Alice didn’t, but nodded anyway. They were near the beach, the ocean’s pulsing roar muffling Gina’s words. Alice let her talk. She told a long, rambling story about her manager, Margery, and how she’d thought Margery was the only one she could trust, but how it turned out that she couldn’t trust anyone. While she spoke, Alice looked at Gina’s hand where she had bitten her. It had been swaddled in a white bandage, and even in the dim moonlight, Alice could see dark spots where the blood was seeping through. I did that, she thought. She remembered what it felt like, her teeth sinking into Gina’s flesh.

“But I trust you,” Gina was saying. “And that’s why I can’t lose you, Al. I can’t lose you, and I don’t care what you’re doing with your mom’s husband. That’s not my business and I should never have brought it up. I mean, do what you want, right?”

“We’re not doing anything.”

“Hey, I get it, Al. He’s hot. I’d do it with him.”

For a brief moment Gina’s words provoked in Alice an urge to pick up the nearest rock and drive it into Gina’s face. Instead, she said, “Let’s go swimming.”

Gina swiveled her head toward the black expanse of the ocean, almost as though she was just realizing that it was there. “Really?” she said.

“Sure, why not?”

“It’ll be freezing.”

“It won’t be. You’re just scared. It’ll be amazing.”

Gina stared toward the water for a moment, then said, “Sure. Okay.” She smiled, leaning in toward Alice. Her breath had an almost chemical smell to it, like rubbing alcohol. She stood. “Let’s go swimming. It can be symbolic, like our fresh start.” She pushed her jeans down her long legs, almost slipping on the rocks, then pulled her shirt and sweater over her head. Alice, still wearing just the pajama bottoms and the T-shirt, pulled them off, feeling awkward and exposed, but wanting to get into the water. Gina’s eyes quickly scanned Alice’s naked body, and Alice resisted the urge to cover her breasts, which suddenly seemed awkward and fleshy next to Gina’s flat chest and small, dark nipples.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Gina said. “It’s going to be freezing.” She pulled the bandage off her hand and tossed it on the sand.

“The water’s probably warmer than the air right now,” Alice said, stepping from the rocks onto the hard-packed wet sand. As soon as she was ankle high in the water, she realized the water temperature was probably exactly the same temperature as the air. It felt like stepping into nothing. She waded out, as Gina flew past her, spinning her arms and screaming, crashing into the surf. “Chicken,” she yelled back at Alice.