Chapter 27
Jake
Matt and Aaron headedinside, abandoning me in the parking lot behind Carly’s car. Her windows were tinted, making it hard to see inside and gauge if she was crying or wielding a gun. Hesitantly, I walked up to the driver’s door and rapped lightly on the window. After a moment that felt far too long, Carly rolled down the window. She didn’t look at me, but she was staring straight ahead, out the windshield, and her eyes were puffy and red.
“Get in,” she said. I hesitated, but only for a moment because I was not entirely sure I could run fast enough to get away from Carly’s car if she wanted to run me over. So, without saying anything, I move around the car and slide into the passenger’s seat. Instead of driving me to the middle of nowhere for a quick body dump, she turned off the idling engine, and we sat in silence, just staring out the window in front of us. Finally, after what seemed like eons, Carly spoke.
“You hurt me, Jake.” Her voice was steady, but even under the confidence of this girl’s sassy and carefree attitude, I could sense the emotion.
“I know.” I couldn't look at her, not yet, but I knew I had to. She deserves a sincere apology.
Carly sighed and leaned back against the car’s headrest, closing her eyes. Under the streetlights, her pink hair is vivid and bright. She was a cute girl, Carly, and it kills me to think that she gave me what she had only to be cheated on. Even though we weren’t technically official, I think she thought we were.
“I made a mistake,” I told her. Carly didn’t look at me, but I knew she was listening. “I made a mistake by leading you on and making you feel like I was interested in you ... and not Renee.”
Carly grimaced at the sound of her name, and I could tell it was still a sore subject.
“You both betrayed me,” she said, her voice shaking. “I thought Renee was my friend, and I thought you were interested in me. I had no idea about you two, which makes me angry.”
“I am so sorry, Car.”
“Are you, though?” Carly turns to look at me, brow furrowing in frustration. I could see the tears glistening in her eyes. “If you were sorry, you wouldn’t have done it, right?”
“I had no control over it. I—”
“I don’t want to hear excuses, Jake.”
Silence fell over us. I knew she was right, and I knew this because Renee Lyon did the same thing to me with Aaron, one of my best friends.
“I was hurt too, you know,” I told Carly. “You probably never would have thought she screwed me over, too.”
Carly’s head rolled to the side, and she laughed. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. She slept with Aaron, too, after we were together.”
“Wow.” Carly shook her head, but she was grinning. “We’re quite the crowd, aren’t we?”
Outside, tiny flakes of glittering snow began to fall. We watched it for a while, content at the moment, knowing that no one is innocent.
“I think you hurt Renee pretty badly with the flyers,” I said, looking at Carly. Her eyes closed again, and she shook her head.
“I did it out of anger. I was so, so angry at you. Both of you. And she was the closest target.” She sighed and rubbed her hands over her face. “I wanted to hurt you guys. I wanted to hurt Renee, and I wanted to hurt you, but I guess it’s the woman who always gets blamed, isn’t it?”
I wanted to disagree with her, but I didn’t because I knew she was probably right. Boys like us get a pat on the back the higher our numbers are for screwing, and women get attacked. It was the way it has always been, for the most part.
“Have you seen her?” Carly asked. “Renee, I mean.”
“No. She wasn’t in class today. You?”
Carly shook her head. “I’ve been staying at a friend’s house for a few days. I couldn't face her. I could barely come here tonight and face you.”
“I’m glad you did.”
“I doubt it.” Carly smiled sadly at me, and I reached over and took her hand, squeezing it.
“I am sorry for hurting you, Carly, but I wanted you to know that my intentions weren’t honest. I did use you to get to Renee, and it backfired.”
