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“So, it’s true then?” Anna’s shakyvoice sounded beside me, reminding me that she was still there.
I licked my dry lips before facingmy friend. I swear my heart cracked in my chest as I watched thehurt on her face. She glanced from my eyes to Ian and my conjoinedhands. I refused to let it go under her assessing stare.
“Anna—”
“Are you fucking my dad?” She cutme off as she flicked her gaze back up to my face. My eyes burnedas tears flooded me.
“Anna, it’s not like that.” Ian’sdeep voice did nothing to draw the angry gaze of his daughter awayfrom me.
“I wasn’t talking to you,” shesaid without looking up at Ian. “I was talking to mybestfriend. Are. You. Fucking. My. Dad?” she asked again in achipped tone.
“Anna, I’m so sorr—”
My words were cut off as Annareared back and slapped her open palm across my cheek. My headsnapped to the side as fiery pain radiated across my face. But thatpain had nothing on the heartbreak I felt as I watched tears formand drop from Anna’s eyes.
“Anna!” Ian yelled as he held meto him as if he could stop any more of her blows. I had news forhim, she could beat the shit out of me and it wouldn’t feel half asbad as the guilt that churned in my gut.
“What? You’re just as fuckingguilty! Neither of you thought to tell me anything? I’m not afucking child but you guys snuck around behind my back anyway!” shepanted and cried at her father.
Ian held me to his chest now but Iwas numb to it all as tears poured down my cheeks. “It’s my fault,not hers! If you want to take it out on someone, then I’m righthere,” he said.
Anna stared at me with a hatred Inever thought I’d see before she released another shaky breath andstepped away. “Fuck this shit,” she said as more tears leaked fromher eyes. She stomped off toward Melonie and Ben.
Ben now stood on his feet as hestared at me with some dark emotion clouding his eyes. Anna steppedup to him, drawing his attention to her. “Pack your shit and getthe fuck out of my house. Melonie, we’re leaving,now!” shesaid as she stalked out of the room.
Melonie smiled at me like shethoroughly enjoyed what just happened. Her eyes only left me whenshe disappeared down the hall. Ben stared after Ian and I stilled.I could feel Ian’s muscles priming for another fight if Ben so muchas made a move toward me. But he never did, he simply gathered theblood still dripping from his broken nose with the back of his arm,smearing it all over the ink that lay there. He started to walkback toward his room as he kept his stare straight at me. The smilehe flashed me before disappearing down the hall caused a chill torace down my spine.
Ian squeezed me to him as mybreath left me in shattered puffs. I sobbed in his arms as herubbed my back and tried to soothe me. I allowed it only because Ididn’t know what to do anymore. In such a short time I learned thatone friend was obsessed with me and I made the other hate me. I’druined everything by simply not having the guts to be honest withher.
Ian walked us to the couch, nevertaking me away from his chest as he did. We sank onto the seat andhe cradled me. I allowed him to hold me and gently rock me. Isobbed the whole time while he whispered that everything would befine. “Anna will come around, she just needs time,” hepromised.
I wanted to believe him but wheneveryone except Ian and I walked out the front door and slammed itshut, I had a hard time believing that any of us would be okay everagain.
Chapter Twenty-Three
I’d lost track of time as we saton the couch. I only knew that the sun was up high in the sky andsome time had passed since Anna slammed out of the house. Weweren’t due to catch our flights until tomorrow but my guess wasshe wouldn’t have a hard time finding a flight a day earlier.
Ian never stopped soothing me eventhough my tears had dried long ago. I still sat on his lap, though,still in the same ruined panties and oversized shirt I started theday in. It was hard to think I’d started the day in such a greatway only to have it all come crashing down moments later.
I wondered how many revelations aperson could withstand in one day. Not only did I learn thatMelonie was indeed jealous of me, but my other friend had anunhealthy obsession with me as well. I briefly thought that maybewe could find him help when we got back home but if I was honestwith myself, I didn’t want anything to do with him anymore. Therewas no salvaging our friendship at this point. He had crossed toomany boundaries starting with spying on me while I was in a privatemoment with Ian.
None of these revelations held acandle to how I felt about Anna, though. I’d betrayed her in such ahuge way that I couldn’t even blame her if she never forgave me.I’d be surprised if she would even give me the chance to apologizeto her.
Her relationship with her dadwasn’t like mine. They loved and cared for one another. Unlikemine, I’d be okay if that fucker met the nasty edge of a shank oneday. It was different when you actually cared for your dad and thento have your supposed best friend go off and fuck him behind yourback. I couldn’t even fathom how she must be feeling right now.
I’d cried my last tears long agoand now it was time for me to figure out my next step. It mightkill me but I thought one of the ways to get Anna to trust me againwas to end things with Ian. Even if it was the last thing I wantedto do and everything in my soul said it was a mistake, I didn’tknow what else to do. I was so confused as to which relationshipwas more important to me.
I wanted Anna in my life so badlyit hurt, but I also couldn’t picture Ian not being in it. I couldbuild our future together so beautifully in my head that it hurt myheart to think about not having just that. It wasn’t fair that Ihad to choose between the two of them, but then again when was lifeever fair?
It wasn’t fair to the woman whodedicated her life to her husband and kid just to have her husbandgo off and fuck someone else and then try to kill her. It wasn’tfair to be a young carefree college student and then have one nightruin the rest of her life. It wasn’t fair for a girl to have togrow up with neglectful parents just to marry an equally abusivehusband. Life wasn’t fair to those people deserving something muchbetter.
Yet, they still got a secondchance. They just had to make the right decisions for themselves tomold their lives into something they deserved. So the question was,what decision was the right one for me?
Did I choose the friendship I’dalways wanted? Or did I choose the passionate relationship I’dalways dreamed about?
I blinked and swallowed thickly asI seemed to come out of my daze. I peeled my cheek away from Ian’schest and sat in his arms. He helped but seemed hesitant to let mestand. I said nothing as I stood in front of him and looked down athis worried expression. He studied me as I did him.
Just like I hadn’t changed sinceshit hit the fan, he was still in the soft white towel and nothingelse. His hair was mused and looked just as haggard as I felt.Looking at him wasn’t making the decisions I had to make anyeasier.
