“Horse shit,” Lance calls from the kitchen, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes. “That’s exactly why.” There’s an inner glow in my soul, but it's quickly dampened out when her jaw locks into place. Maybe I wasn’t the reason after all.
“Next question,” she takes another swig from the wine bottle.
“Do you still hate me?” Amanda whispers.
Lena tenses. “I fucking do.” Alana’s hand drops from the wine bottle to Lena’s thigh, and a second later, Lena gives a yelp.
My girlfriend meets my best friend’s gaze. “Why would I hate you? You did everything I begged you to do.” This is news to me, but I’m getting the feeling everything is about to be news. “I never hated you. In fact, I’ve been trying to get this one to talk to you for years, but she never listens.”
“Why should any of us listen to you?” CJ throws his hands up in the air. “You’re a fucking cunt.”
I see red. A crimson wave crashes across the room and drowns my former lover. How dare he? What is he trying to prove? The anger tangles my words and stops them in my throat. CJ was wearing the smug triumph of a toddler who’s just crushed a worm on the sidewalk, but Alana says nothing. She actually leans back into the couch and crosses her arms.
I’ve seen her angry. I’ve seen her destroy people with words. But her silence is even more dangerous.
“You can’t let anyone be happy, can you?” CJ seems completely unaware of the peril he’s in, and I’m too pissed at him to care. “If you’re miserable, everyone has to be. Do you even understand the damage you did? Or did you plan it? Are you evil by accident, or do you have a vision board of all the shitty things you do to people?”
With the grace of a queen, she sips her wine and sets it down. “I’m going to let you tucker yourself out before I respond, since you clearly value my opinion.”
He stomps his foot. “You’re a pretentious, ruthless bitch with no soul,” he spits.
Lena jumps to her feet. Though she’s tiny, she towers over Alana, who is still sitting. “Get off Alana’s case,” she snaps. “You’ve always been such an asshole to her.”
Alana shoots me a glare. This silent conversation I do understand. I hope it was worth it.
“Of course I am,” CJ fires back. “She ruined my best friend, and she tried to break us up.” Alana’s brows knit, her face scrunching in confusion.
But it’s Lena who asks, “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I saw the text messages,” he says. “She wanted you to leave me. ‘It’s gonna hurt, but it’s the right thing. You need space. You and CJ would be better off.’”
Lena flinches like she’s been struck, then straightens. “She wasn’t trying to break us up. She was trying to get you into rehab.”
Rehab? My heart drops to the floor. Alana reaches out for her person, but it goes unnoticed by Lena. “Alana spent months trying to convince me to get you into rehab,” Lena says on the verge of tears.
“Stop.” Alana whispers.
“She saw all the signs before any of us did.”
“Stop it, Lena.”
“She begged me to get you into rehab.” Lena surges forward and shoves CJ. He stumbles back. “Shit, she almost had me convinced.”
“Stop.”
“She flew out to L.A. and gave me brochures. Hell, she brought Lance to drag your ass into a hospital. But at the last second, I changed my mind.” Her voice cracks, a small, broken sound tearing free. “I didn’t listen. And you almost fucking died.”
My eyes burn. Lena’s sobs catch everyone off guard except Alana, who wraps the pop star in her arms and rocks her gently. Craig and Amanda glance at each other, asking the same silent question. Did you know?
CJ doubles down on his rage, his embarrassment making him lash out. “Doesn’t matter,” he stands up and points at her. “She’s a violent sociopath. She cut off a guy’s finger!”
“I’ve done far worse.” A darkness cloaks Alana. She shifts her weight and holds CJ’s gaze like he’s looking into the face of Medusa. “But where did you hear that?”
CJ swallows. The smug triumph he'd been wearing all morning cracks down the middle. I've known him for years. I've never seen him scared like this. “I’m not telling you.”
Lance pipes in from the kitchen, with a light tone, “Seriously, who told you that?” But it’s like a ‘good cop’ who’s about to slam your face into the table. CJ’s Adam’s apple bobs, and he leans back.
“Eddie Coshovo.”
