Page 85 of Back To You

Devin finally sets her wine glass down, her body thawing. “I don’t know what you’re going on about. I didn’t do anything wrong.” Her voice is defiant, and I don’t miss how she always gets defensive over her actions.

Especially since I haven’t even accused her of anything yet.

“Is this the video of you and Luke?” Grant asks, and he throws me for a loop because I didn’t think he’d know about it.

“You know about the video?” Luke asks, his body tightening, making his hand squeeze tightly around mine.

“Devin told me you two hooked when we got back together during move-in week, but she didn’t tell me about any video. It’s news to me it wasthatnight.” He looks at his girlfriend. “I didn’t even know you two were there that night.”

I can’t help but throw my head back and laugh. Not only did Devin probably think she got away with all of this, but this is going even better than I could’ve imagined. Devin spun this web of lies so tight, and it’s all about to unravel. I have to let go of Luke’s hand to wipe the tears from my eyes.

“What’s so funny, Vivian?” Devin asks through her teeth, and it makes me laugh even more. I ignore the use of my real name, knowing she’s trying to get a rise out ofme. Vivian would be cowering; Annie is about to makehercower.

“So, let me get this straight. You assault Luke when he is too drunk to consent. You record it, corner me at a party to show it to me, lie to meandyour boyfriend that you and Luke hooked up, and you honestly think that you did nothing wrong?” When I say it all aloud, it takes all the power away from it. Something that took up so much room inside my head for so many years is now all out in the open.

“Assault?” Devin gasps. “I kissed him, so what? You’re making it sound much worse than it was.” I feel my nails dig into my palms with how tightly I have my fists clenched.

“We didn’t kiss, Devin,” Luke argues. “I was too drunk to even know my name, let alone what was happening to me. You took advantage of that.”

Devin scoffs, and I see red. “Don’t be so dramatic. You’re not some victim, Luke,” she says, and it’s the equivalent of digging her own grave.

“How do you not see anything wrong with forcing yourself on someone like that?” Luke replies, his voice growing in volume. I am so proud of him for standing up for himself and saying his piece, but I am not letting him fight this battle alone.

“Listen closely, Devin,” I say before she can spew some more problematic nonsense. “I didn’t come here to start a fight, but if you keep it up with this bullshit, I will drag you out of here by your hair.”

“No need,” she spits. “We’re leaving. Let’s go, Grant.”

She gets up from her chair and starts to head towards the door, but Grant stays put. “But, Devin—” he starts, sadness lining his features.

“Oh, shut up. You’re really going to listen to these two tell these horrible lies about me?”

“That’s it,” I hear myself say, and I hop out of my chair, walking straight up to Devin. Her face twists into fear as she starts stepping backward. She’s tripping over her heels the closer I get to her, and I can’t help the pride blooming in my chest at the role reversal.

I’m not a bully. Never was, never will be.

But I am someone who spent years being scared of one, and I can’t deny how good it feels to see the fear in her eyes.

It’s a knowing fear because she’s never been in the position she is now, where the person in front of her holds all the power. A fear I know all too well.

Her back meets the front door of Lenny’s, and I close the distance between us. “I have spent way too many years letting someone as pathetic as you hold so much power over me. That ends today.”

Her face is pale in the low light of Lenny’s, the neon lights all over the walls making her face look almost translucent.

She opens her mouth as if she’s going to say something, but she closes it quickly.

“You have two options, Devin,” I continue. “You can apologize to Luke, leave, and pray I never see your face again.” She starts to shake her head, proving she is stupider than I thought, but I’m not done. “Or, you can get your ass beat before doing all of the above. Your choice.”

All of her weight is pressed back against the door, anything to put space between her and me, and I reach to either side of her to push open the door.

Luke and Grant have made their way to the doorway, the Lenny’s crew all right behind them, just in time towatch Devin lose her balance with the door flung open, and she falls on the concrete, landing right on her ass.

She screams, and it resembles a little kid who didn’t get their way. “I’m sorry, Luke! There, you happy, you crazy fucking bitch?” Grant rushes over to help her up.

“Sweetie, you haven’t seen ‘crazy’ yet.”

Grant pulls her by the arm. “It’s time for us to go.”

“And don’t bother coming back,” Luke adds from over my shoulder, and I look up to find him beaming at me, a huge grin on his face.

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