All She Ever Wanted - Barbara Freethy [38]
Despite her light tone, Natalie had a feeling her answer mattered to Madison. "We all did what we had to do. I transferred to another school. Laura made new friends and stuck it out in Santa Cruz. It doesn't matter now anyway. We've all moved on."
"Yet here we are together. What goes around comes around."
"Because of Emily. She's not even here anymore, and she's bringing us all together, the way she always did. I can almost feel her presence in this room. It's weird."
"Not so weird," Madison said. "Before you came I was trying out one of Dylan's virtual-reality games, and he decided to play a video for me of Emily, you, and Laura. Emily walked right up to the camera and started talking. For a moment I thought she was speaking to me. It was strange and very creepy. I'm sure Dylan played it just to shock me."
Natalie frowned at that piece of information. "Why would Dylan have a videotape of Em here at the club?"
"He said he built a video library of every piece of film he's ever shot, including photos and movies he took in Santa Cruz. He uses them in his virtual-reality games. It's obvious he's still hung up on Emily."
"Hung up on her? I thought they were just friends." She didn't like the knowing smile that crossed Madison's lips. "Weren't they just friends?"
"You spent way too much time studying, Natalie."
"Dylan and Emily? You can't be serious."
"Why not? Emily wasn't a saint. She was a normal college girl who wanted to experience life in all sorts of ways."
Natalie stared at Madison in confusion, not sure what point she was making. "Are you talking about sex?"
"Of course I'm talking about sex," she said in exasperation. "Emily really didn't tell you? That does surprise me. I thought you two were really tight."
"Tell me what? I thought she was still a virgin. Are you saying that she was having sex with Dylan?" Natalie racked her brain trying to remember if Emily had said anything about Dylan in the days before she died, but it struck her now that in those few weeks before Emily's death, they hadn't shared much. There had been a distance between them, a distance created by Natalie's relationship with Cole.
"I can't say," Madison replied.
"Can't or won't?"
"Look, Emily's secrets should have died with her."
"But they didn't. And if you know something ..."
"The only thing I know for sure is that we all had secrets."
"We didn't. We talked all the time."
"Not always about the important things. For instance, I never knew if you slept with Cole. Did you?"
Natalie was taken aback by Madison's question. It took her a moment to realize that was the intent. "Oh, no you don't. You don't get to change the subject that easily. We're discussing Emily's sex life, not mine." Natalie watched as Madison took a cigarette out of a sleek silver container and lit it. "You're still smoking? That thing will kill you."
"I've never been able to quit."
"You should try harder."
"Why do you care?" Madison asked, a curious expression on her face.
Why did she care? She hadn't seen Madison in a decade. But old habits died hard. At one time in her life Natalie had cared very much about this woman. And despite Madison's hard edge, she'd always needed someone to care. Emily had seen that need first; she'd seen all their needs first. Emily had told Natalie that Madison took their friendship more seriously than anyone, she just couldn't admit it. Had Emily been right? Or was that just her idealistic view of their relationship?
"Oh, fine," Madison said, stubbing out her cigarette on a nearby ashtray. "It's out. Are you happy now?"
"Yes. Now about Emily," Natalie continued.
"I can't say, Natalie. Can't, not won't. I know there was someone in Emily's life, someone for whom we bought condoms one day."
"You bought condoms with Emily?"
"She was too embarrassed to do it by herself."
"And you didn't ask her why she needed them?"
"I knew why she needed them. She