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She sucked in a sharp breath. “You should report them. They physically assaulted you.”
“The trip was only bad because I didn’t have free hands.”
She spoke carefully, as one did with a scared animal or a child. “You don’t have to be tough all the time, Elena.”
“Of course I do.”
“Not with me, you don’t. You know that.”
I did. Pen and I were two peas. We’d gone different directions in school—she had a brain for science while mine was more tuned in to world domination—but outside of school, we always retreated to our cousin pod. Pen knew about the monster that dwelled inside me—the jealousy that drove me to many of the destructive decisions I’d made. She was the first one I’d told about Nate, the rape, and the night he died. She’d held me through both. I didn’t hide my ugly from her. I couldn’t.
At Larson’s Nursery, I slowed and flicked on my turn signal. A moment later, I turned into my neighborhood and pulled over against the curb.
“My head ached for three straight days after that idiot tripped me. I wondered if I had a concussion, but I never went to get checked. My shoulder still isn’t right, but it’s getting better. I won’t report the idiot because he doesn’t get to have any power over me. If I report him and nothing happens, he’ll have permission to keep doing it…and you and I both know nothing will happen to him.”
I took in a deep swallow of air, and Penelope blew it out on the other end of the line.
“Something might,” she said.
“It won’t. It doesn’t matter. Our professor shut it down today. I’ll be surprised if they continue. It’s just—” I clamped down on my bottom lip.
“What? It’s what?”
“I’m getting a big taste of my own medicine. The bully gets bullied. Maybe there really is such a thing as karmic justice. Remember when I shoved Grace’s face into her locker?”
Pen hissed. “Uh, no. You never told me you did that.”
I tapped my steering wheel, thinking back to my senior year of high school and all the awful, unforgivable stunts I pulled. And most had been in the name of keeping my man. What a fucking jokethathad turned out to be.
“I guess I probably didn’t think twice about it at the time. But the second I hit the floor and came up with a goose egg, I thought of her.”
“You’re not the same person you were back then. You were in an abusive relationship, going through trauma at home, and you lashed out. You lashed out a lot.”
“You don’t have to excuse what I did.”
“I’m not, El. There really isn’t an excuse, but there are reasons. I’m also reminding you, if you truly believe the universe expects you to pay for the misdeeds you carried out, then you’ve already settled up your billandleft a big tip.”
“You’re the sweetest,” I said. And I meant it.
“No, you.”
I scoffed. “That’s the biggest lie you ever told.”
“You’re sweet to me, and I know everything about you. Shouldn’t my opinion count the most?”
“BecauseI’m sweet, I won’t be responding to that.”
She laughed. “All right, fine. Tell me what’s happening with your hot neighbor.”
“Who knows?” I flicked my fingers through the air. “He’s probably wrecking some other lucky girl’s pussy. Definitely not mine.”
The green-eyed monster inside me reared its twisted head. It did not like that idea.
“Well, he’s stupid.”
“Hmph.” I laid my head down on my steering wheel. “I wish that was true.”
“I know, El. At least now you know you’re not broken. You know it for sure. Maybe he was the key, and now that you’re unlocked, you don’t need him. He got you off, and that’s amazing, but that’syourbody. He doesn’t own the orgasms he gave you.”
Everything she said was true, but it didn’t lessen the sting of rejection. And I had absolutely no desire to go experimenting with other guys to find out if I was only unbroken with Lachlan.
We talked a little while longer, until Penelope had to leave for Gabe’s soccer game and I couldn’t put off going to my parents’ house any longer. I promised to visit her soon, and she did the same. Then I pulled away from the curb and drove home.
