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I lifted my hand, practically slapping her face as I stuck my engagement ring at eye level.
“A man like my fiancé?” I demanded. “He’ll leave me, right? He just wants the sex? Then why did he meet my family last weekend and propose?”
Clea’s mouth dropped open as she took my hand between hers, examining the ring with shock written all over her face.
“I-I-I saw you two leaving yesterday and I…I was so scared,” she insisted as I snatched my hand away.
“No need to be scared on my account,” I snapped, grabbing all the laundry I’d left yesterday and stuffed it into the bag. “You don’t even have to think about me anymore.”
“No, No, Mia,” she pleaded, pawing at my shoulder. “I did it because we’re friends. Best friends!”
“Not anymore!” I barked at her, which had her retreating to her bed and sobbing again.
It didn’t take me long to pack my bags with the important stuff. Things like bedding and towels, I left there, figuring I could take care of it at the end of the semester. With all of my important things stacked in my duffels and suitcase, I started dragging them out the door.
Owen had offered to help me, but I’d insisted on doing it myself. Last thing we needed was to piss off the Dean and have him withdraw his fragile agreement with us.
As I lugged out the last beg, Clea followed me out the door and pleaded for me to stop and listen to her.
Outside in the parking lot, she hugged herself in some short shorts and a tank top with zero shoes as she cried, the cold air whipping her hair around and freezing her skin.
“Please, Mia,” she begged. “I thought I was helping. Really! I tried to warn you and I just…”
“You what?” I finally broke.
The pain I saw in her eyes was reflected in mine.
We’d been best friends for so long… I hadn’t ever had a better friend than her. But when I’d started dating Owen, she just went nuts.
“I was jealous,” she trilled in a too high voice. “At first I was jealous that you’d found someone like him…but then you kept seeing him. I got worried, Mia. I was jealous, but I was also scared that he was going to break your heart, or worse! I convinced myself I was being a good friend by telling the Dean. Owen would get fired and have to move, and you could take your life back. I didn't know you’d gotten engaged!”
“Of course you didn’t! You haven’t bothered to listen to me at all when it comes to Owen! You made assumptions and you almost destroyed his career!”
Her hand covered her mouth and more tears spilled down her cheeks.
“I’m sorry,” she breathed. “I’m so sorry, Mia.”
I got in the car, because I was two seconds away from melting down.
Owen was waiting for me when I pulled into his driveway for the first time with my car. It felt final in an odd sort of way. Like this was officially home to me now.
He hurried out of the house and opened my door, then saw the tears streaking my cheeks.
“Oh, darling,” he murmured, reaching in to turn the key, unbuckle my seatbelt, then he pulled me out and into his arms.
“I’m ok,” I breathed. “I was finally able to say all the things to her that I’ve wanted to.”
He nodded and squeezed me.
“I have a surprise for you,” he told me, turning my mind off the subject.
Looking up at him, I gave him a soft smile.
“What is it?”
Owen let me go so he could grab a couple of my bags, then he led me into the house.
“While you were gone, I got a few things moved around,” he said, dropping my bags by the front door before he opened his office door and waved me in.
