already feel the impending betrayal. “We had too much to drink. Alicia had a steady bed buddy that she called and left to go see and I just kept drinking. Right before last call, I saw him sitting with a few friends of his and I… I don’t know what I thought would happen but...”
Fate could see it. She could see a drunken Melissa stumbling over to Trevor and his friends in a bar, basically propositioning him. He had been sexually frustrated due to her stipulation about waiting, so it probably hadn’t taken much convincing.
“He was just…familiar. Safe. I only asked him to give me a ride home. I never meant for it to…to go that far.”
The confession was whispered, but Fate felt as if it had been screamed at her. She didn’t want to hear anymore, but she couldn’t seem to get her mouth to form the words to make Melissa stop talking.
“It was just supposed to be one time. And then…it wasn’t.”
Fate nodded, working her tongue over her lips to wet them so that she could speak. “Apparently Ethan is a lot smarter than I am and figured it out long before I did.”
Melissa averted her eyes, suddenly very interested in the room’s décor. “I kept the details from you for a reason. I called off my engagement myself. I told Ethan the truth. Not that it was Trevor, but that I’d been unfaithful and had feelings for someone else.”
Each of her friend’s admissions had felt like stinging slaps to the face, but this one was more of an unexpected punch to the gut.
“You have feelings for Trevor? So it wasn’t just about sex then?” Fate didn’t know if this made the situation any better or worse. Felt like maybe a little of both and neither at the same time.
Melissa’s eyes brimmed with tears that fell as she nodded. “I’m sorry. God, Fate. I’m so sorry. I tried… I tried to just stay away—tried to throw all of my energy into helping you with the wedding as if that would somehow make what I had done okay. But being here, knowing I was going to have to stand up there and watch him marry my best friend—it was killing me. That’s all I can say about the horrible thing I did to you—the horrible thing I would’ve kicked anyone else’s ass for doing to you.” Her words became muffled through the sobs as Melissa lost control of her emotions mid-explanation. “I told him how I felt, but he said you were the one for him and that his family wouldn’t tolerate a broken engagement.”
Fate snorted out a laugh. “Looks like they’re going to have to tolerate it after all.”
Melissa nodded. “His mother hates me. She knew… She caught me sneaking out of his apartment one morning. She glared daggers at me all through your bridal tea last month.”
Speaking of daggers, Fate felt like another one was stabbing her in the back every time Melissa spoke. Everything hurt to hear. Every word seemed to have teeth and each sentence was punctuated with a piercing bite. This wasn’t helping anyone. Maybe Melissa was getting some relief in clearing her conscience, but Fate was done listening. None of it changed anything. There were no magic words that would repair the past and erase what had happened.
“I think I’ve heard enough,” she said quietly.
“Do you—” Melissa hiccupped. “Do you hate me?”
Fate’s forehead creased and her eyebrows, which had been shaped and sculpted for the wedding that was not to be, threaded inward while she tried to determine the answer.
“I hate what you did. I hate that you and Trevor did what you did and that I found out the way that I did. As for how I feel about you…”
There simply weren’t words to describe it. Fate was angry with the woman, filled with soul-stinging hurt and betrayal by what she’d done. She was even angrier with herself because some miniscule section of her heart felt sympathy for Melissa. She felt bad that her former friend had been rejected, as if that were just a conditional response her heart had before her brain carried
Fate could see it. She could see a drunken Melissa stumbling over to Trevor and his friends in a bar, basically propositioning him. He had been sexually frustrated due to her stipulation about waiting, so it probably hadn’t taken much convincing.
“He was just…familiar. Safe. I only asked him to give me a ride home. I never meant for it to…to go that far.”
The confession was whispered, but Fate felt as if it had been screamed at her. She didn’t want to hear anymore, but she couldn’t seem to get her mouth to form the words to make Melissa stop talking.
“It was just supposed to be one time. And then…it wasn’t.”
Fate nodded, working her tongue over her lips to wet them so that she could speak. “Apparently Ethan is a lot smarter than I am and figured it out long before I did.”
Melissa averted her eyes, suddenly very interested in the room’s décor. “I kept the details from you for a reason. I called off my engagement myself. I told Ethan the truth. Not that it was Trevor, but that I’d been unfaithful and had feelings for someone else.”
Each of her friend’s admissions had felt like stinging slaps to the face, but this one was more of an unexpected punch to the gut.
“You have feelings for Trevor? So it wasn’t just about sex then?” Fate didn’t know if this made the situation any better or worse. Felt like maybe a little of both and neither at the same time.
Melissa’s eyes brimmed with tears that fell as she nodded. “I’m sorry. God, Fate. I’m so sorry. I tried… I tried to just stay away—tried to throw all of my energy into helping you with the wedding as if that would somehow make what I had done okay. But being here, knowing I was going to have to stand up there and watch him marry my best friend—it was killing me. That’s all I can say about the horrible thing I did to you—the horrible thing I would’ve kicked anyone else’s ass for doing to you.” Her words became muffled through the sobs as Melissa lost control of her emotions mid-explanation. “I told him how I felt, but he said you were the one for him and that his family wouldn’t tolerate a broken engagement.”
Fate snorted out a laugh. “Looks like they’re going to have to tolerate it after all.”
Melissa nodded. “His mother hates me. She knew… She caught me sneaking out of his apartment one morning. She glared daggers at me all through your bridal tea last month.”
Speaking of daggers, Fate felt like another one was stabbing her in the back every time Melissa spoke. Everything hurt to hear. Every word seemed to have teeth and each sentence was punctuated with a piercing bite. This wasn’t helping anyone. Maybe Melissa was getting some relief in clearing her conscience, but Fate was done listening. None of it changed anything. There were no magic words that would repair the past and erase what had happened.
“I think I’ve heard enough,” she said quietly.
“Do you—” Melissa hiccupped. “Do you hate me?”
Fate’s forehead creased and her eyebrows, which had been shaped and sculpted for the wedding that was not to be, threaded inward while she tried to determine the answer.
“I hate what you did. I hate that you and Trevor did what you did and that I found out the way that I did. As for how I feel about you…”
There simply weren’t words to describe it. Fate was angry with the woman, filled with soul-stinging hurt and betrayal by what she’d done. She was even angrier with herself because some miniscule section of her heart felt sympathy for Melissa. She felt bad that her former friend had been rejected, as if that were just a conditional response her heart had before her brain carried
Similar Books
The Last King of Lydia
Tim Leach
Dance For The Devil
S. Kodejs
Sharpshooter
Chris Lynch
Young Lions
Andrew Mackay
In Your Corner
Sarah Castille
Clockwork Prince
Cassandra Clare
The Wandering Island Factory
TR Nowry
House Arrest
K.A. Holt
Memoirs of Lady Montrose
Virginnia DeParte
