I blush. I actually blush. My brain seems to have amnesia.
“To old friends,” Oscar cheers and lifts his glass. He’s mildly intoxicated. I wonder how he could get wasted so quickly, and then I remember the beers he downed at my place. Looks like I’m driving again. I hardly ever drink so I’m always the designated driver — I’m used to it.
“To old friends,” Oscar repeats, just in case we didn’t hear him the first time. “To old friends who treat us like shit, and then act as if everything’s all good and dandy,” he says in a very ordinary party chat voice, not boorish or too loud, just very matter-of-fact.
My pulse quickens. “Oscar,” I whisper and grab his beer. “I think you’ve had enough.”
Oscar is acting so strange tonight. It’s not like him at all to drink that much, and it’s not like him to be confrontational. He’s usually so nice to everyone. I barely recognize him tonight. Could it be jealousy? Could he be jealous of Matt Moore? Crazy.
“So I hear you work at your dad’s firm,” Oscar goes on.
“You hear right,” Matt says.
“I bet it was real hard work getting that job.” He smirks. “But I’m sure you deserved it.”
Matt is at a loss for words. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that Oscar’s being a complete jerk.
“How can you even talk to her?” Oscar asks. “After all you put her through? How do you dare?”
“Well, Kayla and—”
A blush creeps along my cheeks. I want to say something, but I’m stunned speechless.
“You two were best friends and then you turned on her and made her life hell,” Oscar plows on. There’s so much rage in his eyes — I havenever seen him like this. “Do you have any idea what you put her through?”
“I was a kid—”
“Oh, you were a kid,” Oscar sneers, cutting him off. “That’s a valid excuse, is it?”
I want to crawl under the table and hide. I want to be anywhere but here. I hide behind a strand of my hair and check my surroundings — thankfully, no one seems to have noticed us.
“You know how messed up she was… for years? You realize what could have happened? What if she killed herself over you?”
Matt’s jaw drops. “She wouldn’t—”
“How do you know that? Did you ever, even once in your life, stop to consider her feelings, Matt Moore?”
I grab a tight hold of Oscar’s arm. “That’s enough.” With all my strength, I drag him away from Matt.
“What’s wrong with you?” I snap. “What’s gotten into you?”
He stares down at the floor. “I’m sorry. It’s just…” his words trail off.
Is he jealous? Oscar is not really the jealous type. If he were, we could never be in this friends-with-benefits arrangement. No, there’s more to it. I’m convinced. “It’s just what?” I ask sweetly.
His gaze finds mine, and for a moment, he seems so vulnerable, I just want to take him in my arms and hold him.
“Kayla,” Corrie whispers. “I need to talk to you.”
Can she not see that Oscar and I are in the middle of something? I’m mildly annoyed when I ask her if it can wait.
She pulls at my arm. “Nope, it can’t.”
I turn to Oscar. “I’m sorry. I’ll be right back.”
Corrie leads me toward the hall outside the grand room. I wonder what’s up. It could be something completely trivial. Corrie can be such a drama queen sometimes — everything is a crisis.
As soon as we’re out of everyone’s sight, she pulls me to her, so close I can smell her trademark scent — Happy by Clinique. “I’ve met Mark before,” she tells me.
“Oh, really?”
“Well, he and Jacob run in the same circles,” she points out.
I consider this for a moment. Yes, Jacob is also a lawyer, and works in commercial law.
“We’ve met once or twice at parties,” she goes on, “back when he was married. I can’t believe the guy. He just acted like we’ve never met before, like I was crazy or something.”
“What? Why?” I’m so confused — she’s not speaking fast enough. “Tell me, Corrie.”
