Bad Friends Read online

  Bad Friends

  Bad Series #1

  Sarah Michelle Lynch

  Copyright © Sarah Michelle Lynch 2020

  The moral right of SARAH MICHELLE LYNCH to be identified as author of this Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. You must not circulate this book without the authority to do so.

  All characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

  For more information, please visit sarahmichellelynch.com

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Reading Order So Far

  Bad Friends

  Bad Actor

  Bad Wife

  Bad Girl

  Bad Guys

  Bad Lover

  Chapter One

  Ian finishes with one last lunge inside me and then he’s done, regardless of whether he made me come or not. He rolls off me and onto his back, panting like he just ran the 100m, though for whose benefit he just exerted himself, I don’t know – certainly not mine. It used to be so hot between us, but now it’s crap. Even he doesn’t seem to enjoy it.

  He rolls away and disposes of the condom, walking to the bathroom without any gesture of thanks at all – no hug, no kiss, no “I love you” – that’s it.

  Everyone said when we got together it wouldn’t work. I was twenty-one, he was thirty-three. Three years on, it’s like he’s approaching the knacker’s yard, but I’m still incredibly young – and I want to live my life to the full.

  “I’ve got that thing tonight, remember?” he shouts from the bathroom, in that Irish brogue I used to love.

  “Yeah, I’m meeting friends in Leeds.”

  “Cool, sounds like a plan,” he yells, but his decibels fail to mask what it is he’s doing on the toilet.

  He turns on the shower and gets to it. I’m as much a part of his morning routine as the rest of it. Yay, go me!

  I meet my friends at the trendy and up-itself Alchemist Bar in Leeds Centre. They’re all waiting for me at one of those coveted seating areas. It’s normally standing room only in this place.

  “Hey, hey, hey!” I greet them.

  Sass, Chloe and Marie all welcome me with hugs and kisses.

  Sass (short for Saskia) is the more outspoken one and asks, “So, how’s it going?”

  I take a long drink of whatever it is they got me and sigh loudly. “It’s going alright.”

  They all look at me, not convinced. I’m a rubbish liar.

  “How’s Ian?” It’s Marie this time.

  Marie is already married, up the duff and has a great job. She’s all set. She did the right thing and found a bloke who’s only a couple of years older.

  “He’s fine. And guess what? I’m nearly finished at Manchester. I can’t wait!” I sip some more of my drink, which I realise is a vodka martini and will probably kill me. They know I’m a lightweight and must have bought me this to loosen my tongue.

  I can’t admit they were right – I won’t.

  I rode out here on the train tonight from mine and Ian’s little flat in Salford, willing myself to keep it together, but somehow, they already seem to know things aren’t good between us.

  “Come on, Lily,” Chloe croons, a future barrister in the making, “you don’t look happy. You haven’t for quite a while.”

  For quite a while? That’s strange. It’s only the past couple of months that I’ve started to look in the mirror and see the truth, but maybe this has been going on for longer than I thought. Am I a classic case of denial?

  “Is he having an affair?” Sass asks.

  I laugh in her face. “Oh my god, no.”

  “So, what is it?” Marie presses. “Is he a wanker? What?”

  The other girls chuckle but when my face falls, their laughter dies instantly.

  “We’re just in a rough spell. It’ll get better,” I excuse. “Anyway, tell me about the baby. Tell me all your news. Enough about me.”

  Marie is excited to start talking about all the gross things she has to look forward to. She’s decided not to find out the sex even though her husband Adrian really wants to know.

  I get lost in listening to her, then to Sass whose job in marketing is going really well, and Chloe, who is training to be a barrister and it shows – she’s drinking doubles.

  We all grew up in Leeds but for some of us, life has taken us elsewhere. Still, every once in a while, we get together where it all began. Sass and I go as far back as primary school.

  By the end of the evening, my ears are ringing. Marie already got picked up an hour ago and it’s time I got going or I’ll miss the last train. Sass and Chloe share a place in London where they both live and work, proper adults and everything. Whenever they visit their home up north, they always stay with Chloe’s mother and this weekend is no different. They even try to offer me a bed for the night at her place. However, it’ll be much more than that – it’ll be oodles more alcohol, then more talk of Ian. Sleepovers are quite a thing of the past for me.

  “I’ve got to get back. Final exams coming up, I can’t rest yet.”

  “Sure?” Chloe asks, in that infernally kind way, even though she’s whip-smart and always baying for information.

  She knows exactly what’s going on between me and Ian – we’re stagnant.

  Everybody knows.

  I just won’t admit it out loud, at least not yet.

  She and Sass are closer than I ever was with either of them – and I’ve known Sass longer than Chloe has.

  “Take care then, bird,” Sass says, reading my unease and hugging me tight.

  Chloe takes my hand and squeezes it, then they’re on their way.

