#EXPOSED

CHAPTER - 12

'What friends are for.'

Maira

"Hey I received your text and got here as fast as I could," Vaanya pulls out one of the barstools and plops on it. "Your text sounded urgent, is everything okay?"

"I found something from the bloody counselor." I pull out the ruffled paper and hand it to her. A frown mars in between the space of her plucked brows and her jaw drops. "In the cafeteria the other day, after you guys left," I add, circling the sunflower tattoo on my wrist mindlessly.

"Well why didn't you tell me about it any sooner?" she queries, her gaze still fixated on the paper in her hand. "And why would he have this?"

I release my lip ring and lean closer to her. "More importantly Vaanya, how does he have it?"

"Does anyone else know about this?" she asks, folding the paper neatly and I shake my head in denial. "Should we tell Ella?" I raise my hand to call in the bartender and nod in agreement. "And...Sam?"

"Don't," I demand and she hands me back the paper. "She's crazy for that guy and we can't afford another slip." She looks away in silent contemplation, propping her elbow on the refectory table and rubs her thumb against her forefinger.

"And her mother?" she finally asks, sliding her gaze back at me. "She needs to know that her mother is with her lover."

"Rats! This already seems screwed up to me," I mutter and the bartender arrives across the table and I place the orders for Buds. "What if that fucker is screwing her mother?"

"Then I guess she will have to kiss him goodbye," Vaanya says indifferently and we stare at each other for a silent beat and then, we both cackle. "Seriously, this is more complicated than we thought."

"What is?" Ella queries as she grabs her seat beside us on one of the barstools.

"Where have you been angel?" I ask humorously. "You've been missing some action."

"Don't even ask, I've been having one hell of a day," she says, tossing her hair back and binding it into a messy bun. She wouldn't even try and still make heads turn.

"Is Aagnay that mad at you?" Vaanya asks softly and she rolls her eyes.

"He's beyond the point of mad," she asserts and I chuckle. Why doesn't that surprise me? No guy would want such secrets out in the open. "He's a looney bin now." Our heads fall back and we laugh.

"Hey, why do you have blood on your jeans?" Vaanya asks and my attention freezes on her denim. Ella looks away and sighs.

"Bitch lost his shit because I dared to defy him," she huffs and I bite on my lip ring to stifle my laugh. Vaanya's eyes pop and she gawks at me.

"Did he hurt you?" she asks softly and Ella's chest deflates. I instantly feel terrible for her.

"In a lot of ways, he did," she mumbles lowly and Vaanya holds her hand out. "Anyway, enough about him." She places her hand on hers and Vaanya squeezes it gently to assure her. "What was the SOS for?"

"I have something that belongs to you," I assert and she raises her brows as I fetch the paper from the back pocket of my denim.

She arches her brow in my direction and I hand her the paper. "What's this?" she asks confoundedly as she unfolds it and the server places the bottle of Buds on the table. I grab one of the coasters as he uncaps the bottle and sets it on the tabletop. "Are you fucking with me?" she snaps, crushing the paper in her fist and I sip from the bottle. "How do you even have this?"