“Yeah, right. I’ve been so stupid. Since you came back, you’ve virtually been living with the Pirellis, so you didn’t need me or any other bloke, did you? Jesus! I even defended you when Nick complained you’d moved into their marriage. Our friendship took a big hit over that. It’s still not back to what it was.”

Fear raced through her. Will had never been this blunt with her before. “I don’t know why you’re talking like this. None of it’s close to true. We’re friends. We’ve been close friends for years.”

“Maybe once, but not anymore. Casey’s right. The last few years have been toxic and damaging.”

“That’s an outright lie!” Her brain whirled, seeking examples. “When your father died, I took a week’s leave and flew down from Sydney. I did the same thing after the explosion on the platform and when—”

“We’re done, Jess. It’s over.”

“Don’t be stu—” The line went dead, leaving the sounds of silence buzzing loud in her ear. The rum and Coke turned rancid in her stomach, then rose to burn the back of her throat. She determinedly pushed it back down.

“He doesn’t mean it,” she said to the wall.

Except, even after their worst ever argument when she’d fled to Sydney after Libby’s wedding, he’d never called her toxic. She wasn’t toxic! She’d been a good and faithful friend to him for all the reasons she’d just told him, and then some. Back in the days when she had money, she’d even given him a short-term loan when he was buying his house to avoid a costly double mortgage. God!

It wasn’t her fault she’d fallen in love with Nick, any more than it was Will’s for falling in love with her. Hell, he should be grateful she’d been a true friend and protected him by refusing his proposal. Where did he get off calling her toxic?

You don’t know the meaning of the word friendship. Libby’s accusation played faintly in the back of her mind. Before Jess met Libby, Linda had moved them so often that she’d never invested in friendships. If Linda’s relationships with her friends were anything to go by, friendship involved drinking, acrimony, verbal abuse, stolen PIN numbers and the occasional punch. Jess had enough of that going on inside the house with Linda and her boyfriends so why open herself to more heartache and hurt?