Katherine strolled out of the gym, Eva at her heels. She felt exhausted rather than energised thanks to their spin class and realised she was probably running on empty after a frantic few weeks.

'Let's grab a coffee,' Eva said steering her away from the exit. 'You're not in a hurry to get home are you?'

Katherine gave her a rueful smile, Eva knew she had nothing to go home to. Not these days. She let herself be led away and sat down while Eva ordered for them.

'So how have you been?' Eva asked placing an Americano and a slice of cake down in front of her. 'I heard Danielle mailed our dresses to Joe's mom.'

Katherine's cheeks heated up. 'Don't even go there. I'm dying.'

Eva gave her a sympathetic smile. 'Drunk decisions are never the best. I did try to warn you.'

Katherine nodded, taking a bite out of her cake. 'I know, I wish I'd never texted Joe's mom in the first place.'

'So why did you?'

'Honestly? Cos she doesn't like me.' She let out a deep sigh. 'I feel pathetic admitting it but that's the truth. When I first met her I tried so hard to make a good impression, I was polite, complimentary, you name it. And then afterwards Joe told me his dad really liked me, it was pretty obvious the implication was his mom didn't like me. And Joe loves his mom. I wanted her to like me, and I resented that she didn't for no good reason. She never gave me a chance.'

Eva took a sip of her drink. 'Forget about it, they probably have.'

'Hopefully.' She paused for a moment. 'I've tried to talk to Joe.'

'Don't try to talk to him.'

'We've got to sort out the house. I want to stay but I'd need to find some roommates.' She looked at Eva pointedly. 'I kinda wondered if you and Danielle might move in? It's got three bedrooms and I'd move into the smallest.'

Eva coughed, clearing her throat. 'Actually, it's funny you mentioning living arrangements. You've probably noticed that me and Danielle haven't been getting along so well lately?'

'I have sensed a bit of tension.'

'We've been rubbing each other up the wrong way, pretty much since I've gotten together with Kieran.'

'Right,' Katherine said slowly, mentally crossing out the idea of them all being roommates.

'Between you and me, I think she's jealous,' Eva said looking around furtively. 'But this could be a win-win situation.'

'How so?'

'Well, Dani could move in with you,' Eva said her eyes brightening. 'And Kieran could move in with me. We've been talking about getting our own place, and I've been worrying about Danielle.' Her voice faded as she looked at Katherine for a response.

'I'm not sure if Dani and I could afford the rent between the two of us,' Katherine said uncertainly. 'It's probably more than Dani would want to pay.'

'I bet you could, you both work full time and I'm sure Dani would like more space. And it saves you the disruption of moving out.'

Katherine frowned thinking Eva had obviously already given the idea some thought. It did make sense but it would be a big adjustment having to allocate so much of her salary towards bills. She'd already spent hours pouring over her bank statements and it had come as a shock - but also a relief - to see how much money she'd been frittering away unnecessarily. Well, that wouldn't be happening anymore.

'I'll talk to Dani,' Katherine said taking another bite of her cake. 'If I tell her you're moving in with Keiran, she might go for it.'

Eva nodded. 'I think that would work, and you could always sublet the third bedroom.'

'I'd have to ask the landlord,' Katherine said. 'Actually, I have a few things to discuss with him, namely whether I can stay and someone else can move in.' Her spirits slumped; if he said no then all her plans were for nothing. 'And Joe said the rent was high for the neighbourhood so I want to discuss that as well.'

'Maybe you should sort out if you can stay first,' Eva said pushing her chair back. 'I've gotta get going, are you coming?'

Katherine shook her head. 'No, I'm going to hang out for a little while.'

'You're not waiting to see if Joe is gonna show up are you?' Eva asked suspiciously.

'No, of course not,' Katherine said feigning a lighthearted laugh. 'But I might as well make the most of the facilities before my membership runs out.' 

Eva did not look entirely convinced but she left with a cheery wave, and Katherine grabbed a magazine from a nearby table thinking she'd idle away some time. Maybe she would run into Joe, there was probably more chance of that than of him returning her phone calls.

'Hey, Katie.' Katherine jumped as Donnie pulled up a chair beside her. 'I didn't mean to startle you.'

'No you didn't,' she said putting the magazine down and turning to face him. 'What brings you here?' Inwardly she groaned, it was pretty obvious what he was doing there.

'So how have you been?' Donnie asked his eyes briefly flitting to her face and then away again. 'I was gonna call but I wasn't sure you'd welcome it.'

'Oh, you should have,' Katherine said a bit too quickly. 'I guess I've been okay, mostly. There's so much practical stuff to sort out that I haven't had the time to really dwell on what's happened.'

'That's good, in a way,' Donnie said awkwardly. 'It doesn't help to dwell on things, it's best to move on.'

