LACEY
The call ends, and I force myself into a sports bra and joggers from one of the brands I endorse. I throw on a cap, hoping it screams stay away.
Spoiler: it doesn’t.
By the time I grab a can beer and head toward the gym, I’ve already heard too many “Hi
Lacey!” and way too many “Where’s Céline?”
I pretend not to hear any of it.
Then- bam. I round the corner too fast and crash right into someone.
“What the fu- oh. Hi, Lacey.”
Tonia.
She’s holding her nose
strained smile.
—
right where it slammed into my shoulder – and giving me a
She’s wearing less jewellery than usual. Just the nose piercing. And even though she dyed her hair last week, her roots are already peeking through. That’s not like her.
I’m clear–headed enough to pull myself out of my self misery and take a look at her. I’ve never seen her roots show before, if that isn’t a call of help I don’t know what is. “Hey, Tonia.
Are you okay?”
She doesn’t look okay. Her cheeks are flushed, eyes puffy. Her lips tremble a little. When she drops her hand from her nose, she sniffs hard.
“I was actually looking for you,” she says softly. “Can we talk?”
It takes everything in me not to roll my eyes and down the beer in my hand.
I know I’m not in a good place. I know the way I ache to crack this can open and drink until everything feels distant isn’t healthy.
But I also don’t care.
I force a small smile, already half–turned toward anywhere else. “I’m a bit-”
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Chapter 138
“Please,” Tonia cuts in.
Her eyes are glassy. Not angry, not cold. Just… sad. And damn it, something inside me tugs. “I won’t take too long.”
and
pop
We end up leaning against a quiet railing somewhere on the upper deck. I give up the can open, drinking without looking at her. Tonia’s trying not to cry. She’s not great at hiding it.
“Can you talk to Céline?”
Great, I see where this is going already.
I take another swig, waiting.
“I know I’m not perfect,” she starts, voice tight. “But I love Deji. So when he brought up adding someone new to the relationship, I said okay. I wanted to be okay with it.”
She lets out a bitter laugh.
“But if it had to be Céline… it made sense. She already has the kind of reputation people whisper about. So if people talked, who cares? Right?”
I look over, jaw tight. She’s watching me like she’s trying to measure my reaction.
“You act like you don’t see it,” she says. “But you do, don’t you? You know how she is.”
1 press my lips together.
I’ve heard this kind of thing before. And I’m tired of it.
“I don’t like how you’re talking about my best friend,” I say, sharp and clear. “If you’ve got a problem with Céline, talk to her. Don’t come to me just to tear her down.”
I turn and start walking away,
But Tonia isn’t done.
“No wonder you defend her,” she says behind me. “You’re like every guy she’s ever sunk her claws into. So taken by the pretty face and sweet voice you can’t see what’s really there.”
That does it.
I throw my empty can in her direction. Hard. I don’t even care where it lands.
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Chapter 138
Céline’s been put through hell for years. People calling her names. Making her the villain in stories she never wrote. I thought that would stop now that we were friends. That I could
shield her, maybe.
But I guess I haven’t done a good job of protecting her at all.
She’s soft in ways most people don’t get. And some people see softness as weakness. As something to take advantage of.
Not on my watch. Not anymore.
“You don’t deserve it, but I’ll give you a piece of advice anyway,” I look back and see my can landed at her feet, throwing her the most venomous glare I can muster, I continue. “Instead of always blaming her. Why don’t you break up with the bastard instead?”
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