Page 33 of The Writer

“I appreciate you taking such an interest in my personal life,” I begin, “but I really think you should take this time to focus on yourself.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

I pause, bracing for her reaction. “Are you sleeping with a married man?”

She places her hands on her hips and raises her chin. “I just called off my engagement. Why would you even think that?”

“His wife told me about it.” I pause again. “Does the name Chase ring a bell?”

Her eyes are large. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Are you sleeping with him?”

“It’s casual, yes.” She turns away from me now, putting distance between us as she wanders toward the living room.

“He’s married with two kids, Crystal,” I say, following her.

“Not according to him. He says they’ve been separated for weeks.”

“Even if that’s true, don’t you think it’s a messy situation to enter?”

“Nowyou’regiving life advice.”

“I’m not trying to. Trust me, I didn’t go looking for this information.” I raise my hands in an attempt to show her I’m not being judgmental. Rather, I’m concerned, like she claimed to be. “It just fell into my lap, and I knew I had to ask you about it.”

“How do you just stumble onto information like that?”

“His wife is in my writing group. Her name is April.” I pause again, watching to see if the name rings a bell. “She says she knew you from college.”

“I vaguely remember her.” Her arms are now folded across her chest. “I mean, we weren’t close, or else you would know her.”

“That’s what I thought.” Then again, Crystal always ran in wider social circles, even then. Could she have been closer to April than I realized? Could April know more about the past than she is letting on?

“We were acquaintances, at best,” she continues to defend herself. “It’s not like I’m betraying a friend, or anything. And I’m not some homewrecker, either. Chase told me they were separated.”

“I think they are. Now. The timeline might be a little fuzzy on his end,” I say. “April seems to think you’re one of the reasons they’re breaking up.”

“It’s always the other woman’s fault, is that it? Look, Chase is a casual thing. I could cut it off in no time. Lord knows, I have a line of guys waiting on their chance with me. The problems in your life, however, are a lot harder to fix.”

“Thanks for the reminder.” I resent the cruelty of her comment because it’s true. “If it’s so easy for you to end things with Chase, then prove it.”

Normally, I admire Crystal’s confidence, her ability to take on life fearless and head-first, but her reaction to sleeping with a married man bothers me. She’s making excuses, when we both know she’s too smart to fall for his lies and half-truths. After witnessing what I went through with Jasper, I thought she’d be more sympathetic. In fact, my breakup seemed to rekindle our friendship, made her a bigger part of my life again. I’ve tried extending that same olive branch in the wake of her broken engagement with Thomas, and look where that’s gotten me.

“Fine. I will,” she says, uncrossing her arms. “But please, don’t let this argument overshadow what I was trying to say before. It’s time you start living your life again. Enough time has passed.”

“Has it? Remind me, how long did it take you to move on after what happened?”

In a conversation filled with accusations and digs, this is the one that proves most brutal. Crystal and I never talk about what happened. Not really. We dance around the topic, afraid toget too close. Now, Crystal looks at me, the pain from the past decade etched across her beautiful face.

“Moving on isn’t the worst thing in the world. You should try it. It might make you happy for a change.” She moves back toward the kitchen, grabbing her purse off the kitchen table and slinging it over her shoulder. “I’m not a villain for living my life. Don’t make me out to be one.”

“Crystal, I wasn’t trying to?—”

“I’m going out. Maybe we can make plans for another night.” She opens the door. “At least think about the job?”

“I will,” I lie.

There’s already too much for me to think about. Jessica Wilder’s murder. The possibility that one of the Mystery Maidens is the culprit. The black hearts. My life is in shambles, and I’m lost on how to fix it.

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