My friends. I was so lucky, so grateful, that they were there for me, emotionally and every other way. Only as long as they had my back, I had to show up for them, too. No hiding. No lying. I needed to be honest. Even if it felt like peeling off my skin.
I took a deep breath. “Gray was there. At the reading.”
“What?”
“The fucker.”
“Who’s Gray?” Fiadh asked.
“Her douchey ex,” Toni said. “He’s, like, this famous writer. He used her for his book and then dumped her.”
I winced. But at least her explanation meant I was spared going into details.
“Dick move,” Fiadh observed. “Showing up at her school like that.”
“So, what happened?” Reeti asked.
Tim pushed out an empty chair with his foot, silently inviting me to sit.
I sank down, sneaking a glance at him. He was wearing hisMr.Darcy face, cool and aloof. Once I might have been duped into thinking he didn’t feel anything. I knew better now. “Nothing.”
“What do you mean, nothing?”
“What did he do? What did you say?”
“Nothing,” I repeated. The memory burned.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I fumbled for it.
“Forget the phone,” Reeti said. “Talk to us.”
I stared at the little screen, the blood draining from my head. “It’s Gray.”
Reeti scowled. “What does he want?”
“Let me see.” Toni grabbed the phone from my numb fingers, turning it so they all could read the message.
GRAY:You ran away. Again.
“Bit of an arsehole,” Fiadh said.
“He’s right.” They all looked at me. I swallowed, hard. “I didn’t confront him. I didn’t defend myself. He said things and I... stood there. Like an idiot. Smiling.”Letting him bring me down in front of everybody. Just like I let him tear me apart in his book.
Three pulsing dots appeared on the screen. Gray, typing.
Toni handed back my phone, her dark eyes wide and questioning.
I need to see you.
Fiadh snorted. “He needs to go fuck himself.”
More dots. More typing.Dinner. Tomorrow night.Not a question.
“I have to answer,” I said.
“No, you don’t,” Reeti said. “You don’t owe him anything.”
Tim was noticeably silent.
