Page 51 of How to Get Revenge on a Cheating Ex
She probably bores them into obedience with all her lectures about responsibility and talk of their futures.
She turns and catches me watching her. “What are you smirking about?”
My smile widens. “Nothing.”
She narrows her eyes but lets it go, turning to lean against the counter as that tension comes back with a vengeance. I’m not kidding. She’s so high-strung her body’s basically humming like a tuning fork.
“So, how—” She inhales quickly and then gives a sharp exhale. “How are we going to do this exactly?”
I study her for a long moment as I waver between an honest answer and a joke to get her to loosen up. Even eye rolls and weary sighs would be an improvement right now. But what ends up coming out is, “Do you want to talk about it?”
She stares in surprise.
I’ve kind of shocked myself, to be honest. I’m not much of a touchy-feely,let’s talk it outtype, and we both know it. But like it or not, we’re stuck together in this whole pretense of not knowing what Grayson and Rina did, so?—
“Did you know?” It comes out of nowhere, her voice sharp and accusatory.
My head jerks back at her intensity. Out of the corner of my eye I see the tween girls fleeing. Bailey’s scared off the wannabe thieves without even trying.
She presses her lips into a thin line like she’s bracing herself for my answer, and I?—
I officially have no idea what we’re talking about. “Did I know…what?”
She huffs in annoyance. “That Grayson’s been cheating on me from the beginning,” she says, her voice just as stiff as her muscles. “Did. You. Know?”
Her words hit me like a blow to the chest. He’s been cheating all this time? My horror has nothing on hers, but I swear I can feel the ripple effect of her shock. Of herpain.
I shake my head.Shit.“No.”
She narrows her eyes slightly, like she’s trying to read me, and I cut off all the stupid questions that are flying around in my head.With who? Since when? How do you know?
“No,” I say again, with more heat this time. “I promise you, Bailey, I had no idea.”
Her throat works as she looks away, staring at the door as the bell rings, announcing that the junior high boys have left as well.
Probably with pockets full of magnets and bottle openers.
I brace myself for Bailey’s tears, but she visibly swallows, and when she turns back and her gaze meets mine, she’s in control again. “He’s your best friend,” she says evenly.
Was, I want to say. Hewasmy best friend. But I know what she’s saying. I was his best friend so, if what she’s saying is true and he’s been cheating on her for years—how could Inotknow?
I ask myself the same question and come up short. I give a helpless shrug. “I don’t know what to tell you, Bailey. I had no idea.”
A beat passes as she studies me, and I realize belatedly that I’m holding my breath. Why? I don’t know. But I don’t let it out until she nods.
She believes me.
Some of that tension in the air eases up as well. Don’t get me wrong, she’s still a walking ball of anxiety, but at least the air doesn’t crackle with her tension anymore.
It’s no longer aimed in my direction, at least.
Without it, all I can feel is her sadness. And that freakin’ sucks.
I clap my hands and rub them together. “So, we’re definitely doing this then.”
Her lips twitch upward and I call it a win. “We’re doing this.”
“Today,” I say.
