Well, everything with the library at least. April was even more confused than ever about herself and Vicki. The constant push and pull between them left her disoriented. That intense kiss they’d shared at the masquerade ball only made things worse. April kept reliving it over and over in her head in an attempt to understand it.
Or maybe she just wanted to experience it again.
April had also been mulling over what Vicki said to her at the ball. Working with those in power, not against them. Doing something bigger. She had never even considered politics before, but she was starting to come around to the idea.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Lexi marched into their office, an inscrutable expression on her face.
She thrust her phone toward April. “Is that you?”
April stared at the photo on the screen. It was from the masquerade ball. The photo was of a group of ladies posing for the camera.
And behind them were April and Vicki, arms around each other, lips locked.
April cursed.
“That’s you, isn’t it?” Lexi said. “You and Vicki Blake?”
“Y-Yes,” April said. This wasn’t good. At the very least, April and Vicki were just two of several people in the background of the photo, just faces in a crowd. And they were wearing masks.
But it hadn’t been enough to fool Lexi. “I can’t believe it,” she said.
“Look, Lex, it’s complicated-”
“How could it possibly be complicated? Were you drunk? Was it just a momentary lapse?”
“It was more like a series of momentary lapses.” April paused. It was time to come clean. “Remember that night we went to The Sapphire Room, and I met someone?”
“Wait, that was her? Vicki Blake?”
April nodded.
Lexi looked like April had slapped her. “You kept that from me all this time?”
“I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know who she was until that town hall meeting, and then I was embarrassed, and angry, and then I was just in denial about everything.” April knew how feeble her excuses sounded.
“That’s why you were defending her the other day. Have the two of you been fucking this whole time?”
“It’s not like that,” April said. “Well, it kind of is. At least, it started off that way. But I think… I’m really starting to care about her, Lexi.”
Lexi’s expression softened. “Seriously?”
“I don’t know.” April groaned. “I have so many feelings about her, and some of them are good, and some of them are bad, and I’m so confused.”
“Wow.” Lexi pulled her chair over to April’s desk and sat down next to her. “I didn’t think that the two of you were actually serious.”
“We’re not. I mean, we couldn’t possibly be with everything that’s going on.”
Lexi was silent for a moment. “You could have told me, April.”
“How could I?” April asked. “You’re always going on about how much of a bad person she is.”
“I guess you’re right. That would have made it hard, huh?”
April studied her friend. Lexi had a guilty expression on her face. “What is it?” April asked.
Lexi sighed. “You were right, the other day. My grudge against Vicki is kind of personal.”
“What do you mean? Did she steal some girl from you?”