Beautiful Burn

by Jamie McGuire

  Finley stared at me, stunned at first, and then heartbroken. "How did this happen? How did we grow so far apart? I feel like I'm standing in front of a stranger."

  "We can talk tomorrow, but I need to do this in small doses. At least at first. I have to start packing. I have a lot to do, and it's not fair for you to just drop into my life right now."

  She nodded, gesturing to Marco. He packed up his things, and then rushed into my room to do the same for the few items she had unpacked on her own.

  The wheels banged down each step as Marco pulled the rolling luggage down the stairs to the car. I hugged my sister, and she held on an extra second before turning for the door.

  Once she grabbed the knob, she glanced back at me over her shoulder. "There's something else. You're trying to protect me from something. Don't think I don't see it."

  I closed my eyes. "Please leave, Fin."

  She bit her lip, and then disappeared behind the door.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  The party was already in full swing when I stepped inside Taylor and Tyler's apartment. I recognized a few faces--Jubal and who I assumed was his wife. Watts, Smitty, Taco, and Sugar from the fire station were there, too.

  Tyler jogged up to me, offering a hug and a long kiss. "Wow. You look amazing. Stunning."

  "Thank you," I said, looking down at the strappy, sequined romper and high heels Finley had let me borrow. "I'm sorry I'm late. I was messing with all of this," I said, gesturing to my hair and makeup, "and then Finley called. She wants to talk to me tonight."

  "Uh oh," Tyler said.

  "She sounded happy, actually."

  "Oh. That's good, right?"

  "I think so," I said, grabbing his arm when one heel wobbled.

  The apartment was dimly lit, undecorated except for a single light in a corner casting a rainbow of tiny circles on the walls and ceiling. The speakers were booming what I recognized as music from Tyler's playlist, and I wondered if the neighbors would call the police or let the thumping of the bass slide because it was New Year's Eve.

  "Not a bad way to bring in your birthday every year," I yelled into Tyler's ear.

  "It's like the whole world is partying with us!" he said, pulling me through the crowd by the hand to where Taylor stood with Falyn.

  She was gorgeous; the sparkles in her ivory dress were reflecting the light from the corner, her full, blonde hair and freckles giving her the perfect balance of sex kitten and girl next door. I tried not to stare at her lips and recall that Tyler had tasted them once, even though there had been a time not so long ago that I wouldn't have minded tasting them myself.

  Just as Tyler moved to introduce us, the crowd parted and Paige appeared, looking nervous but hopeful. Her hair was silver now, in a freshly trimmed pompadour. She had more tattoos and piercings than I remembered, the sweet innocence long gone from her eyes. She handed me a beer in a red Solo cup, tapping hers to mine.

  "It's been a long time," she said.

  "How've you been?" I asked.

  "Shitty. How have you been?"

  "Still a drunk," I said, taking a big gulp. "But the Internet says I'm a functioning drunk, so I've got that going for me."

  She shook her head and smiled. "Always so funny."

  Tyler kissed my cheek. "I don't mean to be rude, baby, but Taylor's..."

  "Baby?" Paige said, tucking her chin. "What are you? A couple now?"

  I cocked my head, surprised at the sass coming from such a tiny package. "Actually, we are," I said.

  Paige choked out a laugh, and then continued to giggle, covering her mouth and then waving her hand in front of her face.

  Tyler and I traded glances, and then he leaned in to whisper in my ear. "I didn't invite her. I guess she lives in this building now."

  "Oh," I said, nodding with wide eyes. "Great." I downed my drink, and then Paige took it, reaching behind her and then producing another.

  "Baby," Tyler warned. "There's a fine line between functioning and just drunk."

  "It's New Year's Eve," Paige said. "What is your problem?"

  The door opened, and Finley walked in, staring wide-eyed, fascinated with all the bodies in the tiny space. I took another drink, tossing back half the glass before I saw Sterling step inside, too.

