Better Than Me

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

I went too far. And by too far, I meant I completely crossed the line. But I did it, and there was no going back. It was one of those things that you looked back on and thought, "Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time."

Except generally when this happened, you were the only one who came out the other end harmed. It was your life you fucked up. This time, it was someone else's life I'd fucked with.

It took me a couple days to retaliate against Sophia for the stunt she'd pulled with my "girlfriends." I should have just let it go, but I'd already talked a big game. To be honest, my ego was too bruised to let her win.

It started off with Blake and me bouncing ideas off of each other while we were on set, usually near Sophia so she would imagine the worst. In reality, they were just childish ideas that wouldn't really harm anyone: drawing a mustache on promotional images of her, putting itching powder in her shoes, or maybe hiding an egg somewhere in her trailer and letting it rot and smell up the place.

Then I got a call from my mom about how disappointed she was in me after she heard the news and that she was hurt I couldn't trust her with details about my personal life. She'd never told me she was disappointed in me – at least not about anything serious. She usually said it as a joke if I ate the last slice of pizza or ate the food she'd been hiding for herself or something. She'd always been proud of me. Sophia's stunt changed even my mother's perception of me – and even if part of me knew my mom's perception of me was unrealistic because she didn't know everything I did, I was still annoyed enough to retaliate with something a little more serious than itching powder or rotten eggs.

So I did.

I found someone to play Sophia's "private assistant" and confess to buying Valtrex for her herpes outbreaks. She appeared on television via Skype and everything. She was a little too eager to do the job, especially considering I had orchestrated the scheme anonymously and she didn't realize I was involved.

I regretted it as soon as I realized it was too late to take it back. Not because I had warmed up to her or no longer thought she deserved to face some sort of consequence, but because I knew I'd crossed a line. Her stunt had been based in truth. Mine wasn't.

But with nothing left to do but own my decision, I shoved aside my feelings of regret and pretended I'd meant to do this much damage.

Too bad "owning my decision" somehow translated into "ignoring all of her calls" like a pussy.

Blake just shook his head at me from his spot on the couch, whereas Bubba looked up at me every time my phone went off, cocking his head.

"Don't look at me like that," I told him. "If you knew why she was calling, you wouldn't want to answer either."

He just barked in return. When my phone rang once again, I quickly declined the call so he'd stop looking at me like I was eating bacon in front of him without offering him any. 

"If you don't answer, she's just gonna show up here again and tell you what a terrible person you are again," Blake said, taking a sip of his Bud Light.

"I'd almost forgotten about that, but thanks for reminding me."

"Anytime," he said with a grin. He turned on his dog voice when he spoke to Bubba next. "Your dad's an asshole, isn't he Bubba? Yes, he is."

I should've taken Blake more seriously. More than that, I should've known Sophia wouldn't give up after a few – okay, more like a dozen – phone calls. And I guess I wasn't too surprised when she showed up half an hour later, just as Blake had suspected she would.