Chapter 2

"Happy birthday, Maud Simmons!"

The air went quiet for a few seconds.

Maud looked over too, and let out an "oh no."

"This is my fault. The lady said she needed a name to make the cake, and I forgot to send Rosie's name."

"So the owner assumed it was my birthday and wrote the name of whoever placed the order."

"Look at the mess I've made."

"How about this, I'll go buy you a new cake with your name on it, okay?"

That was what Maud said, but her body made no move to get up.

"There's no need to go to all that trouble."

Benedict cut in before she could. "It's just a cake. Whose name is on it doesn't matter. Wipe the letters off and you won't even be able to tell."

But I'd been looking forward to this cake, looking forward to this birthday.

I'd thought we'd get gorgeous photos at the hot-springs resort.

Instead it had all turned into a wreck.

The upscale hot-springs backdrop I'd pictured had become a country yard with chickens running loose everywhere.

The candlelit dinner and the beautiful spread I'd wanted.

Turned into one big pot of campfire-roasted chicken.

A wave of hurt rose up inside me.

The thing was, this was exactly what Benedict had promised me, and he hadn't delivered.

In the end all I could do was sit there and watch the two of them get falling-down drunk and smear cake all over each other's faces.

While I sat there stiff, like an outsider.

That night, after searching the whole town, the inn had only one room left.

It was a single big shared bunk.

The three of us stood in the room, looking at that two-meter shared bunk, staring at each other.

I couldn't believe it. "The three of us tonight... all sleep here?"

Maud lowered her head, poking her index fingers together.

"Rosie, this is my fault, I didn't think it through, the place is a little rough."

"How about we just make do and share one room tonight?"

I looked at Benedict. "This... isn't really appropriate, is it?"

"When you're on the road you can't be so picky."

Benedict dropped the suitcase. "Just rough it for one night. Maud already booked it."

"Worst case, we all sleep in our clothes."

Maud smiled and hooked her arm through mine. "You sleep in the middle."

Seeing that neither of them had any intention of saying no, I could only agree too.

"Oh, this works out perfectly!"

Maud tossed her bag on the floor.

She threw herself onto the bunk and rolled around. "Doesn't this feel like our school field trips? The three of us haven't stayed like this in ages!"

Then Benedict threw a pillow at me.

He told me to get out and sleep somewhere else.

I was completely confused, and he said,

"Rosalie Henson, you know what you're like when you sleep, don't you?"

"Did you forget the last time Maud had exams, you snored all night at the hotel and kept her from getting any sleep?"

"You go make a bed on the floor."

Maud stood beside him, covering her mouth, laughing hard.

She stuck out her foot and kicked him.

"You've got some nerve talking to your girlfriend like that. You want to die?"

"Rosie, don't listen to him. Last time it was nothing at all. He just piled it on and blew it out of proportion!"

The two of them started roughhousing again.

I dug my nails into my own hand until it hurt. The last time, I'd deliberately asked Maud about it.

She'd said my snoring wasn't really that bad.

That Benedict was just too much of a perfectionist.

"Benedict..."

I tried to speak. "The room is only this big. Where am I supposed to make a bed on the floor?"

"That's your problem."

Benedict shot me an impatient look. "Just don't disturb our sleep with your snoring."

That night I sat in the chair beside the shared bunk, the whole night.

The next day I opened my eyes.

The first thing I saw was this.

Maud's leg draped over Benedict.

And Benedict's hand rested at Maud's waist.