“Yeah,” she agrees.
“This took a conversational turn I wasn’t expecting.”
Her lips curve. “You’re welcome.”
I laugh. “But I liked what you said earlier.”
“About trusting Beatrice to know what’s best?”
“About wanting to hang onto me, but yeah, that, too. And I just heard the shower turn off, so…” I sigh, forcing myself to pull away from her curvy, cashmere-cuddly-and-sexy body. “Guess we should head back to the living room and talk about it.”
Charlotte nods sympathetically. “Yeah, we should. I’m sorry. I really wish neither of you had to deal with this bullshit.”
I sigh again, more heavily this time. “Yeah, me, too. I would much rather be focusing on figuring out if it’s okay to tie you to my bed with these pants.”
“Damage my cashmere, and I’ll damage you,” she says pleasantly as we head back down the hall. But she winks at me over her shoulder as she adds, “We can use some scarves at my place next week. When you’re back from your trip. You can take my being-tied-up virginity.”
My eyes widen. “Really? You’ve never…”
She shakes her head. “Nope, but I’m open to trying new things. And I trust you.”
I take her hand, giving it a grateful squeeze. I trust her, too. Maybe more than I’ve ever trusted anyone. Blue and I have beenfriends longer, but if Charlotte says we need to be honest with Beatrice, then that’s what we’ll do.
An hour later, after Beatrice has cycled through several of the stages of grief—anger, denial, back to anger, sadness, acceptance, and back to anger again—I know it was the right call.
Then she says, “That’s it, then. I can’t do the last two shows. I hate to let down the fans or the rest of the band, but it isn’t worth the risk,” and my shoulders finally drop away from my ears.
My chest loosens, ribs trembling as I pull in my first deep breath since Blue texted earlier. “You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that.”
Bea’s lips twitch as she glances my way. “Of course, I do. I know how protective you are, Bay. I mean, that’s a big part of the reason I came here. I knew you would have my safety top-of-mind.” She sags lower in the couch cushions as she adds, “And you always saw him so much more clearly than I did. You hated him from the start, even more than Mom and Dad.”
“I didn’t hate him,” I say, earning a hard look from the corner of Bea’s tired eyes. “Okay, maybe I hated him,” I amend. “But only because I loved you and wanted the best for you. Way better than some jerk who worked so hard to keep you small.”
She winces. “Yeah. I…” She plucks at one of the giant buttons on her pajamas. “I can’t believe it took me so long to see that about him. Guess I’m not as smart as everyone thought I was back in school.”
Charlotte pipes up from the other couch, where she’s been keeping a low profile, letting us do most of the talking. “Stop that. You’re very smart, and you didn’t do anything wrong. Yougave a man who seemed to care about you your trust, and he abused it and took advantage of your sweet, trusting heart. There’s nothing to be ashamed of about any of that.”
Bea casts a grateful glance Charlotte’s way. “Thanks.” She sits up, bracing her hands on her knees with a sigh. “But I’m not young or sweet or trusting anymore. I’m going to go write my publicist right now, let her know that I won’t be going back to finish the last two tour dates, after all, and get her advice on next steps. As much as I want to tell Kai to go to hell, it might be better to pretend I’m just too sick or something. I want out with the least amount of resistance possible.”
I nod. “I agree. There will be time to tell him to go to hell later.”
Charlotte grins. “Yeah, maybe in a revenge song or two.”
Beatrice laughs, a dark, ominous laugh that lifts the hairs on my arms as she says, “Oh, girl, I’m well on my way to an entire album. I’m going to drag his reputation down to the underworld and leave it there to rot.”
“I’m so proud,” Charlotte says.
“Me, too. Even if the way you said that was a little scary,” I say, grinning at Beatrice as she pops to her feet with a far less chilling giggle.
“I think I might be entering my scary era,” she says, collecting her water glass from the coffee table. “Better to be the thing hiding in the dark than the girl wandering through the haunted house with no idea there are monsters in the basement, right?”
“Maybe?” I say after a beat, not really sure why the idea doesn’t sit well with me.
Before I can figure it out, Charlotte adds, “Better to be the girl living her best life in the sunshine, and I have no doubt you’re going to get there.” She shrugs with a wicked smile of her own.“Afteryou drag him to the underworld and teach him a thing or two about all the reasons even monsters should be afraid.”
Beatrice’s eyes go wide. “Oh my God, I love that! All the reasons monsters should be afraid…” She backs toward the hall, energy visibly vibrating in her frame. “I have to go write that down. Right now. And some other stuff. I feel a song coming on.”
“Go! Write!” I shoo her away as Charlotte adds, “Yes! Right now. But I want to hear it as soon as it’s ready!”
