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“Leave Lily. Don’t let him rub it in your face.” A small voice whispers in my head but I ignore it and focus on the conversation before me.
I try to speak but he cuts me off before I even manage two syllables. “It’s alright. I’m willing to give you a clean slate. You can have your seat so we can begin the interview.” He smiles pleasantly.
I stand frozen to my spot. This is going horribly awry. He’s acting completely normal and friendly, like nothing is wrong when everything is. And that scares me a little. Not a little, a lot actually.
Then there’s that smug look on his face that I know all too well. One of those ‘I’ve got you right where I want you’ looks. Well he’s got another thing coming if he thinks I’m just gonna roll over for him like that. Fuck this. I’m not playing his game.
“Save it.” I whisper. I might be making a big mistake but I can’t bring myself to care right now.
What’s the worst that could happen? More bashing from my mom? A few more from my brother when he finds out why I missed out on the job? Nothing I can’t handle. I’ll just put up at Christie’s house until I can figure out what to do with my life.
He cocks a brow. “Huh?”
“Your clean slate? Save it. I’m not gonna let you rub my mess in my face. Bye!”
I spin around, ignoring his bewildered expression but he darts from his chair and grabs me by the arm to spin me around again. The pain shoots straight to my neck and makes me wince. I jerk it out of his grasp, but he doesn’t take a step back. His dark gaze locks with mine and my heart speeds up. His grip is firm and he looks very genuine but I’m not buying it.
“Your brother is a good friend of mine. I’m doing this for him. So how about it?.. Friends?”
I shrug my shoulders. “No thanks.”
He smirks. “Then take this as a favor that I have no interest in cashing in on.”
No way I’m getting a job out of pity. I would rather die of embarrassment than accept a freebie or owe anyone anything. The fact that he mentions ‘the favor’ is more than enough reason to not believe him either.
“Seems I wasn’t clear enough.” I yank my left hand free from his grip and cross them in front of my chest. “I’ll pass.”
A vein pulses at his temple, but I pay it no attention. He lets out a frustrated huff and turns back around. “Have it your way then.”
The second his back is turned I drop my head to my chest, trying to hide my tears as they fall down my cheeks. I wipe my face with the back of my hands, but I’m unable to stop myself from sniffling, nor the sobs racking my body.
“Fuck.” I curse to myself as I pull my glasses up my nose, using them to cover my red eyes.
We live and die by our decisions and I can almost bet this one will be the end of me. But at least I can save my ego.
Chapter10
Lily
Inever liked sleepovers. Why would any grown adult be excited about the prospect of being sandwiched in the same apartment with four other ladies, three of whom you’ve not seen in quite a long while, and you’ve always had a strained relationship with?
Well apparently, Christie doesn’t share any of my concerns. She’s sitting on her bed in only her pajama pants, with a huge grin that says she’s got all the fun to herself. Back in the university days, there were five of us: Myself, Christie, Tanya, Annabelle and Jessica. We were as tight as a little sisterhood could be. But slowly as with all good relationships, time wore it away and we drifted apart with me and Christie sticking together, and the rest of the crew drifting off into one direction or another.
It didn’t help that I never did like Jessica or the rest of the girls besides Christie, but I did manage to fake it pretty well until we graduated. I had always felt Jessica was more loyal to her hormones than our friendship and if given the chance she would stab us all in the back over some tall, blonde, macho looking stud.
With Tanya and Annabelle, I could never wrap my head around it but for some reason, the connection just wasn’t there. Of course time had later revealed that my reservations towards Jessica were correct. As much as it hurt to see her propped in bed with my boyfriend back then, I had expected it. They were both hormone driven assholes after all.
Well, that was months ago. Jessica had gone on some lengthy in business trip in some other state. Tanya now works for some local advertising firm somewhere in Stratford while Annabelle relocated halfway across the country with her parents. That left just me and Christie, and our friendship has blossomed ever since. I never thought I would see either of them again, up until three days ago when Christie dropped a text informing me the rest of the crew would be in New York for the weekend.
Though she’d feigned ignorance to all of it, I could tell she had played her part in the planning. No way three girls scattered in different cities would suddenly decide to come together for a weekend without prior arrangements. She would definitely get some moaning from me for this, but that will be later. For now, I’ve got to somehow survive the first night without going insane.
The bedroom door swings open with a slam so loud I can hear it in the bathroom. “Come on, babe. It’s been almost an hour. How long will it take you two to get ready?” Jessica stands in the doorway, holding a towel and eyeing us both expectantly. The sight of her makes my skin crawl. I hate to admit it but I’m still not entirely comfortable with Jessica despite her attempts to earn my forgiveness ever since ‘it’ happened. If anything, seeing her again after six months seemed to have reopened old wounds.
“We’ll be there in a minute. Lily’s still getting dressed.” Christie replies.
I should have been done minutes earlier but my enthusiasm is pretty much deadbeat.
“Lily dear, C’mon. At this rate we’ll never get this weekend started.” Jessica coos.
