Baby's Breath

Chapter 21: the unplanned plan

"My brother? Jessica Landon, you had sex with my brother and didn't tell me about it?" She stood there, hell and damnation lit her furious gaze. "All this time, you had a fling behind my back with him?" She dropped to her bed beside me, her hands cradling her temples. "Man, when were you going to tell me?"

I sat there, my tears spent though a lump grew in my throat. I felt smaller and smaller every minute. This was so not going the way I'd hoped. Should I be mad at her for eavesdropping over my conversation with Josh? Before I was able to speak, Audra had grabbed hold of my wrist, and marched me up to her room. Boy, she had one powerful grip.

"So it was you who stole my condom to use on my brother . . ." She stared at me as if I suddenly sprouted wings and a tail. "You made me the idiot by blaming it all on him—and it was because of you that Tara broke up, isn't it?"

"No, it wasn't me that time." Skepticism knotted her face and I shouted, "It wasn't me that time! They'd broken up months before." Worse and worse! Josh didn't want her to know. I dropped back on her bed with a groan. I lost my allegiance to her stupid brother anyway.

"What?" she squeaked. "So many secrets! I should hate you, Jessica." She dropped back on the bed, too, staring at the ceiling.

After several minutes, I said, "Say something."

"I hate you."

"Besides that."

"I'm so, so disappointed that you'd make a fool out of me. Asking all those questions about sex when you'd planned all this time to seduce my brother! And I fell right in place like the idiot I am buying you that little swimsuit. Ew! I can't believe—and you drowning at the pool." She shut up so fast and sat up so fast, I coughed. "I bet that was a set up so that you could get my brother to feel sorry for you, wasn't it?"

Normally, I wouldn't put up with this abuse, but I really needed her support. And I felt like crap that I'd betrayed her in the dirtiest way possible by hooking up with her brother with full knowledge that she'd be so ticked.

"Do you really want to be my friend, or were you just chasing my brother's tail?"

Okay, this was making me feel worse by the minute. Hot tears prickled behind my eyes and they streamed down my face. "No."

"No, what? No, what?" she screamed, her face beat red. "No you didn't set him up, no you don't really want to be my friend and it was always—Josh?" Her face made a sour expression as she spoke his name.

"I." My throat swelled shut with emotion and I covered my face. I was the lowliest of insects! "I've always thought Josh was handsome ever since before first grade and I fell in love with him, alright? But I always wanted—needed—you." I felt so small. "Please don't hate me, Audra. Not now, not like this, I really, desperately, need your friendship now more than ever."

"I don't know, Jess, I'm so—so angry with you." She gave me her back and walked away. "I have to think about that."

My heart was so broken, it felt as if it bled. I hugged myself. I had nothing, no one now. What was I going to do? Determined to say my piece, I forced my voice through my tightened throat. "I can't believe how two-faced you are, Audra. So it's okay for you to do it, but not me? Fine. This goes to show just how much I really mean to you if you could easily dismiss me." Feeble. I felt like a little old lady, withered and spent. Ready to die.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She turned around, giving me her evil eye. "What are you talking about?"

"Have you forgotten about Rick? Your brother's friend? Did Josh dump his butt because you chased his tail?" How low of me to turn it around, but I really needed her!