Mary shook her head in disbelief. “Are you seriously trying to fuck with me right now?”
Brie stared at her in bewilderment. “I—”
“Don’t play me, bitch. I’m the reason you almost died. If I could turn back time, I never would have joined the Training Center. That way I could protect you from Greg.”
Brie shook her head, certain she had misheard. “Mary, I thought you couldn’t forgive me.”
“Bitch, I thought the same.”
The two stared at each other for several seconds and then burst out laughing in response to the absurd situation.
“You thought I came here to yell at you?” Brie laughed, tears running down her face.
Mary nodded. “Why else would you be here?”
“I was terrified of losing you.”
She snorted. “That would be the best thing for you, idiot.”
“Never,” Brie declared, grabbing a tissue and handing it to her before getting one for herself. While she was dabbing her eyes, the reality of what they had been through suddenly hit Brie full force.
What started out as tears of laughter quickly disintegrated into ones of pain. “Oh, Mary…”
Mary got up and sat beside her on the couch. “I know…” She hugged Brie, trying not to disturb Antony. Sitting together in that awkward position, the horror they’d faced suddenly bubbled up to the surface. It spilled out in a torrent of tears as the two shared that unspeakable pain.
Mary reached over and grabbed the tissue box, clutching it in her hand as the two of them continuously wiped the tears that refused to stop. It was a shared experience that only those who’d lived through the pain and suffering could understand.
“You’re stronger than I thought, Stinks,” Mary said, blowing her nose loudly.
“Me? I can’t believe you are still standing. I saw what Venom did to you…” A burst of fresh tears started as Brie recalled how brutally Mary had been punished.
Mary calmly cleaned up her face before stating, “I discovered an untouched place inside of me back when I was a kid. No matter how bad the beatings got, my step-father could never hurt that part of me. No one can…”
Brie looked at her in admiration.
“No one, until you.” Mary snarled. “Not being able to protect you was the most helpless I’ve ever felt. It was calculated on Greg’s part—and far crueler than a fucking lashing.”
Brie shuddered as she thought back on it. “Watching you take the punishment that was meant for me is something I can’t forget.”
Mary looked at her with red-rimmed eyes. “I planned to die that last night, you know. I would have done anything he asked to protect you.”
Brie felt chills.
Mary looked down at Antony. “I wanted to make sure your kids didn’t grow up without their mommy. No child deserves that.”
Brie looked at Mary with compassion. “I wasn’t about to watch you die. I vowed to see it until the bitter end so we could both get out alive.”
Mary snorted. “Greg hated that about us. He couldn’t stand the bond we shared because it threatened him.” She growled. “That’s why he used it as leverage against us. It had to be destroyed because it was something completely foreign to him.”
Brie shouted angrily, “I hope to God he goes to the deepest, darkest part of hell, along with everyone involved!”
“They will,” Mary stated with confidence. “And I plan to meet them there one day so I can fan the flames under their feet for all of eternity.”
Brie realized Mary’s intense hatred for Holloway had given her the strength to survive the horrific abuse. But it also tied her to him in a way that was unnatural and harmful to her soul.
Mary had literally fought demons trying to protect Brie.
“You are a good person.”
Mary glared at her. “Shut the fuck up, Stinks.”
Brie said nothing. She knew it might take years, maybe even decades, to unravel the damage Holloway had done to her friend. But Brie silently vowed to remain by Mary’s side every step of the way.
Despite Holloway’s hellish efforts and their own doubts about each other, their bond remained unbroken.