Free Chanel Sweethearts by Cate Kendall

she’d probably done a runner and snuck off to bed early. He’d found her on the bathroom floor.
    When she’d fallen, a bottle of lavender essential oil had crashed to the ground with her and the sweet stink had filled the house. Jessica remembered the smell filling her nostrils just as her father came back, ashen, to the deck.
    What would her mother have said? Jessica mused. Probably, ‘Go for it, darl.’

10
    Tori tapped at the screen door. She was holding a bottle of pink moscato in one hand, and a platter of antipasto in the other.
    â€˜Yum,’ Jess said as she opened the door and took the wine. ‘I love a guest who comes prepared.’
    â€˜Well, I figure you must get sick of everyone expecting you to be the queen of catering all the time, so I thought we’d break into some of my Christmas stash a bit early,’ Tori replied as she made herself at home on a stool at Jess’s broad kitchen bench. ‘Oooh, looks like you’ve been busy here. What are you making?’ she asked.
    â€˜Oh, it’s just something I was putting together for the boys,’ Jess said, picking up the scrapbook she’d been working on. ‘It’s photos of us all together, and captions so the boys can remember their country life,’ she said, flipping the pages. ‘Look, that’s last Christmas at Rainbow and Songbird’s: Nick dressed up as Santa and gave out lollies to all the kids.’ She laughed at the memory.
    â€˜This is gorgeous, sweetheart, they’ll love it,’ Tori said, poring over the thick cardboard book with its handwritten captions, dozens of photos and bright borders. ‘Do you think you might be able to give it to them in person?’ she asked, closing the book and passing it back to Jess.
    â€˜I doubt it,’ Jess answered sadly. ‘I rang Graham again last night, but he still won’t even return my calls.’
    â€˜Bastard,’ Tori spat. ‘Oh thanks, love,’ as she took the glass of pink bubbly from Jessica.
    â€˜I agree.’ Jess took a gulp of her wine. ‘Ooh, this is lovely,’ she said. ‘Now tell me what’s going on with you, girl. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you all afternoon.’ She indicated the pile of paper, photos, scissors and glue scattered across the bench. ‘You talk and I’ll clean; I’ve been on a bit of a roll tonight.’
    Tori picked at the sun-dried tomatoes on the platter before her. ‘Okay,’ she finally said and sighed deeply. ‘It’s Joseph and me. It’s ... ah ... well, I think we’re in trouble.’
    Jess’s arms were heaped with craft items and photo albums. She looked around for a place to set them down, taking a step one way and then another before finally dumping them back on the bench and walking over to embrace her friend.
    â€˜Shit, Tori, when you said serious I had no idea you meant seriously serious.’ She sat on the stool next to her and looked into Tori’s face with concern. ‘What happened?’ she asked.
    â€˜It’s just come to an end. I am so frustrated with everything; we both are. We can’t seem to be together without screaming at each other. And worst of all is ... well, I don’t even think I love him anymore. And I doubt he has any feelings left for me either.’
    â€˜Oh hell. Since when?’ Jess asked.
    â€˜Well it’s all so humiliating,’ Tori paused for a mouthful of wine. ‘It seems to stem from money troubles, embarrassingly enough. I mean, could it be any more clichéd and suburban?’ Her eyes swam with tears.
    â€˜I just can’t believe it, sweetheart,’ Jess sympathised, rubbing Tori’s arm. ‘You guys have always been so great together.’
    â€˜I know,’ she wailed. ‘But now he’s constantly hassling me about spending, and it’s not as if I buy every designer bag that comes out, I’m