But somewhere along the hallway that led to the loo I realised I'd lost Kelly. I stopped and turned around, finding her staring at the wall. Not the artwork that hung there, but the wall itself.
What the...?
I walked back silently and stood at her side. She didn't even acknowledge me at first.
Then, "Ever wondered where you're going in life?"
Oh, fuck.
"Not really," I said softly, scared she'd clam up. "I kinda just take it one day at time now."
She smiled. It didn't reach her eyes.
"Good philosophy." Huh? Kelly didn't use words like philosophy. She used words like 'dude' and 'fan-fucking-tastic' and 'abso-fucking-lutely', but not philosophy.
I waited. She stared at the wall. Then she reached out and placed her hand against it, as though trying to touch a memory, a moment out of time.
"What's going on, Kels?" I couldn't help it. I had to ask. It was killing me seeing Kelly like this.
Seeing her like she was when we first met.
She lifted her head, I watched as whatever had clouded her vision disappeared. With a smile she shrugged her shoulders and slipped her arm in mine.
"You need the bathroom, mum-to-be? Let's get on that."
Why was she brushing me off? Why was she pretending nothing was wrong, when it obviously was?
But I let her guide me to the bathroom and then lead me inside. I did my business, all the while fighting the dread and tears, while she chatted away about
nothing.
Abso-fucking-lutely nothing.
Then we returned to the party, Kelly purposely avoiding the query in my eyes, as though everything was perfect, just as it should be.
But it wasn't. Kelly Quayle's demons had come back to haunt her. Unlike last time, over fifteen years ago now, she wasn't prepared to accept my help.
We sat in the corner together, watching the others chat and laugh and celebrate life. I felt a darkness shadow us, creeping in from the sides. For so long I've been used to Kelly behaving one way. Knowing it was her armour, what she used to make it through the next day.
Knowing it was false.
Kelly comes across as a fun-loving, free-spirit. Bohemian, Katie had called it. She flits from man to man, never choosing to settle down. Always thinking of the next bit of pleasure, the next thrill. Her next hit.
She thinks I don't know her. But I do.
She's my best friend, she's like a sister to me. I would do anything to help her keep the darkness at bay.
But whatever Kelly was doing right now, she didn't want
my
help. Maybe because of the baby and the wedding and everything that was going on in my life. Maybe because she was trying to protect me.
But someone needed to help her.
Who?
I bit my bottom lip, blinked back tears as I glanced around the room searching for an answer. No one here knew Kelly like I did. No one could see the fractured woman beneath the shiny shell. If she didn't let me help, who would?
I wanted to bawl. I wanted to curl up in bed and cry my eyes out.
I wanted Dominic to make it all better.
Kelly got up and walked over to the others, helping Wayne out of a feather boa he'd gotten himself tangled up in with a diamanté tiara hanging precariously off the top of his head. Everyone was laughing and cackling and offering useless, but amusing advice.
I slipped my hand in my pocket and pulled my cellphone out, running my thumb over Dom's name.
He was having a day away from all the palaver. Soaking up the sun with some of his best mates. I glanced up at the mayhem, no one was watching me, so slipped out the side door, as best as my new baulk could let me.
The phone rang once before he answered.
"Everything all right, sweetheart?"
I sagged against the bench in the kitchen and sucked in a sobbed breath of air.
"Genevieve," he said, even over the phone he used that tone I loved when saying my name. "What's the matter, darling. Is it all too much? Shall I come home and boot them out of the house?"
"No," I managed, shaking my head. "It's silly. I shouldn't have phoned at all."
"Nothing you do is silly to me," he murmured, as though he was hiding his soft words from whoever was nearby. "You can tell me."
What good would it do telling Dominic right now? He couldn't offer a solution from on the golf course.
"Genevieve," he pushed, this time his ice-lawyer voice crept into the edges. "Tell me."
"It's Kelly," I whispered.
"Kelly? What's wrong with Kelly?"
There was suddenly noise in the background, and Dom, obviously covering his phone with a hand because it became muffled, said something harsh to whoever was trying to distract him.
"Gen," he said. "Sorry, about that. Drew was getting in the way. I've clubbed him, go on."
I sucked in a fortifying breath and voiced my worst fear, "I think she's in trouble."
"Trouble?" A pause. Then quite clearly, "Would you knock it off, Drew! What the hell?"
I pulled the phone away and stared at the device. Shrugging, I returned it to my ear in time to hear Dominic again.
"What sort of trouble?"
"It's a long story," I started.
"I've got time," Dom urged. I wasn't sure he did, something was going on in the background.
"When I met Kelly she was going through some stuff. It was character making stuff. It shattered her confidence and made her sink in on herself."
"Go on," he pushed, when I paused.
"She dealt with it the only way she knew how."
"And how was that, sweetheart?" Dom asked, but I got the impression he already knew.
"By acting a certain way," I admitted, the words almost inaudible.
"An attention grabbing way," he provided.
"Yes."
"And now? What we saw this morning, has you worried?"
"It's gotten worse. She's not even there anymore."
A sob did slip out then.
"Gen, sweetheart. Kelly's probably just having a bad day. We're all entitled to one now and then, even the irrepressible Kelly Quayle. I'm sure it's nowhere near as bad as you think. Hold on," he added, "Drew wants to say something to me."
I heard the phone shift in his hands and then nothing more, just static. When he finally came back on the line, I needed to pee again, the tension had gotten way too heavy.
"Look, we'll talk about this when I get home," he said, an instant brush-off if ever I heard one.
Something made me say it, I'm not sure why. Because I hadn't connected Drew with our conversation at all. He was Dom's friend, not Kelly's.
"What did Drew say?" I demanded.
"Nothing you need to worry about."
"Dominic." I used every ounce of my school teacher father's tone in that one word.
Dom sighed. I could imagine him rubbing his chin right now.
"Drew said Kelly broke up with one of her five last night. That's probably why she's acting a little strange."
How the hell did Drew know?
"How...?" I managed before he interrupted.
"I don't know. He won't tell me. Look, Gen. Give Kelly some space, when she's ready she'll tell you about it. Maybe she's just re-evaluating her life. Changing things around. Hell, if we're lucky, she's decided to grow up."
I didn't like it. Not one little bit. Kelly was hurting and I wanted to help. But she'd made every effort to exclude me, and Dominic was right. If she wanted me to know, she'd tell me when she was ready. And not a moment before.