My Best Friend's Boyfriend

“Camilla, it wasn’t like that,” I said.

“Every man I’ve ever screwed around with or dated, you’ve had an opinion on—a bad one, except Logan. So yes, I kept him around because he was hot and good in bed and all sorts of shit. But I also kept him around so you’d keep your damn mouth shut.”

My jaw hit the floor as Camilla took a step toward me.

“For almost a year?” I asked breathlessly.

“You know, hanging around you used to make me feel good about myself, your money, your social class, your likes, your dislikes. I felt elevated around you, and that used to make me feel good. Until you tried to change me, Ava.”

“My money?” I asked.

“Yeah. It was easy to get you to pay for everything. I saved so much money by hanging out with you. You looked down your nose at me, so the least I figured I could do was have a bit of fun while I could.”

It felt like my heart had been ripped from my chest.

“You don’t mean that,” I whispered.

“You’re so naive, Ava. Why do you think I wanted you to lose your virginity in the first place? You’ve had your head buried in the sand for so long. And what you’re beginning to realize now is that while you judged me so harshly, the truth is, you and I are more alike than you ever thought.”

I shook my head silently as tears welled in my eyes.

“Think about it. You keep going back to Logan because he’s good in bed, don’t you?”

“No. No, I don’t.”

“But at first you did. You couldn’t stop thinking about that dick.”

“Stop it, Camilla.”

“It’s okay. He’s got a thick one. A juicy one. A nice one.”

“Shut up,” I said curtly.

“At the very least, you and Logan are alike. I mean, he tried to change me by controlling me. You’ve always tried to change me by judging me. It only seems fitting that I used you two for the same thing before dropping both of you and moving on to someone who genuinely cares for me.”

I leaned against the bathroom counter to keep myself upright.

“Have a nice night, hypocrite,” she hissed.

Then she exited the bathroom, leaving me there with my mind swirling and my throat silent.

Now I didn’t know what to think. Was she right? Was I really like her? I couldn’t be. I couldn’t be as cruel as her. I wasn’t using Logan for sex. Though, in the beginning, I had been. Was I still using him for sex?

I slowly turned around and faced the bathroom door as it swung open. A bunch of women piled in, giggling and reeking of booze. I slowly found my strength and maneuvered out of the crowd, making my way mindlessly back toward the bar.

How the hell could I have not known how cruel Camilla really was?

“You really should take some time.” Hunter’s voice hit my ears, and I stopped in my tracks.

“Look, I know you want what’s best for me, but I like it this way,” Logan said.

I stepped into the shadows, listening to Logan and Hunter talk.

“When it all boils down, she’s Camilla’s best friend. It’s not a good look. It’s tacky,” Hunter said.

“I like her, Hunter. I wanted the two of you to get together tonight so you could see how amazing she really is.”

“And that’s fine. Ava’s nice. I’m not disputing that. But she’s a rebound. You know it, I know it, and, eventually, she’s going to find out. But it’ll be too late for a girl like her.”

“A girl like her? What the hell does that mean?” Logan asked.

“You know—innocent, wide-eyed, naive. She’ll think you actually like her, and when you realize you really don’t, it’s going to hurt her. I’m just trying to save you both.”

Naive.

That must have been the descriptive word of the night.

“You’re wrong about this,” Logan said.

“Dude, just ditch her and come be single with me for a little while. I know you don’t want to admit it, but Ava and Camilla are friends for a reason. She might be more like your ex than you think.”

Holy shit. Even Hunter thought I was like Camilla.

“She’s nothing like Camilla. Nothing at all,” Logan said.

“Look, I’ve got two hot ladies in the corner who are ready for some serious action. And you don’t even have to spend money on them like you did on Camilla or Ava.”

“It’s not about the money! I don’t care about spending money on a woman I care about, Hunter. I have that money for a reason. It’s just that—”

I stepped out of the shadows and wiped at my eyes. I didn’t want to stay there a second longer. I walked up to the two of them, and Logan whipped around in his stool to face me. But I wasn’t going to stick around long enough to hear whatever it is he had to say to me. Maybe everyone was right. Maybe we shouldn’t have been together after all.