Page 75 of Backslide
“Birthdays?You spend your birthdays with him?”
“He’s not just some jock, by the way,” she says, ignoring me. “He really loves art. He’s very knowledgeable. Did you know that about him?”
I did. Of course I did.
My mind is blown though, as I contemplate how many ridiculous conversations I’ve had with Sabrina since they became friends again—about how muchwehated Noah and how he was the worst.
She never even liked him much back in the day, even when I did. Never took him seriously.
I cover my face with my hands. Too much humiliation for one day. “I can’t believe you let me go on and on about Team NSA,” I whine. “It’s so cringey. Ugh!”
Sabrina pops out of her seat and comes to kneel in front of me like I’m a knight and she’s a squire. Like she’s Noah examining my arm. She grabs my hand—and it would be funny because it’s so absurd if I wasn’t feeling so betrayed. “I amsosorry. Truly. But I love you. And I didn’t think it mattered much because you’re so rarely in LA and you never see him or anything. Well, today you’ve seen a lot of him. Likea lot. But you know what I mean. It seemed like it would just cause you unnecessary pain.”
I sigh. “I guess I can see that.”
“Also, just as a reminder, I still don’t even know the details about what happened back in the day. And Noah won’t dish either, outof respect for you. One day, you were happily ever after—at least mostly—and the next you were putting a hex on his house.”
“I thoughtyouwere the witch.”
“Can’t there be two?”
“Three!” Rita volunteers, her hand up.
“Anyway, I am so sorry.”
“Weare so sorry,” says Rita, leaning in.
I grumble and cross my arms.
“Do you still love us?” Sabrina asks, tipping her head sideways and shooting me her best doe eyes.
I groan. Roll my eyes. Give in too easily, my shoulders dropping. I don’t have it in me to hold a grudge. “Well, obviously. But please. In the future, do not lie to me again!”
Rita and Sabrina mutter all manner ofdefinitely notandof course notandnever again.
“And now, as punishment, I am going to eat all your truffle fries,” I pout.
“Fair enough,” Sabrina says.
She returns to her seat beside Rita, rests her feet on a nearby ottoman.
“Does Cara know? That you’re friends?” I ask, the thought of them discussing it paining me. “Actually, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.”
Rita and Sabrina exchange another of those coupley glances. The sky is turning to a bruised peach, readying for sunset. This is the world’s longest day.
I eat a few of their French fries but can’t quite make good on my threat. Anyway, we have places to be. It’s time to get dressed for dinner. I skipped last night and today, so I shouldn’t be late. “I better go get ready,” I sigh. “It takes me an extra fifty years with my shoulder.”
“Can I just say,” Rita says, as the three of us creak to standing and head back into the suite. “At least this means you know you can trust our opinions about him. Noah is a good guy. We know him—now. Not as a teenage boy. And I don’t think he would feel you up in a hot tub and then just toss you to the curb.”
“You’d be surprised,” I mutter.
“But what I mean is,” Rita continues, as I reach the door, “I’ve seen how he looks at you.”
I flash to Lydia, so many years ago on the street outside my drawing class.“How come that boy was staring at you?”
Against my will, a small part of me has the same response today as I did then. A streak of joy alights through me like a comet. I tamp it down.
“I’ve never seen him like this before,” Rita continues, as she opens the door for me. “I think he maybe still has legit feelings for you. So, look at it this way: there’s nothing standing in your way!”