  I walk swiftly towards the rail station, their concerned faces haunting me, their advisory words ringing in my ears.

  Did I bring this on myself?

  I was a waitress when I met Ian. Working tables in an Italian close to the Leeds campus, I’d only just finished my English degree at Leeds University and I was trying to figure out what my next move was. All my friends have always been so sure about their paths in life… but me? Quite the opposite.

  As I fell for Ian, I also decided to go back to school and retrain as a mental health therapist. I had to take some access courses to bolster the crappy science qualifications I got in high school, but I did it. It occurred to me one day that I wanted to help people, and as crazy as everyone thought I was back then, when I started my next degree, I knew I’d chosen the right path.

  Maybe all this upheaval messed things up for us. He was living in Leeds but when I got a place in Salford, he moved with me. He has to take the train to work every day because he’s a professor of engineering at Leeds. He’s a good man. He’s a little lost… I don’t
know if he wants to settle down, ever, but he’s not the worst partner, I suppose.

  I make it to the train on time and close my eyes, allowing myself a breather from all these thoughts of regret and upheaval and possible life choices coming back to haunt me.

  My phone pings in my pocket and I take it out to read a message from Paul.

  Fuck.

  Why is he texting me… today?

  Hey, how are you? Haven’t seen you in ages x

  Paul is one of those guys… you know… one of those…

  I stare at the screen and delete his message.

  He can’t keep doing this.

  Every time I have a relationship crisis, he shows up after months of nothing.

  I was going out with this loser guy when I was nineteen and when it all fell apart, Paul showed up and gave me a shoulder to cry on. Then he left for Germany for his year abroad as part of his degree and I heard all sorts of stories from his best mates about what he was getting up to over there.

  I know Chloe will have texted him and told him about tonight – that me and Ian are going through a rough patch. Chloe, the interferer… she thinks he and I should be together, probably just to fulfil some fantasy of her two best mates getting it on.

  I pocket my phone and take a deep breath.

  I’m so close to finishing this degree and after that, I’ll need to find a placement somewhere.

  Perhaps Ian might come with me, or maybe we’ll slowly drift apart and the whole job of ending it will be taken out of both of our hands.

  Chapter Two

  Seven months later…

  Christmas is here, but I’m still with Ian. I graduated in the summer and found a placement in Leeds. We moved back and my new career is amazing, but I’m still with Ian and that part isn’t so good (cue internal madwoman laughing). Turns out, it wasn’t moving to Manchester for three years that killed our relationship. We’re back in Leeds and it’s still dead.

  I’m meeting friends for our regular Christmas Eve drink. I think it’s unusual for schoolfriends to stay in touch for as long as we have – particularly so many of us.

  I arrive at the pub alone. It’s one of those old dank places but we always meet here. It’s a tradition. I walk in and find the gang have already commandeered a corner of the pub for themselves. I’m swallowed into the mass and hugged, kissed and chanted at. Everyone’s well on their way to getting slaughtered.

  Paul waltzes over and kisses me on the cheek. “Can I get you a drink?”

  “Yeah, a white wine, please.”

  I catch Chloe observing us and walk over to where she is, with her new boyfriend Cole, who looks like a surfer with perfect spikey blond hair. It’ll never last, though. I know Chloe. She will never settle down, no matter how pretty he is.

  “Where’s Ian?” she asks, and Cole grins before taking that as his cue to speak to the lads instead.

  “He’s gone home to Ireland for Christmas.”

  She stares at me, almost pityingly. I’m not going to tell her it was a relief when he suggested it, but it was.

  “You’re spending Christmas alone?”

  I bark with laughter. “Don’t be bloody stupid. I’m spending it with Mum and Dad and Lauren.”

  “Yeah, but… I mean… you don’t have a partner to share it with?”

  “I’m not going to die of loneliness. I’ve got my sister and parents. I’m a big girl.”

  She walks right up to me and stares into my eyes with horror. “Just leave him already. I mean, come on! It’s a lost cause.”

  “You mean, like you and Cole? When he realises you care more about your career than anything else.”

  She shakes her head and walks off. I know I shouldn’t have said that, but it’s true. She can talk.

  Paul shows up with my drink and a fresh pint for himself.

  “Chloe doesn’t look happy,” he says, as I take my drink and press it straight to my lips.

  “It’s nothing,” I cover, “it’s just I got a little close to home. She’ll get over it.”

  We have to stand quite close together, face to face, as the pub fills up even more. As there’s nowhere else to look, I notice he looks different to the last time I saw him, probably a year ago at the last Christmas get-together. He’s grown his beard. He’s filled out. From the colour of his teeth, he definitely hasn’t stopped smoking yet. I’ve never liked that one thing about him, though I like everything else.

  “How’s everything going, then?” I ask, trying to fill the silence.

