Page 97 of Betting on the Best Friend
“Don’t try to deny it.” Niles’s face is grim.
It’s like being woken up from the best dream ever by a fly buzzing around you, only it’s loudandsulky. So I say, “Buzz off.”
“We’re in the middle of something,” Charlie says.
Tally takes Niles’s arm. “Babe, come on.”
Niles folds his arms, causing his fiancée’s hand to slide off, and glowers at us. “Seems like the only thing you should be in the middle of is an apology to me.”
At that, Tally turns and walks off. Niles doesn’t even watch her go.
I don’t want my victory lap, I don’t want to convince Niles I never cheated on him, I don’t want to torture him by letting him believe I did. I want him to go away, so I can go back to this thing with Charlie that is blowing my mind, but also . . . not?
This isn’t a feeling of things flying apart. This is a feeling of pieces falling into place.
“You don’t have anything to say for yourself?” Niles’s mouth, which I notice is tight and sort of prissy, tries to sneer but fails.
I don’t need to say anything to him. I only need him to leave so I can say some things to Charlie. I can’t be bothered withexplaining that to my ex, and I don’t hide my frustration as I turn toward Charlie. “Charlie, let’s . . .”
But Charlie jerks like I struck him, his eyes dark, and I trail off. Without a word, he walks down the aisle of books, hurrying like he’s trying to make a train.
“Charlie,” I call. I know he hears me, but he doesn’t break his stride.
“Where’s your boss?” Niles demands. “She needs to know you two are hooking up at work.”
“It’s volunteer. Shut up, Niles.” I don’t spare him a glance as I go after Charlie.
“It’s a bad look,” Niles says behind me.
I shoot him an irritated glance. “I never cheated on you. I dumped you because you’re boring and clueless. Now get lost.”
Charlie is nearly at the main exit, and I pick up speed like I’m late for an even more important train than he is.
I reach the exit in time to catch the door that hasn’t had time to close all the way behind him.
A flash of yellow catches my eye, and I spot Tally standing in the corner, her arm across her midriff and gripping her opposite elbow like she’s holding herself together. Our eyes meet and she drops hers.
I don’t bother stopping. If she can’t figure out from what she just witnessed that she deserves better than Niles, I won’t change anything by telling her the obvious.
“Charlie!” I yell when my feet hit the parking lot asphalt.
He doesn’t stop, but he does slow to a normal pace as he nears his car. He pulls open his door before he turns to look at me as I stop a few feet away, breathing hard from doing the dash in stilettos.
His car door is between us, and he rests his arm across the top of it. “Don’t worry, Ruby. It’s fine. We’re fine. Tell Sandy I’m sorry I had to bug out early. Stomach.”
“We should talk.”
He shakes his head. “We shouldn’t.”
“But that was big, and . . .” Charlie isn’t the kind of person who needs stuff explained to him, especially not this. I don’t insult him by finishing the thought.
“I don’t need any clarity, Ruby. Go wrap up in there.”
“I need clarity,” I say.
Charlie gives a pained sigh and rubs his hand over his face. “You just summed up our problem in three words.”
“So now we talk about it.” It’s a plea. “That was amazing. It deserves . . . a debrief.”
