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Chapter six, Two Aces. "A TARTT TO TARTT."
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"HE'S ONLY NINE MINUTES YOUNGER THAN ME – But sometimes it feels like nine years. He was just always so young, you know? Like, spiritually and all that. He was always me little brother, Jamie."
The sound of chirping birds and shrilling laughter served as the perfect background noise to her reminiscing. And the park where she stood was an appropriate backdrop.
Ada could remember running around a park, just like this one, with her twin brother. Playing football on the empty patch of grass. Stealing sweets from the trolleys because they didn't have any money. She remembered pushing him really high on the swings, and wrapping a plaster around his leg when he inevitably flew off (and then lying to their mother by saying that Jamie skinned his knee trying to save a stray cat from being roadkill).
The breeze felt nice and cool on her face, but it didn't lessen the load on the shoulders. "And now that I know why he took that number, I feel guilty. You don't have to look at me like that, I knowthat I shouldn't be, but I can't help it. Because it's Jamie. And it's always been hard for me to be angry at him." A pause, and then, "I mean, until I remember all the shit he did – with Sam and Nate and Keeley. And me, at the match. Then I just find it hard to forgive him, really."
She sighed, shutting her eyes tightly. "Maybe I should just talk to him. We never do that, and now I'm thinking that's why I'm always angry. Like, what if we just sat down and told each other everything? I'll let him tell me about the number. And have him admit to being a prick. And I'll apologise for all the shit I did, too. We can just. . . talk, I don't know."
Ada stopped speaking when she noticed the other girl's pained expression. It was as though she was holding something in, something important.
"What's that look for? Tell me what you want to say. I can take it."
"I need to pee, Uncle Ada."
The model frowned, looking around the park to see that the other little girls were also shifting in discomfort.
