The Heartbreakers

“Yeah,” she says quickly. “We had talked about it and I thought you should’ve heard about our relationship from me, but he wanted to talk to you first—”

I laugh and it’s a bitter, snarky sound. “Does it really matter? Whoever got to talk to me first, it wouldn’t have changed the fact that two out of the five people I loved the most in the world decided to betray me. And before you spew anymore lies to make yourself feel better, I’ll humor you. If you really wanted to talk to me first, you’d have come to the party earlier, when Sarah did.”

She has the good sense of lowering her gaze, knowing that I’m right. “Look, I was nervous!” she blurts out. “Can you even blame me? I was hoping that you’d take the news like a fucking adult, but my fears were obviously justified. One year in France might’ve changed the way you look, all glamorous and sexy, but you haven’t grown up at all.”

What the actual fuck? “Kiara,” I drawl, doing my best to keep from delivering the bitch slap Sarah was talking about a minute ago.

My hands are clenched into fists at my side and it takes every ounce of self-control I possess not to hit my former bestie. “I think you should work on your apology making skills, because I’m pretty sure that insulting the person you’re supposed to ask for forgiveness isn’t the way to go! Something like ‘Lenley, I’m sorry I was a selfish bitch and I betrayed you by going after the guy you’ve been in love with your entire life.’ That’s how you apologize for betraying me, Ki.”

Her reaction isn’t what I expected.

“I’m sorry about not having the guts to tell you first and letting Darrius break the news to you and I’m sorry that hurt you. But I’m not going to apologize for dating him. It isn’t like you had any chance with him. He told you last year that he doesn’t see you in a sexual way and he isn’t attracted to you. So I didn’t do anything wrong.”

I realize that I’m raising my voice when I see that all the people in line at the bar are staring at us, but I can’t contain my fury right now. “Really? Have you ever heard about girl code? But you shouldn’t even need that! Not fucking the guy your best friend has been in love with forever shouldn’t be something that hard to comprehend. You shouldn’t need a code to imagine how much that would hurt! I cried on your shoulder so many times about Darrius! Every time he’d take home a random girl after a competition or a party! Every fucking time he’d get a girlfriend! I’d pour my heart out to you. So don’t even try to tell me that you didn’t know how much this would hurt me! You could have any other guy in town, Kiara, and you had to take the one I wanted!”

She opens her mouth to say something, but there’s nothing she could say to lessen my pain or excuse her betrayal.

“And if that wasn’t enough, you had to ask him to help you get a job at Angels HQ! Is there anything else of mine that you want, Kiara?” I yell. “And to think that I was so excited to see you and I even got you a pair of designer shoes from Paris!”

She laughs and the venom in her tone makes me rear back. “Aww, how sweet of you! Can you even hear yourself? You’re such a spoiled brat, Len! Everything is about you. Your crush for Darrius, your position in your father’s company, your fancy trips to Europe! Being accepted by an Ivy League college you don’t have to worry how to pay for. You’ve lived your whole life like this perfect little princess that everyone had to protect and to bow to. Even Darrius was so worried about the way you were going to react to the news of us dating. He’d been going on and on about it for two weeks!”

I gasp. “Has this been going on for two weeks?”

She smiles and her voice is dripping with perverse satisfaction when she admits to the extent of her betrayal. “We’ve been official for two weeks. But we started hooking up about a month ago, when I came back in town from college.”

I can’t believe this. “So when I called you and Sarah to tell you that I was coming back, you were already with him. Have you got any idea of how much this hurts?”

“Probably just as much as it hurt seeing you get everything handed to you on a silver platter by your mom and Kyle. I don’t fucking blame Anna for hating you, because you’re so used to having everyone doting on you all the time that you don’t even see how much other have to struggle to have your scraps. I’m glad you finally know how it feels not to get what you want.”

I stagger backward getting closer to the edge of the pool as she advances toward me with the obvious intention to push me.

I feel unsteady on my feet, shocked by the vitriol and the hatred in the voice of one of my best friends. “I thought we were friends. I—”

“Oh look, typical Lenley! When she doesn’t get what she wants, she starts crying. Grow the fuck up! Are you surprised Darrius isn’t attracted to you? You’re selfish, spoiled and boring as fuck! You wouldn’t even know what to do with a guy like Darrius! I told him that you haven’t even kissed anyone. We have a bet on it, if you’ve gotten some poor French guy to pop your kissing cherry or if you’re still waiting for Darrius to give you your first kiss. He isn’t interested in little girls, Lenley! He’s a man and he needs someone who knows how to suck his cock to help him relax before an important competition. And by the way, how did you even think about dating a champion skydiver if you’re so scared of heights you can’t even climb on a chair? You’re fucking pathetic!”

My vision is blurred by the tears that fill my eyes and I barely can see what happens when I’m shoved to the side by someone tripping over us.

“What the fuck!” Kiara shrieks. “Watch where you’re going, you moron! This bikini is brand new!”

I dry my eyes, lifting my gaze to look at the tall, blond man who’s just poured a huge pitcher of beer over my ex-best friend.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I was too busy looking at the hot girl next to you and I didn’t see you there for a second,” Channing says with an innocent smile on his sexy lips. “But I can help you clean up, before the beer gets all sticky. Luckily we’re by a huge pool.”

I barely have time to register what’s happening before Channing pushes Kiara into the pool and takes my hand in his, dragging me away.

***