17.
Size Matters
Lenley
“LENLEY, WAIT!” SARAHruns after me, following me into my bedroom.
I haven’t slept in this room for over two years, I stopped staying over when Darrius started dating his ex, Lisa. His room is right next door and I couldn’t stay here knowing that he was in there with another girl. Then I went to France and I haven’t set foot in this house since I’ve been back. Everything is the way I left it two years ago, down to the pink silk robe hanging on the door of the en suite bathroom.
“Girl, I’m so fucking sorry,” Sarah says, closing the door and resting her back against it. “I thought if I said that you weren’t wearing a bra—”
I sigh. “I know. Thank you for trying to help, babe.”
She rolls her eyes. “It would’ve worked if Kiara wasn’t a show off. And what the fuck is wrong with Anna? Seriously she was about to go and get you a bikini herself, for the sake of forcing you into an uncomfortable situation.”
I open the first drawer of the dresser closest to the door and retrieve two bikinis. “Want to borrow one? Might as well look good while we plunge to our deaths.”
Sarah shakes her head. “Len, I’m so sorry.”
I wrap my arms around her. “Don’t be. Look, Anna has hated me since I can remember. She’s always been jealous that I was close to her brother, but things got worse after Papà died and Kyle stepped up. She can’t handle that her dad wants to be a father to me. You should’ve seen the hissy fit she threw when Kyle gave me this room. She couldn’t bear the fact that it’s the same size as hers.”
“What? This is a fucking mansion, what’s the problem if you got a nice room?”
I shrug, beginning to lower the zipper on one side of my dress. “To her obviously size matters. She can’t deal with not having more than I do. It’s always been like that with her. But you know what? I expect this kind of shit from her, I’m used to it. The way Kiara has been acting though ...” I sigh. “I can’t believe she hates me so much. You should’ve heard the stuff she said to me at the water park. I can’t believe I thought she was my friend for all these years and told her all my secrets, cried on her shoulder; when this entire time, she was happy whenever I didn’t get what I wanted or I got hurt. How could I be so stupid not to see it before?”
Sarah accepts the black bikini I’m offering her. “You aren’t stupid, Len. I fell for it too. When she wasn’t on our side before, I always thought she was giving us tough love. I started to understand that she was jealous and not a real friend only last year, when she went after Niko even though she knew I’d been crushing on him for months.”
Sarah’s blue eyes skim down my body as my dress slips off me, pooling by my feet; she remains quiet as I put on the red bikini I chose for myself.
I’m relieved that she doesn’t comment on my lack of panties, but I should know that nothing gets past my bestie.
“So.” She begins. “Last I recall, when we got ready together earlier on you had panties on. Care to tell me what happened to them?”
Fuck. I should’ve known she’d notice. “Hmm, I ...” That’s the best I can muster as I offer her a sheepish look.
“Lenley?” she says with her most intimidating tone.
I open my mouth to say something, but no sound comes out. I don’t even know how to start to explain about my deal with the Devils and all the exciting, crazy things I’ve been doing with them since I accepted it.
“Ok, call me crazy but there’s something going on in my head and for as much as all I observed points toward what I’m thinking, none of it reconciles with my best friend as I know her.”
I don’t react, waiting to hear what she thinks she knows.
“Last time you and I had a chance to talk, you hinted that you met someone. And you kissed this mystery guy, the ‘eye candy, totally not a serial killer,’ guy. I was dying to ask you if you saw him again earlier, but your mom was with us the entire time and I felt it was rude to ask her for some privacy after she treated us to a hair and makeup stylist. But I’ve been watching you, Len. And I have so many questions.”
I can’t resist the urge to tease her. “You’ve been watching me? How is that possible? Every time I’ve seen you lately, you were busy stalking Trent. Not that I have a problem with it.” I reassure her.
Sarah snorts at my veiled provocation; when she wants something, my bestie is like a dog with a bone. “I’m a woman, I can multitask. Stalking Trent doesn’t mean I’m not keeping an eye on my best friend. Especially since I’ve just gotten you back, and especially after what happened with Kiara.”
I know it’s true and that she really cares, but it’s too funny watching her play detective, so I wait to hear what’s her theory about my lack of panties.
“So exhibit A.” She ticks off her fingers. “Channing Ford pushed Kiara into the pool the other day after she verbally attacked you at the water park.”
I can’t help but ask, “Did Kiara tell you?”
Sarah shakes her head. “No, I saw it with my own eyes. You were taking forever to bring two drinks, so I had come to check on you. And I saw you leave with Channing.”
I remain quiet.
“Exhibit B. Tonight every time I looked at you, you were either next to Darrius or Peyton Cox. And,” she says pointedly, “Their teammate Jameson, the dark and handsome one, had his eyes constantly on you while he was trying to shake off Anna. Now call me fucking crazy, because I’m sure that you didn’t really know the Cove Devils before you left last year, but ...”
God, she’s good.
I’m glad that if one of my besties had to turn out to be a two-faced mega bitch, it was Kiara and not Sarah. Sarah has a heart of gold but believe me, you don’t want to end up on the wrong side of her. I’m happy she constantly chooses to use her deduction powers for good rather than for evil.