But the sympathy fizzles out once I remind myself that her actions are the reason we’re in this terrible situation in the first place. Beth’s voice is shaky when she adds, “I don’t know what else to do. You haven’t been replying to my messages.
I tried calling you but you wouldn’t pick up. Even Dad’s getting worried.”
I let out a dry laugh at the mention of him.
“You tattled to Dad about this? What are we? Five?”
“That’s not what I intended,” she replies nervously. “I just thought that maybe he could help me get through to you.”
“Has it ever occurred to you that maybe the reason why you can’t get through to me is because I don’t want to talk to you?” I seethe through my teeth, my cheeks burning from the adrenaline rush.
My frustration is loud enough that it attracts a few onlookers. Beth’s eyes scan their faces, acutely aware of their gazes burning into her. She hugs herself tightly, head tilted low in embarrassment, and her false modesty makes me want to make a scene in front of all these people just so they can hear how ridiculous she’s being right now.
“I’m sorry,” she says. “I really didn’t mean for you to find out this way.”
“Yeah. So you’re not sorry that you did it. You’re just sorry you got caught.” I take a confrontational step forward and Beth steps backward, lip quivering. “I’m not stupid, Beth. I doubt you were ever going to tell me.”
“I . . . I . . .” Beth stammers, frightened eyes blinking. Her lack of denial is enough to confirm my suspicions.
“I work so hard, day and night, to put you through school and give the both of us a life we deserve because God knows Dad’s too busy screwing up his next marriage to really give a shit about us,” I say, aggressively edging toward her until Beth’s back bumps against a tree. “And you just throw everything that I’ve done for you back in my face? Just like that?” She hasn’t said a word, too stunned to speak, so I throw another question at her—one that I’m fairly certain I already know the answer to. “Are you still seeing Jax?”
Beth looks away guiltily.
“Wow.” I exhale. “That’s a new low even for you.”
“You don’t understand, Sienna. I—I love him,” Beth says.
“Oh, you love him. Yeah, that totally excuses everything.”
I laugh bitterly, rolling my eyes. “Come on, Beth. Are you seriously that naïve?”
“I know how it sounds but . . .” Beth murmurs. “I can’t walk away from him, Si. He cares about me.”
“Oh, he better, because you’re dead to me. Both of you are.” Anger thrums through me, blisteringly hot. “I don’t care if you love him. Or if you just wanted to sleep with him.
I care that you lied about it and did it as if I didn’t mean anything to you,” I say, sucking an unsteady breath into my mouth. “You think that I can ever forgive what you did? If you really think that, then you really don’t know me at all.”
I’m too disgusted with her to say another word. A small crowd has now formed, with students whispering among themselves as to what’s going on. I’m certainly not here to put on a show. I don’t have time for it. But just as I’m about to turn my back on Beth, a hand clings to me.
“What do you want me to do, Sienna?” She looks at me with so much desperation that I feel the grip on my anger momentarily slip. “Do you want me to kneel and beg for forgiveness? Do you want me to break up with Jax?”
“You still don’t get it, do you?” I shake my head in disappointment, wrenching my hand away from her. “I don’t want you to do any of that. I don’t even want you to leave him. I just want you to see what you’ve lost because of him.”
And with that, I turn on my heel and leave.