“On his way back,” I repeat, staring at her. “He’s working. Shouldn’t you all be? It was just a fainting spell or something. Wait - why did you tell Rich anything?”
She frowns, glancing towards Russell, who has the audacity of holding my cat up while he makes kissy faces at Brutus. I don’t think I’ll ever get that much love from my cat ever again. He speaks up without looking over at us. “Rich said you’d be down for some girlfriends. He knows they’re over here-”
“Russell,” Laci cuts in, “shut it.”
But I hear it loud and clear. Apparently I’m inept at making friends and it shows, because these two were just here out of pity. My eyes skate around the room, and the self hate returns.
I don’t know what Rich is trying to do here, but it’s causing more harm than good. “Get out.”
Anita winces. “Rich will be here in a while, and you can’t be all alone after a fainting spell. That’s poor practice. You can yell at him all you want once he’s here.”
“No,” I tell her, turning my gaze on her. She’s probably the sweetest of the four of them, and she doesn’t deserve my ire. “Get out. You’re just here out of pity. I don’t need it or want it.”
My hands shake when she frowns, and I know what my body’s craving. I need something to take the edge off, and the only thing that’s going to do that is liquor. I doubt drinking in front of them will help me out, especially since I want the alcohol more than I want water.
“No one’s pitying you,” Laci snaps, and my eyes turn to her. I don’t know why I thought she wouldn’t speak up. She’s a lot more opinionated than Anita is. “I told him I’d come over if he wanted to surprise you instead of going to a crowded spa. It’s called beingnice.”
I lean away at the bite in her voice, and Emilio’s eyeing her like he wants to say something but is smart enough not to. “It’s called self-insertion. I didn’t ask anyone to invade my privacy. Now get out. All of you.”
Laci throws up her hands. “You know, this is why everyone avoids you. It doesn’t hurt to accept help sometimes.”
“I don’t need help,” I tell her, narrowing my eyes. “And I don’t need people to pretend like they like me.”
“Fine,” Laci says, stalking past Emilio to grab the duffle bag and suitcase. Her heels click loudly on the tile as she picks everything up, shoving the bag towards Emilio, and shoots me a look. “I thought we could just make up and stop ignoring each other at S&S. Don’t you think it’s been awkward doing that for the past year? But whatever. Keep being bitter if you want to.”
She tears the door open and stalks out. Em studies me for a moment, his eyes unreadable, before he follows her. I’m not at all surprised that he leaves right after her, but I am surprised that he bothered to look back at me.
Turning, the other two look less inclined to leave. Anita’s sitting stubbornly on the coffee table, and Russell hasn’t even moved. He’s still busy sucking up to my cat.
“Door’s open,” I tell them, gesturing to it.
Anita scoffs. “Soon as Rich gets here, feel free to kick us out. Until then, you’re stuck.”
