Page 99 of Collateral Damage
“It’s none of your fucking business,” she hisses, her eyes filling with anger and unshed tears.
It should feel nice to get some honest emotion out of her, but it doesn’t. It just leaves me gutted.
Arden appears in my peripheral. “Are you okay?” she asks, concern laced in her tone.
Sybil and I answer with a quick, simultaneous, “Fine.”
Arden steps next to her cousin, folding her arms over her chest and glowering at me. Seeing her dressed up makes the family resemblance even more striking. I have to catch myself from gaping at them. They look more like twins than Ethan and I do.
“This is a new look,” I say to her, trying to sound positive, but it comes out mocking.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sybil’s immediately on guard.
I lighten my tone. “Only that you’re different. I didn’t say it was bad. Maybe it’s a good thing.”
It’s not entirely a good thing.
Seeing the confidence in her that wasn’t there before is agreatthing. She has a family she didn’t have before. But knowing whatever friendship we have is decimated? That she hates me? That part sucks.
There’s so much I want to say to her, but Sybil quickly grabs her cousin’s hand and drags her away. I don’t know if I should go after them, don’t know my place in this situation anymore. Maybe I have none at all. I’m conflicted as hell when Arden looks over her shoulder at me, and I catch a glimpse of the girl I used to know. I make up my mind, going after them.
As soon as I catch up, Sybil shoots me a scathing glare, but what I have to say isn’t for Sybil. I need to get this off my chest.
“I should’ve realized you were related to the Laurences the first time I saw you, Arden. I can’t believe I chalked it up to coincidence. You two look even more alike in person.”
“Like I said, it’s none of your business,” Sybil answers for Arden, and I have to stop myself from telling her off for it. I swear, this woman is going to be the death of me.
“You should’ve called me,” I try with them both. “At least when you met her and learned the truth, you could have pickedup the phone. We don’t have to hate each other just because our parents are idiots.”
I’m expecting to be put in my place by Sybil, but Arden is the one to do it. “Are you kidding?” She laughs. “Am I forgetting the part where you gave me your number? Oh, that’s right, you didn’t. You pulled that frost cold-shoulder bullshit on me for weeks before you left. Even if I could have called you, I wouldn’t have.”
Sybil was trying to get Arden to walk away a minute ago, but now she drops her hand and turns on me, pressing her hands against my chest to push me away. I don’t move. I’m frozen to the spot, staring at her. There’s so much hurt in her eyes, and it makes my heart shatter. But that’s the thing about shattered hearts—they’re repaired best by building thicker walls.
“Andyoushould have calledme,” Sybil hisses. “The second Arden walked into your house and you saw the family resemblance, you should have picked up your phone. But you didn’t, did you? I had to find out from my parents months after you guys met her.”
Is she for real?
I’m so fucking frustrated I could scream.
Yes, I should’ve called her, but she’s acting like she wasn’t the one to cut me from her life. I’m not the only one who messed up.
“I guess we’re even,” I growl, searching her face for something I can use to make this right. Regret? Forgiveness? Or even some goddamn understanding would be nice.
She shakes her head slowly and inches back, her face an unreadable mask. “We’re not even. We’re not anything.”
Those words are like salt sucking me dry. The worst part? She means them. She’s not so unreadable after all.
“Let’s go.” Arden leads her away, and I don’t follow and or say anything more. Sybil got the last word, and all I can do is accept she’s right about one thing.
Sybil Laurence and me?
We’re not anything.
Forty-Two
Sybil
Present - Age 27
