Page 108 of The Pinkie Pact

Slowly, we began to talk more and more... just while we were eating, casual stuff about our days. And then, after we studied, we settled onto our separate couches, across from each other. At least now, Kieran knew to bring his own pillow and blanket, plus a toothbrush.

It was so thoughtful that he did that because a part of me really wanted him there. A part of me still wanted to be with him all the time. But the hurt and pain were still there, buried deep in my heart, not letting up on their relentless grip, making me wonder if I'd ever recover from this situation.

One afternoon, as I unloaded my bag onto my bed, I started to think about the upcoming holidays. Thanksgiving was next week, and I could hardly wait to get home and be with my family.

I was craving a hug from my mom and the delicious dinner she always cooked. Some of her homemade pumpkin pie smothered in whipped cream would go a long way to help my heartache. I'd even put up with my brothers for a little taste of home.

Smiling at myself, I realized I was pretty desperate if I was actually missing my brothers a tiny bit. And that was when the door crashed open, Kara busting in, her face a mess of tears as I stared at her in shock.

Through her sobs, she finally spit out what was wrong. "Gen is married!"

A Shocking Lie

Sky

"What?" I asked, my mind not quite taking in what she said.

"She's married!"

It made no sense. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. She told me herself."

I blinked at her before realizing this girl was in desperate need of a hug. Rushing over to her, I threw my arms around her and let her cry on my shoulder, patting her back as she sobbed.

"I'm sorry. So sorry," I kept whispering, not even sure if she heard me. But it didn't matter. There were no words to take away this pain, the agony of heartbreak.

God, Kara had been right. Having your heart broken was the worst. And now, here we both were. At least mine had faded a little bit with time. But hers was fresh, and it fucking sucked.

How could Gen do that to her? I knew it! From the beginning, I had suspected something was off about her, and now, I knew for sure. Part of me felt awful that I hadn't brought it up. But what could I have said? Kara would have never believed me. And in reality, Kara would have ended up mad atmemost likely.

Her tears started to let up, and she pulled away, only to go collapse face down on her bed.

"What happened?" I asked, grabbing a box of tissues and putting it next to her.

She didn't answer right away, and I went to the kitchen to open a bottle of wine. I poured two glasses to the rim and set one down on her nightstand. Then I settled onto my bed, facing her, noticing she still hadn't moved. God, was she even alive? Could you die of a broken heart?

Staring at her back, I saw it slowly moving up and down with her breaths, thank God. I sat there patiently waiting for her to open up about it all... if she wanted to. But knowing Kara, she was going to tell me every last detail. It was only a matter of time.

While I waited, I texted Kieran and gave him a brief heads-up about what was going on. And man, was he pissed off. He asked a million questions, but I had no answers.

After a few minutes going back and forth, he said he'd bring over some brownies and leave them at the door because he was guessing his sister didn't really want to see him tonight, that she just needed me at the moment. He was probably right about that.

And the brownie thing? That was so sweet.

A few minutes later, Kara sat up, wiping angrily at her face. She pulled the comforter around her and noticed the glass on her nightstand. "Is this for me?"

"Yep. And there's plenty more where that came from."

She took a huge gulp of it. And then another. And one more before finally setting it back down and looking at me, her eyes so sad, my heart hurt for her. I hated seeing her in this much pain, and I wished I could take it away.

"So she just came out and... and told me she was married."

I shook my head, not quite understanding. "She broke up with you?"

Her face crumpled, and she fought it a moment before speaking as I held in my impatience. What exactly had happened?

"No, she didn't break up with me. She was actually..." Kara began twisting the corner of her comforter over and over. "She was actually just telling me something she'd been wanting to tell me for a while, I guess."

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