Free On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

relationship and his interest has waned and hopped onto someone new, he ’ s been honest with his girlfriend and broken it off before starting up anything with someone else. I ’ m not saying his attitude isn ’ t a little shitty, but at least he ’ s honest.”
    Curious about Ellie ’ s surety, I took a sip of wine before asking, “Did someone cheat on Braden?”
    She gave me a sad smile. “It ’ s not my story to tell.”
    Wow . If Ellie was being close-mouthed about it, Braden really must be sore over it.
    “Suffice to say, he ’ s a serial dater. Completely monogamous but jumping from one relationship to the next. Holly lasted longer than most. I think it was because she took frequent trips down south.” Ellie then threw me a teasing, almost knowing look. “I wonder what girl has caught his interest this time.”
    I eyed her carefully. Did she know? Had she witnessed the spark between us?
    “And I wonder if she ’ ll finally be the one to knock him on his arse. He needs a reality check.”
    I murmured an incoherent response, not wanting to encourage her thoughts in my direction.
    “Sorry for interrupting your bath.”
    “No, it ’ s fine.” I raised my wine glass at her. “You brought red wine. We ’ re all good.”
    “Have you ever cheated on someone?”
    Whoa. Where did that come from?
    “Well?”
    Was this an interview to date her brother?
    Staring her straight in the eye so she would know I was being deadly serious, I replied more honestly than ever, trusting Ellie not to push me too much on the subject, “I never get close enough to anyone for that to be an issue.” My answer seemed to deflate her, and that only reaffirmed my guess that she ’ d been holding onto some kind of romantic notion about me and Braden. “I don ’ t do relationships, Ellie. I haven ’ t got it in me.”
    She nodded, her expression a little lost. “I hope that changes for you.”
    It never will . “Maybe.”
    “Okay. I ’ m going to leave you to your bath. Oh.” She stopped, turning back to me. “My mum cooks a big roast dinner on Sundays for all the family. You ’ re invited this Sunday.”
    A sudden chill descended over my warm bath and I shivered. I hadn ’ t been to a family gathering since high school. “Oh, I don ’ t want to intrude.”
    “You ’ re not intruding. And I won ’ t take no for an answer.”
    I smiled weakly, gulping down the entire glass of wine as soon as she closed the door behind her. Feeling the wine churn in my gut, I sent up a prayer for a miracle that would get me out of the family get together.

    ***

    Friday night I was running late for work at the bar. Ellie had decided to cook us dinner and it had turned into an unsalvageable disaster. We ’ d ended up eating out and losing track of time as we fell into deep discussion about our work — Ellie ’ s research and my book. Ellie had gone home to bed because of an awful headache that had come on suddenly, and I hurried to the bar. I shot Jo an apologetic look as I passed through and into the staff room. I was just shoving my things in my locker when my cell rang.
    It was Rhian. “Hey, hon, can I call you back on my break? I ’ m late for my shift.”
    Rhian sniffed down the line. “Okay.”
    My heart stopped. Rhian was crying? Rhian never cried. We never cried. “Rhian, what ’ s going on?” The blood pounded in my ears.
    “I broke up with James,” her voice cracked along with my belief.
    I thought Rhian and James were solid. Unbreakable.
    Fuck.
    “What happened?” Oh God, had he cheated on her?
    “He proposed.”
    Silence fell between us as I tried to understand what she was saying. “Okay. He proposed, so you dumped him?”
    “Of course.”
    What was I missing? “I don ’ t get it.”
    Rhian growled. Actually growled. “How can you of all people not get it, Joss? That ’ s why I ’ m phoning you! You ’ re supposed to fuckin ’ get it!”
    “Well I don ’ t, so stop yelling at me,” I snapped, a