  “It’s alright. I’ve been supply teaching but now I’m thinking I might teach abroad. Maybe Japan or something.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yeah, can’t shake off the travelling bug.”

  Ever since he graduated, he’s done supply teaching in between backpacking abroad. Always living for the now. I wish I had the wanderlust he does.

  “What about you, anyway?” He grins like he’s expecting me to unfurl all my relationship woes… like that’s who I am. Not anymore.

  “Yeah, I’m working for the NHS now. The training is intense but it’ll be worth it.”

  “Good for you. And you’re back in Leeds?” He downs more beer, though our personal space is now extremely limited with the amount of bodies packed in here.

  “Yeah, we’re back in Leeds,” I remind him – because Ian and I are in fact still a we.

  “Yeah, so Ian’s alright, is he?” His face freezes as he waits for my answer, like he doesn’t want to give away that he knows something.

  “Yeah, he’s over visiting his family this time. He hasn’t been over to Ireland for Christmas in a few years. Says he’s missed the skinny dipping or something, I don’t know.”

  Paul raises his eyebrows and says nothing.

  I notice a tall figure pushing through the crowds to make it towards us. Theo, our actor friend, says hello to both of us.

  “God, this is shit,” he says. “Can’t we all grow up already?”

  I laugh loudly and grab him around the shoulder to hug him. “Couldn’t agree more.”

  Theo has lived in London for a while and I can see why he might think coming back home, just to hang out in this dive, is a little bit old news.

  “Shall we do shots?” Paul says.

  “Thought you’d never fucking ask,” Theo agrees.

  As we’re on our way to the bar, we bump into Adam with his girlfriend, Susan. Theo’s face falls. He has a thing for Susan, even though she’s with Adam. It’s true Susan has the prettiest face of anyone I’ve ever met, but we’ve all wondered about her. She’s quiet and reserved. She’s buttoned up and a calming presence in Adam’s life, true. Theo and Adam are probably the closest out of all the blokes in terms of intelligence and sense of humour. Nobody can get between them, except it seems, Susan. Theo and Adam used to be joined at the hip until she came along. None of us see Adam very regularly anymore. He’s got his Susan.

  “You alright, you two?” Theo booms but with an ache buried in his voice that only I recognise, because I’m the one he confided in about Susan.

  She has to go and bloody lift her hand, displaying what appears to be a brand-new engagement ring. They’re both wearing the most stupid grins.

  “Oh my god,” I scream, at the same time as Theo orders a tray of shots – as many as will fit on the bloody thing.

  Hours later, we’re all back at Chloe’s mum’s. A single mum having brought up Chloe all on her own, Helen is just about the coolest person ever. Right now, she’s embracing the fact that a bunch of overgrown teenagers have invaded her house, put on loud music and filled her freezer with cans of beer.

  Paul hasn’t left my side all night and I’m too drunk to ask why. Susan and Adam left ages ago and Theo has been on one ever since he found out his secret crush is marrying his best mate.

  “What is up with Theo?” asks Paul, as we watch Theo play strip poker with some of the girls, though he’ll get beaten – always does.

  “Been sworn to secrecy!” I decl
are.

  There’s a whoop of celebration as some random guy drops his trousers and shows off his micro penis. No idea who he is. He’s not even playing strip poker. He doesn’t seem bothered that he has a tiny pecker. Good for him.

  “Oh, you mean it’s true, then? We all thought he might be.”

  I laugh nervously. “What do you mean?”

  “He likes Susan!” Paul shouts above the music.

  I feel myself go red. “Nobody is meant to know.”

  “Oh, come on. He hasn’t shagged anyone in months.”

  I shake my head and tip back some more tequila. “He’s way gone, Paul. Like waaaay gone. He kept me up all night once talking about it. I turned into a narcoleptic because of it.”

  It was a few months ago, when me and Ian were first back in Leeds. Theo was in town and called me up, so we went out. A few drinks turned into many and a catch-up turned into a soul-baring session, at least on his part. Ian was out of the flat that night and I invited Theo back to ours because he seemed sad. He and I got talking and he told me he was into someone but couldn’t tell me who. He made me guess who it was until I ran out of guesses. Then he admitted it was Susan, of all people.

  “Shit, poor lad. Maybe I should take him out for a beer.”

  “Not worth it. He’ll get over it. Give him time. And yourself less earache.”

  Paul laughs and we watch from the sofa as the partying descends into anarchy. Lots of clothes come off and drinks are spilt. Helen gets in on the action wearing just a pinny and her underwear. Chloe and Cole sneak off upstairs, having been necking in the armchair for the past hour – like something out of a wildlife documentary. We all survived Catholic school together – this is just a drop in the ocean. Besides, most of us won’t even remember it tomorrow. In fact, most of us will wake up in the morning with our faces planted in the carpet – then walk home in a stupor, eventually waking in our beds as if none of this ever happened.