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“Okay.”
Before the plane lands, I change into the clothes Rosa packed for me and I feel marginally better after throwing the dress Dash bought me into the garbage. It’s petty but I don’t care. The ride to Rosa’s apartment is quiet and when we arrive, a haggard and worried Iris meets us in the lobby.
As soon as she sees us, she runs and wraps me in her warm embrace. The tears fall, as if I’ll never run out of them. Getting my heart broken by Dash is worse than any pain I could’ve ever imagined.
“Everything will be okay, Bee. I promise,” Iris soothingly murmurs. “Come on, let’s get you upstairs.”
The elevator opens directly into the hallway of Rosa’s penthouse and they take me straight to the bedroom.
“I’m going to take a shower.”
“Okay, love,” Iris says. “We’ll be right here.”
“We love you, Bee.”
Under the spray of the shower in the bathroom, I let the cold water beat down on me until my skin is as cold as the iciness in my heart. But no matter how hard I scrub, I can’t wash away the memories wreaking havoc on me. I don’t even remember sliding down to the floor until my best friends find and somehow help me into clothes and lay me down on the bed.
I curl into a ball while they both lie on either side of me and hug me tight until I fall asleep.
***
The next morning is much worse. A hellish nightmare.
After waking and freshening up, I enter the kitchen and find Iris and Rosa sitting on the island, quietly arguing. They stop when they notice me and one look at them, I know something is terribly wrong.
“What happened?” I ask, trepidation in my voice.
“Bee. I don’t think it’s a good idea,” says Ro, like talking to a caged animal.
“Just tell me.”
They share a look before Iris takes a deep breath and sadly utters, “There’s a video of you calling your marriage a sham and arguing with Dash all over the news. Everybody believes it because Dash never denied it. The same person who saw you at the restaurant is now claiming he heard you two discussing it.”
“Let me see it.”
Rosa stands up abruptly. “No. You’re not. It’s not worth it, Bee.”
“I want to see it.” I cross the distance and hold my hand out, waiting.
They try to give a united front but when I don’t budge, Iris gives Rosa’s tablet with a sigh. A voice inside my head screams to not relive it again. Ignoring it, I tapPlayand watch. It’s like a slow motion version of watching a train wreck happen. The media shows no mercy as they jump over each other to snap our pictures. However, my eyes are stuck on Dash.
The way he appears behind me. His veneer of calm and confidence, blown to pieces.
He looks torn. Broken. Lost.
It’s swallowed by rage upon landing on the photographers. Then as soon as I scream and pull the curtain over our dirty secret, he’s back to looking hopeless. When Justin takes me from his arms, he stares at my back knowing we’ll never be the same.
Every bone in my body screams to run back to him.
I slam the tablet on the island at the foolish urge. Rosa rests her palm on mine and consoles, “It’ll blow over before you know it.”
“It was always going to end this way.” My voice is devoid of emotion. “It was only a matter of time. Scandalous games like ours never stay in the dark.”
I push away and turn when Iris asks, “Where are you going?”
“I need to see my parents.”
“We’re coming with you,” they say at the same time, but I’m already shaking my head.
