Page 99 of Not So Very Sensible

Ellie exchanged looks with Annabelle. There had been a number of times when she’d found Katie on her phone rather than asleep, as she claimed. And scrolling to see what Jason Willoughby was up to was no good for her mental health.

Liv yawned. “Okay, sorry I’ve gotta go. But I’ll be praying for you all, especially you, Katie.”

“Thanks,” Katie mumbled. Then EJ also said goodbye, and the computer screen went dark.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were on a video call?” Katie accused.

“We thought you were asleep,” Ellie reminded her.

“Well, I wasn’t.”

“Are you feeling up to doing a shift tomorrow?” Ellie asked. “Or are we going to be relying on Annabelle again?”

Katie glanced at Annabelle, her look contrite. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, it’s okay. I know this week has been hard. And I’m happy to do whatever helps you.”

Katie hugged her, and Annabelle patted her on the back and eyed Ellie. Well, this was progress. It was good to see her sister was no longer just thinking about herself.

“How about you do the second shift, after morning tea?” Ellie suggested. “You know we’re usually a bit quieter first thing in the morning, so Annabelle can decide whether she’d like to do that or have the day off. Which she would fully deserve.” Especially considering how many shifts she had covered this week.

“I’m okay with that. What do you think, Katie?” Annabelle asked softly.

Katie sighed. “I suppose I should do something. I think I’m getting bedsores from lying in bed too much.”

“I’ve heard that can happen,” Ellie said gravely. “You should watch out for consumption.”

Katie frowned as Annabelle covered a smile with her hand. “Is that even a thing these days?”

“If it is, you don’t want to die of it.”

Annabelle chuckled, and Katie finally realised Ellie was teasing, as she shook her head. “I don’t know why you’re making fun of me. I deserve your sympathy, remember?”

“Of course you do,” Annabelle soothed.

But Ellie had had enough. “Katie, you know we are all sorry for you. But I don’t think any of us are sorry this has happened.”

“What?”

“Well, surely it was better for you to find this out now than for you to get into a long-term relationship and have to deal with his unfaithfulness down the track.”

“I can’t believe you’re saying this. You don’t know how I feel.”

“I do know how you feel,” she snapped. “You’re not the only one sitting here who has had her heart broken.” She pointed a finger at Annabelle. “Annabelle has. I have. But you don’t see either of us lying around giving up on life because a stupid man has given up on us, do you?”

“Ellie,” Annabelle murmured.

Katie’s eyes filled with tears. “But you don’t know what it feels like to be rejected.”

“What do you know of my heart? What do you know of anything but your own suffering? Of course I know! Did you not hear me just now? I was crushed when Ethan ghosted me. But do you see me crying about it? No. The world doesn’t stop just because our relationship ends.”

“You’re so unfeeling. How was I supposed to know you felt this way?”

“Because not all of us go around crying our eyes out every time something painful happens.”

Her sister gulped, as yet more tears slipped down her cheeks.

Ellie shook her head. “For weeks I’ve had this pressing on me, and had I been at liberty to speak of it, I could have provided proof enough of a broken heart, even for you.”