Jasmine went back upstairs with her water and got back into bed. Felicity was asleep already; she’d drunk more than Jasmine, always did. Jasmine lay back and closed her eyes. She saw herself straddled across Tim, those blue eyes drilling into her as she moved slowly forward, kissing that perfect mouth of his. Why was he watching her when he was with Felicity? What exactly was it he was trying to do? Chess had never been a game she had played very well. Her father had tried to teach her time and again but she had always found it quite tedious. This reminded her of those lessons. Frank had always told her to think two moves ahead and focus on the endgame.

Chapter Thirty

When Jasmine woke up the next morning, Felicity was already dressed with her bag packed. Jasmine felt annoyed that this was probably going to come between them.

‘Why didn’t you tell me that you liked him?’ Felicity asked.

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Jasmine said, happy to keep her friend in the dark about her suspicions. She was also a bit jealous if she was honest, but the overriding emotion was fear that she was putting her friend at risk. Whatever game Tim was playing, the rules kept changing and she didn’t want anyone else to get hurt.

‘I never would have got off with him if I had known.’

The truth was that every time Jasmine had expressed any interest in a boy it was less than twenty-four hours before Felicity had got her claws into him. As if they were made more desirable by Jasmine’s affection. If she had told her she liked Tim, Felicity probably would have just got with him sooner.

‘It’s not that big a deal.’

‘Are we going to fall out over this?’ Felicity said, looking concerned.

‘No. We’re cool,’ Jasmine lied.

‘I promise you I was telling the truth when I said that we didn’t have sex. I would have, but we didn’t. He wouldn’t go any further than kissing. When I tried to do anything else, he would move my hands.’

‘Don’t try and make me feel better about this. I’ll be fine, Felicity.’

Felicity’s phone buzzed and she looked at it.

‘Mum’s outside, I’ve got to go. I promise you all we did was kiss.’

Jasmine stood up and hugged her. She wasn’t annoyed at her really; she was who she was. A car horn beeped and Felicity rolled her eyes and then left the room. Moments later she heard the front door close and Felicity was gone. Now Jasmine really was alone. She didn’t feel like eating and so she just opened the window and lay back on the bed. The warm sticky air from outside filled her room. She put some music on and drifted back into an uneasy sleep.