AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yeah,” she said with a smile. She was movie-star gorgeous with flowing dark hair, glossed lips, glitter on her eyelids. “You look pretty. Are you wearing makeup?”
I felt myself flush, embarrassed. Even at my best, I never compared to her. “A little.”
She turned up the music on her phone. “I love this song.”
David Bowie. “Fame.”
We drove, listening. I wanted to tell her that tonight was the night. But something stopped me. Fear that it wasn’t true, that I’d chicken out. Embarrassment. Something in her energy. She stared out the window.
Finally, I reached over and turned off the music.
“Steph. What is it?”
We were already pulling up to Evan’s gate. It stood wide open, with huge Christmas wreathes hanging on each side. Cars were lined up and down the street, the pulse of music could be heard from the house that was still a half mile up the long drive.
“Nothing,” she said, but I could see that she had tears in her eyes.
I pulled over, turned to look at her. “We’re not going in until you tell me what’s wrong.”
She shook her head, wrapped her arms around her middle. She had a difficult home life, unhappy parents. Her mom too critical and controlling. Her dad drank. There were big fights, which often ended in Steph staying at my place for the night. I figured it was something like that now. I was a little fidgety—eager to get to the party, to Evan. He’d already texted twice.
Where are you?
I’m waiting for you.
“Maddie,” she said, voice wobbling. “It’s about—him.”
“Who?”
“Evan,” she said, looking down at her knees. “He’s—not a good guy.”
She took some shuddering breaths and I waited, feeling something dark well inside me. A knowing maybe. A kind of anger. This wasmynight. It wasn’t about her.
“What are you talking about?”
“He told me,” she said, voice small. “About tonight. What you’re planning to do.”
I shook my head. A group of kids piled out of a car that came to a stop in front of us. They moved laughingly through the gate walking up toward the house.Ho Ho Ho, one of them shouted, and the rest of them echoed it. The energy was wild. Badger said it was going to get out of hand and he was right.
“Why would Evan tellyouanything?” I asked, angry. “You’re not even friends.”
The look she gave me—ashamed on the surface, but something almost gleeful, victorious underneath. It was just a flash, then she looked away. My whole body pulsed.
“There’s something wrong with him,” she said, her voice almost a whisper. “He hurt me. He . . . likes to hurt people. He wants to hurt you, because of your dad.”
“What?” My anger was a lash, my tone sharp as an edge. “What are you talking about? Are you . . . ? Did you . . . ?”
I couldn’t even get the words out of my mouth. The pain of it. The betrayal. There was an ache in my chest as if I could feel my heart physically breaking. I couldn’t even hear what she was trying to tell me in that moment. All I could focus on was her betrayal.
“I didn’t know you liked him the first time. You said you didn’t,” she said, sobbing now. “By the time I realized, it was too late. Maddie, I’m sorry. Please. I’m so, so sorry.”
I got out of the car, a miserable heartbroken anger moving through my body like electricity. The night vibrated with cold, with the music and light coming from the house. I left the vehicle and Steph, moved up the drive toward the house. She got out of the car and came after me. I didn’t slow when I heard her but, finally, she caught my arm.
“Look,” she said. “I know you’re mad. You have every right to hate me. But leave with me now, okay?Don’tgo up there.”
I yanked my arm back from her.
“Why? Because he’s going tohurt me?” I hissed. “Do you really think I believe that? Because of my dad? This is just about you wanting every guy, how you have to be the hot one, the one everyone wants.”
