Taylor gasps but it’s all an act. She knows exactly what her husband is doing and as long as he keeps it discreet, she turns the other cheek. The same cheek her husband’s best friend kisses after he rails her from behind twice a week at his lakehouse.
“That’s so sad.” Berkleigh frowns and I can almost see her morality stepping on the devil’s head to crush his influence over her.
Can’t have that, can I?
“Nah. Kenneth’s secretary is a man and Taylor here blackmailed him into marriage. Don’t feel sorry for this cunt.”
And here we fucking go.
“Why am I not surprised? I guess hurting others for your benefit is wired into your DNA.” Crossing her arms over her chest, Berkleigh takes a more powerful stance, with her leather-clad legs spread shoulder width apart and her head cocked to the side.
“And who the fuck made you a saint, huh? I’m the victim here. He fucking drugged me and kidnapped me. What the fuck is wrong with you?” Damn, I really do hate her voice, and if my Sweet Bee doesn’t do something quickly, my need to shut this bitch up is going to ruin Berkleigh’s present.
Meanwhile, I force myself to keep busy by picking up the rubber band Bones left on the bench. Pulling and twisting and ignoring the growing need to rip Taylor’s head off her shoulders just so I can witness the life fade from her eyes, I keep my focus on that fucking rubber band.
“Taylor, do you even feel any remorse for the shit you put me through over the years? The bullying and the cruelty? You killed my fucking rabbit!” My head snaps up and my eyes narrow, first at Berkleigh, then at Taylor.
My facial expressions are schooled, any emotion I may have is hidden behind a wall of complete disinterest. Inside, however, I’m a boiling lake of lava bubbling at dangerous levels and moments away from decimating everything around me.
“Didn’t know you had a rabbit—”
“I had nothing to do with that.” Taylor cuts me off and it takes every ounce of self control not to rip her tongue out of her mouth and nail it to her forehead.
“There’s no one around to impress, you know. Lying won’t help you.” Berkleigh is seething, spitting her words through clenched teeth. As much as I understand her focus on Taylor, I’m still confused about this rabbit situation.
“Berkleigh.” My tone cuts through the air and her attention snaps back to me. When our eyes lock, I cock my head to the side and narrow my gaze. “What rabbit?”
My question makes her shoulders sag and her voice tremble just the slightest amount. There’s no denying that I’m wholly unfamiliar with these pesky emotions and navigating them is driving me further down the road of insanity. However, I loathe seeing her suffer with every mention of Taylor’s bullying. Granted, I have my own responsibility to deal with when it comes to her past. Even though I never actively bullied her, I made sure our friendship was cut off from all oxygen, and by doing that, it left her wide open to attacks.
A lot of the shit Berkleigh thinks I did was actually Taylor’s handiwork, but I never corrected her.
“I got a mean girls’ version of a hazing, and when I came to, I was being lowered from the lamppost on Cedar Road by the EMT.” It’s impossible to miss the full body shiver that runs down Berkleigh’s spine like she’s still out there as we speak. “Bugsy was a bloodied mess on the frozen ground and everyone thought it was just an innocent prank gone wrong.”
“I see.” Stretching the limits of the rubber band, I nod at Berkleigh’s explanation. My eyes are trained on Taylor, wondering if she’s afraid. Does she know she’s trapped in a basement with a predator? Maybe even two? Earlier, when I picked her up from her nail appointment, there was no fight, flight, or freezing going on. She was like a baby fawn walking up to a starving wolf, ignoring any instinct for survival and confirming Darwin’s theory. It’s easy pickings with this one.
“Well? Are you sorry for any of it?” Berkleigh isn’t deterred from her question.
I’m ready for the bloody part of this birthday party, but I guess my girl needs to have answers, so I’ll have to practice my skills in patience.
My first clue that I’m about to get my wish is the instant sneer on Taylor’s face. This woman’s parents clearly failed at teaching her to read a room.
“You’re insane.” Taylor’s words are slow and deliberate. I can almost taste the coppery tang of blood as I picture her bathed in Berkleigh’s vengeance. “It was like, twelve years ago. Get the fuck over it, bitch.”
Now I’m just fucking grinning and wondering…if I light Taylor’s hair on fire, would it be considered a birthday candle?
“I’minsane, she says.” Berkleigh shakes her head, slicing her gaze to me, and at this point, I think she’s shedding her morals altogether. It’s such a luminous awakening, like all the pressure from normality is circling the proverbial drain and her fucks are no longer available. They’ve left the building. Hell, they’ve left the fucking planet.
“Yup. Which is funny because you’re a psychiatrist.” I release the rubber band, and with Hawkeye precision, it snaps on Taylor’s forehead.
“Ow! Oh my God, what the fuck? Seriously!” For someone who’s about to die, she’s really fucking annoying.
“I’m all for playing with my toys but this one is getting real boring, real quick.” I stand to my full height and step behind Berkleigh, my mouth at her ear and my hands at her waist. “Do you know where her kids were while she was getting her nails done?”
I know my mistake as soon as the question leaves my lips.
“Oh, God, she has children?” Berkleigh’s conscience is back in the game. Fucking rookie mistake.
“Barely,” I whisper, but the little bully hears me and tries playing my girl like a fiddle.
