Page 48 of How to Get Revenge on a Cheating Ex
“With me.” Toni reaches for her drink, her eyes wide and innocent as she lies far more convincingly than I ever could. “Bailey promised to help me with a summer class I’m taking and tonight’s the only night we’re both free.”
I stare at her.
She stares at Grayson.
Grayson turns to stare at me. And for some reason, I tense up. I half expect him to call me out as a liar, but he just sighs like I’m a huge disappointment. “I can’t believe you forgot.”
I shrug and give him a wince of regret. “Sorry.”
Grayson leaves the cafeteria first, but not without giving me the cold shoulder and a passive aggressive sarcastic comment about how he hopes I have fun with my study date.
Jessica and her friend follow him, asking about the party, and Toni and I wait a minute before tossing our trash and following the others into the bright sunshine.
“You okay?” Toni’s voice is gentle, and it makes me want to cry. I wonder how much she knows...or how much she’s guessed.
I turn to give her a smile. “Thanks for the save.”
She shrugs. “No problem.”
We walk in silence toward the souvenir shop. She’s stationed a little farther off by the games, and neither of us is in a hurry to get back to work.
“Are you guys fighting or something?” she hedges.
I swallow.Or something.I give a little nod.
“Doesheknow you’re fighting?” Her tone is still gentle, but there’s a hint of amusement there that makes me smile.
“Not exactly.”
“Ah,” she says with a knowing smirk.
For a second, it’s so normal to be talking to her. It’s almost like no time has passed. Her shoulder-length red curls bob as she walks, and I can’t make out her expression, but I have this overwhelming urge to spill my guts.
I need a friend so badly, and Toni stepping in back there—it was like old times. I remember vividly how good it felt to have a friend who knew what I was thinking, who was always on my side. Who I trusted to keep my secrets and to have my back.
“Do you want to know why?” There’s laughter in my voice now, too. Not like I suddenly find it hilarious that Grayson cheated on me and broke my heart, but there’s something so nice about walking with her like this. Talking to her about something that’s not meaningless small talk.
She glances over with an impish grin. “Only if you want to talk. I’ll admit, I’m curious what’s going on between you two, but it’s not like it’s my place to ask, you know?”
That stings just a little. I mean, it’s the truth, but it still stings.
But I want to tell her. I love my sister, but we’re not friends. We’re too different. And Janie has always hated Grayson so I can’t talk to her about what’s going on between us without feeling her ‘I told you so’ even when she doesn’t say it aloud.
And Zack is...well, Zack is Zack. He’s got his own issues going on with Grayson, and he’s not exactly the person I want to go to for girl talk.
Toni looks over again and laughs at whatever it is she sees in my expression. “Look, forget it. You don’t owe me anything. We’re not BFFs anymore and?—”
“He cheated on me.” I blurt the words out quickly and we both come to a stop as a group of tween girls pass us with high-pitched laughter.
Toni’s eyes are wide with surprise, but she doesn’t speak right away and the air is filled with the sound of games and rides and the voices of people walking around us.
She blinks and the surprise fades to a look of regret. “That sucks.”
Now it’s my turn to blink.That sucks?
Her gaze is shifting to take in the people around us and she looks decidedly uncomfortable.
That sucks? Really? That’s the best she can do?
