Page 73 of Dead to Me

“You don’t want to know.”

China let out a shaky sound. I walked over to the table and picked up a champagne glass.

“Do you remember when we were seventeen, and you slept with Andre?”

China's brow furrowed.

“What?”

“My boyfriend.”

“That was high school.”

“I know.”

“Why are you talking about Andre?”

“Because I remember asking you why.”

China looked straight at me.

“You told me you wanted to know whether he would do it.”

“I was seventeen.”

“You said you were testing him for me.”

“I was stupid.”

“I forgave you.”

Her face tightened. I took a sip of champagne.

“You cried. Mama made us sit at the kitchen table. You promised you would never do anything like that again.”

“Milan.”

“I believed you.”

“We were children.”

“Yes.”

I put the glass down.

“Then you did it again.”

China's eyes filled with tears.

“This was different.”

“You’re right. This time you sent me to prison afterward.”

“I didn’t send you anywhere.”

I laughed, surprising both of us. China stepped away from the door.

“I didn’t plan for you to go to prison.”