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“Because I flushed all the drugs he had down the toilet.” She made a face. “He was so mad at me. He’s angry all the time now. He’s never been the same since you broke up with him.”
She narrowed her gaze on me, and I absorbed more guilt.
“I thought the baby would make him happy,” she said, “make things better between us. But without any money, I wonder if it ever will be right.”
Guilt, nausea, and betrayal rose within me in a wave. “Were you ever really my friend?” I whispered. Collin’s betrayal I’d been resigned to. Hers, not so much.
“You’re the only one I could ever really confide in.”
I nodded numbly. That was what Martin had said too. Maybe it was the truth. But the truth didn’t change a thing. The damage was already done.
“I’m sorry, Addy, sorry it went wrong for both of us.” Seeming to come back to herself, to the girl I’d known, the one who had been my friend, Miranda grabbed a blanket that was just out of my reach and draped it around my shoulders.
“I accept your apology.” I didn’t say it was okay. It would never be okay. “But you need to go, and you can’t let on in front of Martin that you know about this.”
“This is wrong.” Shaking her head, she dropped down on the floor beside me.
Of course what Martin did was wrong. To end a wrong as wretched as mine would require strength and action,mystrength and action. But now wasn’t that time.
Miranda had to sign in to come up here, and there were cameras in the lobby, the feeds of which Martin kept a close eye on. Knowing she had entered the apartment, he would be returning any minute now.
“Where’s the key to that thing?” She frowned at the length of chain and my collar.
“He keeps it with him.”
She looked sad. “This is why no one has seen you in months.”
“Did someone ask about me?”
“Yes. Rachel.”
“Is she married? Is she happy?” I asked her the questions one after another because, of course, Martin hadn’t told me.
“She seems to be. We didn’t talk long. I ran into her at the coffee house. She was picking up her paycheck and asked about you. She was polite and all, but I could tell she wasn’t really pleased to see me. Barry wasn’t polite, though.” Her frown deepened.
“Where did you run into him?” I almost cringed even asking, expecting Martin to appear out of thin air and punish me.
“At Collin’s graduation.”
“Oh.”
That made sense. A twinge pinched my heart at the thought that it should have been my graduation too.
“Barry asked about you too.”
“What did you tell him?” My voice small, I leaned forward.
“What could I tell him?” She shrugged. “I just confirmed that you were with Martin, and that it was serious. He seemed to already know. He told me I was a shitty friend to you.”
“Anything else?” I asked hopefully.
“No.” She shook her head. “Like with your sister, it was only a brief encounter.”
“Right.” I dropped my head.
“Addy, what can I do to help you?” Miranda sucked in a breath. “I can’t do nothing.”
A part of me wanted to tell her to go away and leave it at that. I was conditioned to cower, to return to my fetal-like position on the floor.
