Page 55 of Pack Rivals: Part Two
He shrugs his shoulders like that won’t be a problem either. He really is infuriating and still as damn hot as ever.
I shake my head and concentrate on searching for more bits of plastic.
A few moments later, another shadow falls over me.
“That was quick,” I say, “maybe we need to upgrade the security system if it was that easy to penetrate.”
“Hi, Bea.”
I jolt, dropping my bag, my visor tumbling off my head. It catches on the breeze, sailing across the sand and landing right by the feet of my former best friend. Serena.
I whip the rubber gloves off my hands and toss them to the ground.
“Serena?” I say, blinking against the light. Am I seeing things? “What are you doing here?”
“I came to see you.”
I stare at her in disbelief. “You came all the way out here to see me. Why?” We haven’t seen each other since the day before the wedding. She was meant to be there to help me get ready. She never showed up. Her mom said she was sick. I sent her this long voice message telling her how upset I was that she was going to miss the wedding, how it wouldn’t be the same without my best friend, how I’d save her a huge slice of the wedding cake.
I had no idea she was already halfway to the airport.
I never expected to see her again.
I certainly never expected her to seek me out.
“To apologize.” Her eyes flick to the handle of the knife poking out of my pocket.
Apologize? I stare at her in disbelief. “How did you find me?”
“Courtney’s always been awful at keeping a secret.”
“Courtney told you where I was?” I grind my back teeth together, thinking to all the ways in which I will torture Courtney when she gets home. Maybe some of this trash could end up in her bed.
“She was trying not to. She didn’t think you’d want to see me.”
“Yes, well, she was right.”
I pick up the gloves and stomp towards the house. If I can get inside, I can lock the door.
“Bea, can we talk?” Serena asks, trotting along beside me.
“You came here to apologize. I’m not sure I want to hear it. Because,” I halt, Serena nearly colliding into me as I spin around, “who is the apology for? Will it make me feel any better about …” I choke, unable to find the words to even describe what she did to me. “Or are you only here to try to absolve some of your own guilt?”
My ex-best friend stares down at her shoes.
I notice she’s more tanned than usual. Probably from the holiday in Barbados.
“I don’t expect you to forgive me, Bea. But I miss you so damn much and I thought if there was only a smidgen of a chance I might be able to mend things between us it would be worth a chance.”
“Mend things?” I say in disbelief. “Serena, are you still with him?”
“No, oh god, no.” She shakes her head in disgust. “Bea, Karl is a mega jerk. I never realized before but spending–”
“My honeymoon!” I snap.
“Yeah,” her cheeks turn pink, “spending time with him made me realize it. I’m glad you didn’t marry him, Bea. You deserve so much better than him.”
“I didn’t deserve the two people I loved most in the world to do that to me,” I say, my voice choking up as the tears begin to tumble down my cheeks.
