It was easy to get distracted in a house so quiet and remember how Frazer had stared at Cora’s mouth in that storage room. How she had run a tongue over her lip, wetting it slightly. How her eyes had flickered from Cora’s mouth and back to her eyes. How dare she?

Breathing hard, Cora tried to tamp down a sudden anger. How dare Frazer? Do that. Look at Cora like that, then swan into a bathroom with another woman the next day?

Standing up, with no real thought of what she was doing, Cora pulled a ratty old pair of Volleys on her feet. Grabbing her keys, she stormed out to her car.

The drive was short, and Cora drove the entire way white-knuckled. It was absurd, but Cora had been doing just fine until Frazer. Everything had been okay. Then Frazer had blown into her life with her programmes and long legs and eyes the colour of moss after rain. And now Cora was separated and watching the way Frazer moved in enclosed places. She was feeling jealousy that was ridiculous and made no sense except that she’d seen Frazer’s hands in someone else’s pants.

What did Cora care if Frazer went on a date? Or where her hands were?

Nothing. She didn’t care at all.

Parking half on a footpath, Cora grumbled to herself that it wasn’t important. It was only going to take a minute; there wouldn’t be any time to get a ticket. Cora was taking control of her life. Because for far too long, she’d had none of that.

She marched up to the door and knocked. She only waited all of two seconds, then knocked again.

The door swung open, and Frazer stared at her, wide-eyed. “Cora!”

She was dressed in a skirt that Cora remembered pushing up her legs only weeks ago, and that memory made Cora’s fists clench.

“What are you doing here?”

“I need you to stay away from me.” Cora’s words were measured, hard.

Frazer flushed. “Excuse me?”

“I need you,” Cora repeated, slowly, “to stay away from me. I just…this,” Cora waved her hand between them “is the last thing I need. I don’t need this confusion. I don’t need you getting in my head. I need you to stay away from me.” Because, for some reason, Cora couldn’t stay away from her.

Looking down, Frazer sighed. It sounded exhausted. When she looked back up, she gave a nod. Her eyes were green, so green in the light washing over them from where Frazer stood. “Okay.”

“I—” Cora had expected some kind of anger. She had wanted it, even; though why, she had no idea. Cora crossed her arms. “Okay.”

They stared at each other for a long moment. Then Cora turned on her heel and turned away. With short, measured steps, Cora started to walk down the path.