Page 83 of Built to Fall
No one says anything for a beat.
Eden breaks first, her voice quieter than before. “Kara…”
“It wasn’t like that,” she cuts in, too quickly.
“You sure?” Meredith raises an eyebrow, folding her arms. “Because last year you came back from one of those parties, and you didn’t sleep for two days.”
I wasn’t living here at the time, which makes it impossible for me to speak on the situation. All I know is that this is now awkward for all of us.
We’re well aware of the type of activities she’s alluding to, but none of us are willing to say it out loud. In fear of hurting her. In fearfor her.
“That was finals week,” Kara deflects.
“That wasbeforefinals week,” Meredith corrects her. “I remember because you stayed up all night pacing the living room.”
Kara hops off the counter, suddenly overly focused on rinsing her plate in the sink. “Jack just doesn’t get it. He thinks life has to look a certain way—Sunday farmer’s markets and color-coded calendars. I’m not interested in becoming that girl.”
“No one’s asking you to become anyone else,” I say gently.
She lets the water run over her hands longer than necessary. “Well, Jack was trying. He just wouldn’t admit it.”
“Kara,” Eden says again, this time stepping closer, “we’re not judging.”
“I know.” Her voice sounds tight. “I’m just…tired of pretending like it’s some big scandal. It’s been going around inNotes of New Haven.We broke up, so what? He didn’t like who I was turning into. End of story.”
But even as she says it, she won’t meet any of our eyes.
And none of us say what we’re thinking. That maybe Jack wasn’t wrong. That maybe Kara’s trying a little too hard to make it sound like it didn’t matter. That maybe we should’ve noticed sooner.
It’s a difficult line to walk. One I’ve never experienced before.
Because now I’m certain that one of my closest friends could be doing more illicit drugs than she’s ever let on and that it got to the point where her boyfriend of nearly two years broke up with her because of it.
There’s no eloquent way to describe that feeling—the one swirling around my gut, wondering what this industry she’s involved in is doing to her.
Messy.That’s what it is.
Notes of New Havenseems to think so too, their latest title reading:
PARTY GIRL AND PR NIGHTMARE. HAS JACK VOSS HAD ENOUGH?
I was naive enough to think it wasn’t true.
“Can we talk about something else?”
“Sure!” Eden jumps at the opportunity. “Except instead of talking, what if we just sat on the couch and watchedSex and the Cityfor the rest of the day?”
“I’ve never heard a sounder idea.” Meredith nods, already placing the random dishes in the sink and heading into the living room.
“I don’t even remember where we left off,” I say, grabbing one of the five blankets off the back of the couch and settling into my normal spot.
Eden curls up beside me. “Somewhere in season three.”
“Okay, serious question,” Kara starts as she queues up the TV. “Who do you think your Mr. Bigis?”
Mr. Big is exactly the kind of man I hope I never come into contact with—whether Carrie Bradshaw ends up with him or not.
Between the ego and the need to be chased, he wouldn’t last a week with me.