'Hmm,' she said wondering if Joe had put him up to saying that. 'I don't think it's good to bury your feelings though, and I did a lot of that before we split up. I wish now I'd faced up to it sooner, and then I'd be further on.'

Donnie nodded. 'You'll get there, it takes time.'

She tried not to roll her eyes. 'I wouldn't have thought you'd have much experience of this. I thought you were the love 'em and leave 'em type? Maybe you could give me some advice from the other side so to speak.'

Donnie cleared his throat. 'I doubt it, I've been dumped before.'

'Really?' Now she did roll her eyes.

'Yes, really. There was this one girl...'

She looked at him expectantly. 'Yes.'

'It's a boring story.'

'Go on.'

'Okay, but there's not a lot to tell,' he said shifting in his seat. 'I was seeing this girl, Annalise, for around six months or thereabouts. She was different from other girls, more together. Anyway, I thought we were going somewhere, I could see a future with her, but when we had that conversation...' He slapped a hand to his forehead. 'She told me I should go away and become a better version of myself.'

'What,' Katherine spluttered trying hard to hold in a laugh.

'In her defence, she's German so maybe something got lost in translation,' Donnie said with a half smile. 'Basically, she thought I was too immature - and I was - so I tried to do what she said.'

Katherine's mouth dropped. 'You did what she said!'

'I liked her,' he said sheepishly. 'And she did have a point. So I threw myself into work, cut down on the partying, but she found someone else. It happens.'

'I guess it does,' Katherine said soberly. 'It kinda sounds like she let you on though, gave you false hope.'

Donnie shrugged. 'It doesn't matter.'

'Are you still friends?'

Donnie shook his head. 'We were for a while but it got too awkward. We message now and again, that's about it.'

'I wouldn't want to lose touch with Joe,' Katherine admitted her hands knotting together.

Donnie frowned. 'Why would you want to stay friends after what he did?'

'Cos it feels like writing off three years of my life if we don't,' she said looking down. 'Like it was all for nothing.' Donnie remained silent and she suspected he disagreed. 'So have you heard from Joe? Do you know where he's staying?'

Donnie shifted in his seat. 'As far as I know, he's still staying with Shannon. Sorry.'

'No, don't apologise,' Katherine said waving her hand and trying to appear more composed than she was. 'I assumed he was with her. I just need to know when he gets his own place, we've got to sort out who gets what from the house.'

Donnie relaxed, clearly happier to talk about more practical things. 'I'm sure he'll get his own place soon, Shannon's is tiny. He said he's only still there cos she hasn't been well.'

'Oh?' Her interest was piqued in spite of herself. 'Is she ill?'

Donnie shrugged. 'I don't know, he didn't elaborate.'

Katherine nodded but it was an unwelcome reminder that Donnie was friends with Joe, first and foremost. 'I kinda thought Joe might have moved in with you?'

'He didn't ask and I didn't offer.'

Her eyes narrowed. 'Any particular reason why?'

'I like my own space. I've shared with guys before, never again.'

'It's that bad?' She sort of thought he was the type who'd like it.

'The worst, but I guess it's a right of passage.'   

'You know, I think that was my first mistake with Joe,' she said slowly. 'He was going to get a place with Sean and Jason not long after they left college, and I pitched it to him that we should move in together.' She flushed as she remembered, she'd more than pitched it, she'd positively twisted his arm. 'No wonder they don't like me, I guess that's why all you guys were suspicious of me?'

'I wasn't suspicious,' Donnie said sounding surprised at the suggestion. 'But I thought Joe was rushing things.'

No, I was rushing things, she thought but she appreciated him not pointing that out. 'Well, you were proven right.'

'I'm not happy about that Katie,' he said his eyes meeting hers.

She sighed. 'I just wish I knew at what point it went wrong.'

'Isn't that obvious?'

'No, I think there must be more to it,' she said avoiding Donnie's gaze. 'Why cheat if you're happy in your relationship?'

'I honestly don't know,' he said sounding out of his depth. 'Maybe your relationship wasn't as good as you thought it was.'

'Obviously,' Katherine spat. 'That's what I'm saying.'

Donnie held his hands up. 'Sorry.'

'No, I'm sorry,' she said her voice conciliatory. 'You're trying to help and I'm being snarky.'

His mouth twitched. 'You do that a lot, Katie.' 

She pulled a face. 'Yeah, I'm quick to take offence and I'm too controlling. Not to mention, I have no sense of humour.'

'I don't think you've had much to laugh about lately.'

'But you agree with the first two points?' she asked tongue in cheek.

His face broke into an easy smile. 'Absolutely.'

'Donnie,' she exclaimed but he was no longer looking at her. She followed his gaze, her eyes instantly honing in on Joe as he walked through the entrance. She fixed a smile on her face while her heart pounded in her chest.

                                                                             ~~~

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