Piper knocked on Matt’s door.

‘I’ve got good news and I’ve got champagne!’ She turned the bottle round in her hands. ‘Well, it’s Prosecco, cos I’m getting a raise, but I haven’t got it yet, so—’

‘Hang on!’ Matt called from inside.

‘Can I come in?’ Piper asked, resting her forehead on the wood. ‘We can drink it in your bed like Kardashians. Probably.’

‘I’m, um, not alone,’ Matt called.

Piper could hear thumps and rustling. She didn’t know why he was being so coy. She’d met Jack. She liked Jack. Jack liked her. She thought. Maybe he didn’t? Maybe it wasn’t Jack. It was probably Becks. Matt was so fickle.

She stumbled a little as Matt opened the door she’d been leaning on and stepped into the hall, pulling it closed behind him.

‘What’s the matter?’ Piper asked. ‘Why are you being weird when I’ve got good news and Prosecco?’ She held up the bottle and waved it at him, grinning.

He was wearing sweatpants and no shirt. He put his hands on her shoulders and steered her towards the kitchen.

‘Does Jack not like me?’ she said. ‘Wait. Have you been doing something kinky? Is he tied up? Have you left him dangling from the ceiling? I’m not sure the beams are—’

‘It’s not Jack,’ Matt said, flicking the kettle on. ‘Don’t freak out.’

‘I’m not going to freak out. Your filthy business is your filthy business. What happened to Jack though? He was cute. Is it Becks?’

‘Don’t worry about Jack. No, it’s not Becks. And don’t yell when I tell you.’

‘Fucking hell,’ Piper said. ‘I’m not going to yell.’

‘I think you might yell.’

‘Matt,’ Piper said.

‘Piper.’ He took her favourite mug down from the shelf.

She stared at him, eyebrows raised.

‘It’s Holly.’

At first, she genuinely couldn’t think what he could mean. And then… ‘Holly. My sister Holly.’

‘Yes. Your sister Holly.’

‘My sister Holly is in your bed. And you’ve had sex.’

‘Yeah. No. I mean, I don’t know that you need details of—’

‘Holly?’ Piper yelled, pushing past Matt and heading for his room.

‘You said you weren’t going to yell,’ Matt said, following her.

Piper pushed the door open. Her sister was sitting at the end of Matt’s bed. She was fully dressed, apart from one boot, which she was pulling on. She wasn’t wearing any make-up and she had sex hair.

‘You’ve got sex hair,’ Piper said.

‘Piper,’ Holly said, standing up and holding her hands up in front of her. ‘It’s not what it looks like.’

From behind her, Piper heard Matt laugh. ‘I mean, it kind of is.’

‘Well. Yeah,’ Holly said. ‘This is. But we haven’t been… behind your back.’

‘Apart from today,’ Piper said. ‘Because Matt sure as shit didn’t tell me you were coming over. And neither did you.’

‘It wasn’t planned,’ Holly said. ‘I just… I’ve had a shitty day. And I bumped into Matt. And you know, you knew, that I…’ She shook her head. ‘You know.’

‘Fancied him?’ Piper said. ‘I think once you’ve shagged him, it’s okay to admit you fancy him.’

‘It’s not about him,’ Holly said. ‘I’m just… I’m so fucking miserable. I just needed… something.’

Piper glanced behind her, but Matt wasn’t there any more and she was glad.

‘I’m sorry you’re unhappy,’ Piper said. ‘But also I don’t really give a shit. You don’t come to my flat and fuck my best friend behind my back. That’s just… that’s just not something a person does. So if it’s okay with you, I’d appreciate it if you just fucked off.’

‘Can we just talk about this,’ Matt said. ‘I’ve made you a brew. Sit down and we can talk and—’

‘I’m going home,’ Piper said. She was still holding the Prosecco. She slammed it down on the table and watched some tea jump out of the mug.

‘You’re going tomorrow morning, aren’t you?’ Matt said. ‘Why don’t I go and get a takeaway and—’

‘I don’t want a takeaway,’ Piper said. ‘I’m going to go tonight. So, you know, the flat’s all yours. Feel free to carry on fucking my sister.’

‘Piper,’ Matt said, holding his hands out and stepping towards her. She took a step backwards. ‘Just… calm down. I know you’re upset, but—’

‘Fuck off, Matt.’ She pushed past him to get to her room. ‘I know you do what you want and you don’t give a shit who you do it with, but I always thought you gave a shit about me.’

‘Jesus Christ.’ Matt stopped in her bedroom doorway. ‘You know I do. I know we shouldn’t have done this. I know I shouldn’t have, but if you’d just—’

Piper pushed her door closed with Matt on the other side and leaned back against it. She heard the front door slam and knew it was Holly leaving. She wanted to lie face down on her bed and cry. Or drink the entire bottle of Prosecco and forget any of this had happened. Instead she shoved some clothes into her weekend bag and yanked her door open again.

‘Holly’s gone,’ Matt said. He was sitting at the dining table, the tea he’d made for Piper cooling in front of him.

‘And now I’m going,’ Piper said.

‘Don’t. Stay and talk.’

‘I don’t want to talk to you,’ she said.

And then she left.