“You don’t know that,” she said, finally looking at me.“You don’t know what I did.”
I grabbed her hands, brow furrowed.“Then tell me.”
She hiccuped and glanced at the cars behind us.“If I tell you … they’re gonna kill me, aren’t they?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head for emphasis.“They’re not going to touch you, no matter what you did.I know you’re angry about me and your brother, and you’re feeling sick because of the baby.I don’t blame you.Just tell me … what happened?”
A long silence stretched between us, until she finally pulled her hands away from mine and wrapped her arms around herself, looking down at her knees pulled to her chest.“Mira told me in the morning that you and Calix were fucking.I didn’t want to believe her because she’s a bitch, but she showed me pictures, videos.And it hurt so fucking badly.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.“I should’ve told you.”
“Don’t apologize,” she said.“Mira told me that I should talk to you in the afternoon, and I listened.I thought … Istupidlythought that she wanted to help me through it.We used to be best fucking friends, so I thought she still had a heart.But she didn’t.”
A hot tear slid down my cheek, and I pushed it away.
“So, after you left, I texted her and told her that you were gone.I told her that she could come over because I needed someone to talk to.I didn’t know she was working with them.I … if I had known …” A loud sob escaped her mouth, and suddenly, she was wailing in agony.“I’m sorry!I’m so sorry!You almost died because of me.”
Again, I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and pulled her closer to me, lacing my fingers into her hair and gently stroking her head.I couldn’t imagine the pain she was going through right now.
She blamed herself for this, and the guys blamed her too.
“I don’t blame you,” I whispered into her ear.“I promise that I don’t blame you, Diya.You’re my best friend, and I understand why you did what you did.”
“That doesn’t make it right.”
“But you didn’t know.”
“I should’ve.”
“Well, you didn’t,” I said, the wind howling around us.Waves slammed against the rocks, soaking her feet.“Now, please, come home with us.Everyone is worried about you and your baby.”
“Don’t lie.”
“I am,” I said.“Calix is.Your stepdad is.Come home.”
Diya looked at me, then back at the car, her head down.She stayed silent for a long time, then finally nodded.“Okay, okay, I’ll come home.But I … I don’t expect you to forgive me.I don’t expect them to trust me, okay?”
While I did forgive her, I nodded along because I knew she wouldn’t give it up until I agreed.I stood to my feet and held my hand out until she took it.We might not ever get back to the friendship we’d once had, but at least … things had been cleared up for me.
At least, we were good.
CHAPTERNINETY-SEVEN
ASTRID
A sheer whitetop hugged my braless body, my nipples poking through the thin material and my tits onfulldisplay for the entire Redwood student body who was at A’dré’s party.Music thumped through my ears, bodies ground together in the living room, and guys turned to peer over at me with lustful gazes.
I ignored them and continued through the crowd with Ruby.
Astrid the good little virgin would’ve had a major problem with how I was dressed, but I wasn’t that innocent girl anymore.
Not even a bit.
After straightening my shoulders, I grabbed Ruby’s hand so we wouldn’t get separated.Diya had texted me that she might swing by after I asked her earlier, but we hadn’t talked much since everything had gone down.
“You look so hot!”Ruby shouted over the music.“First the sheer top, and now … no panties?!”
My cheeks reddened, and I glanced back at her to see her wiggling her brows.“How do you know that?”
