It didn’t work. Ricki leaped to her feet and walked across the room. She bent and plucked a dead leaf off the plant in the corner. With her back to Blythe, she said, “When did you do it?”
“A couple hours ago.”
Ricki spun around and glared at Blythe. “You did it over the phone?”
“No.”
Ricki groaned. “You fucking did it in a text.”
“No.” Blythe rose to her feet. “What kind of idiot do you think I am? I FaceTimed her.”
“Unbelievable. You didn’t even have the decency to do it in person?”
Blythe bristled. “Save your judgment.” She left unsaid,At least I didn’t fall in love with my best friend’s girlfriend, but Ricki must have sensed the unspoken words because she leaned back against the wall as if standing on her own took too much energy.
“Did you think I should’ve waited for her to show up tomorrow? Better yet, I could’ve broken up at the end of the weekend right before she left.”
“You could have driven down to her house.”
Blythe shrugged. “What would have been the point? I looked her in the eye when I did it. I didn’t have to be in the same physical space as her. It was better that I wasn’t.”
“So just like that, you broke up with her?”
Blythe nodded. Although it hadn’t been just like that, it wasn’t something Ricki would ever know. For the past four days, Blythehad agonized over her decision. She liked Abby—a lot—but in the end, she knew it would never work between them. It had always been a longshot.
“What reason did you give her?”
Blythe considered editing what she said to Ricki, but she’d never done that in the past, so she wouldn’t do it now. “I told her your relationship was more important to me. And—”
Ricki cringed. “I never asked you to do that. I never wanted you to.”
“I know. And I made it clear to her you didn’t even know I was doing it.” Blythe chuckled. “She told me you’d be pissed. I didn’t believe her.”
“Well, she’s right. That was unfair to her…and me.”
“You? I thought you’d be happy.”
“Happy that I fucked up my best friend’s relationship because I did the unthinkable?”
Blythe considered asking what Ricki considered to be the unthinkable. Was it having sex with Abby or falling in love with her?
“Should I be happy you broke Abby’s heart?” Ricki continued.
Blythe snorted. “I’d hardly say I broke her heart. We’d only been together for a few months. She didn’t even cry.”
“Because she was too fucking stunned and probably pissed at me.”
“She didn’t seem pissed at you,” Blythe said.
“Well, she should be pissed at both of us.” Ricki pushed off the wall and stood up straight, her anger supplying her with the energy she needed.
“She didn’t seem mad.” Blythe’s chest tightened as Abby’s eyes flashed through her mind. “Just sad. Resigned.”
“What did she say?” Ricki walked toward Blythe but veered off and paced across the room.
“She said she was expecting it. Wasn’t surprised. But that she’d miss us both.” Blythe put her hand against her chest. “That kinda hurt.”
“She deserved better.” Mimicking Blythe’s gesture, Ricki put her hand over her own heart and rubbed it.
