Page 31 of Escape

The disbelief mixed with disgust in her words snuffed out the spark of jealousy. I caught a smile tugging at my cheeks and quickly wiped it away, remembering how she could have been dead and hanging from the ceiling if I had guessed one more wrong letter just minutes ago.

“Guess again,” she said.

“Where is she? Did you…” My voice trailed off.

“She’s fine. That’s all you have to know, babydoll. Guess again.”

“Did she…” Another theory popped into my mind that I was almost too horrified to acknowledge. Almost worse than them seeing each other behind my back. “Did she set us up to get caught?”

Kel hummed in confirmation and I felt my head go light and floaty. A wave of nausea washed over me just as strongly as when Jared lay motionless at my feet.

“Why…” My voice cracked and I had to take a moment to swallow the betrayal searing through my skin. “Why would she do something like that?”

“Why do you think she would, smart girl?”

I lowered myself to the ground, leaning against the shelves as I clutched the phone to my ear.

“You’re going to make me figure it out, aren’t you?”

She hummed again and I let my head fall back. Nostalgia prickled over my skin as the sound of her smooth voice and long breaths took me back to a simpler time. Like I was 17 again, head tucked under the covers with my cellphone pressed between my cheek and my pillow, speaking as softly as I could to not wake my parents.

“Maybe she was jealous? I used to ditch her for you. Lie to get out of plans. She never liked not being the center of attention.”

“Close, but there’s more.”

“What? I don’t understand. Give me something,” I sighed. “Please, Kel.”

She tried to muffle it, but I heard a low groan escape her lips and my body reacted immediately, my back arching forward.

“She tried to keep me away from you, but I never listened. I couldn’t.”

“Why? Did she know something I didn’t?” I questioned, the only explanation I could let myself accept was that Ariana was trying to protect me.

“When was the last time you checked up on your bestie, Jasmine?” I bit my lip at the sound of her saying my name again. It had been so, so long.

“I only kept up with her a little bit after high school, but after my wedding…we kind of fell off.”

She huffed before speaking again. “Under the left shelf, closest to the door. 1113.”

I smoothed my hand under the shelf, gathering dust and grime between my fingers before they finally touched something hard and cool. I pulled out a small tablet. Punching in the numbers, my chest warmed as I realized they were the digits of my birthday. When it unlocked, there were screenshots already pulled up on the display.

They were of a social media profile for Ariana. Much different than the one I’d seen on the reunion group. That made me pause and think back. Had Kel made fake profiles for every single person in our high school class? Talk about fucking dedication.

I swiped over to the next shot and it was Ariana, wrapped in the arms of a woman, who was kissing her cheek. I scrolled again, the next picture was almost the same, but Ariana and the woman’s lips were pressed together. I could feel my heart beating faster as I scrolled again. Wedding pictures. Ariana in a white dress and the woman in a suit, their hands clasped together above their heads. And another of her in a hospital bed, twin babies wrapped in her arms and her wife, smiling, and teary-eyed by her side.

“What the fuck.” I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. “Ariana is married to a woman? She’s…is that why?”

“Yep,” Kel sighed. “The classic ‘I’m gay and in love with my best friend, but I’m not out and have to torture other gay people so nobody finds me out’ bullshit.”

“In love?” I scoffed in disbelief. “With me? There’s no fucking way.”

I thought back to our time together as friends, searching for any indication that she was even remotely interested. She’d always been a little touchy-feely. She was never shy to undress in front of me or watch as I did. She always insisted on sharing a bed and cuddling on cold nights. Was I really so naive that I didn’t see it?

“She had it bad for you, baby.”

“Oh, my god.” I swiped a hand over my face as everything slipped perfectly into place. “She was too scared to show her true feelings and was so jealous when she found out about us…because she loved me. She had to ruin us because she was unhappy with herself.”

“And now she’s figured out her shit and is living her happy married life with her wife and kids. I’ve been stuck in the past, following you like a lovesick puppy in the shadows for ten years. Then you…Well, you married your cover story.”