  I choked, and Tyler patted my back while I swallowed the contents still in my mouth and then coughed.

  "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph fucking Stalin," I said, shaking my head in disbelief.

  Finley waved emphatically and then pulled Sterling through the crowd. He looked as sick about the impending disaster as I was.

  "What do I do? What do I do?" I said, panicking.

  "Keep me from killing Sterling?" Tyler said. "That should keep your mind off Finley."

  I looked up at him, watching him glower at Finley's date. I gulped down the rest of the beer Paige had brought me and handed my cup to Tyler. No amount of alcohol was going to get me through the next few minutes.

  "Ellie!" Finley said, throwing her arms around me.

  "Fin ... you've been drinking," I said, making great effort not to make eye contact with Sterling.

  "A bit of celebratory champagne," she said, holding out her left hand. A large diamond sparkled on her ring finger.

  I grabbed her fingers and pulled them closer, and then I narrowed my eyes at Sterling. He shook his head, begging me not to make a scene.

  "We're getting married!" Finley squealed.

  "I don't understand," I said. "You're not even dating? You haven't since college."

  Finley's smile faded, and she pulled her hand from my grasp, returning to her reserved self. "Sterling and I have known each other for a long time, Ellison. Daddy and Mother are extremely pleased. I thought you would be, too."

  "Maybe if this made any sense," I said, still glaring at Sterling.

  "You haven't talked to me in a long time, Ellie. Sterling and I have become quite close and..."

  "Hey!" Paige said, bringing me a fresh cup. I chugged it, handing it back to her.

  "Baby," Tyler warned.

  "Thank you, Paige," I said, wiping my mouth.

  I touched my sister's arm. "Finley, there's something you need to know, first."

  "Fin, we should go. This clearly isn't a good time for Ellison," Sterling said.

  "What does that matter?" Tyler seethed. "Not like it made a difference before. Don't you have any pills for that?"

  Sterling cleared his throat. "Let's go, sweetheart."

  "This is Finley?" Paige said, pawing at Finley's expensive dress. "Oh, yeah! I remember you! From the bar! You were trying to fuck Tyler!"

  Paige's sudden interest in the situation made me nervous.

  "I most certainly was not," Finley said, smoothing her hair. "You must have me confused with someone else."

  "No, no, it was you. You and your Latin lover gave us a ride home that ni--oh my God!" She grabbed Finley's hand and examined her ring. "What is this? Are you engaged?"

  "Yes," Finley said, pulling back her hand.

  "To this guy?" Paige pointed, unimpressed. "Isn't this the guy you were trying to get rid of at the bar?"

  "No," Finley said, blinking. She wasn't used to being in such an uncomfortable situation.

  "Paige," I said.

  "No ... no," she slurred, patting my left breast, "I get it now. I thought it was just me." She pressed her palm against her chest. "But it's you guys." She swung her index finger around, pointing at Finley, Sterling, Tyler, and then me. "You're like ... fucked up, sexual deviants with no regard for anyone else's feelings. Just like you two." She gestured to Tyler and me. "What the fuck are you even doing together? I was nice to you, Ellie. He just walked out on you, and we shared a bed ... I made you cookies," she lilted. Then she grimaced at Sterling. "Then you fucked him, and now your sister is engaged to him after she tried and failed to fuck Tyler. You're all very messed up and should seek counseling. Immediately."

  "What is she babbling about?" Finley said, tucking her chin.

 
I closed my eyes. "Fin..."

  "Did she just say you fucked Sterling?"

  "Actually," Paige said. "He fucked her." She pressed her lips together and nodded, clearly a regretful tell-all.

  My eyes burned, and I reached for my sister. "Finley..."

  Finley pulled away from me, and then turned on Sterling. "You fucked my sister?"

  Sterling held out his hands. "No. I mean, yes, but, darling ... it was a mistake. She was upset, and we took something we shouldn't have ... I'm not even sure what happened. I don't remember any of it, and neither does she."

  Finley looked at me, appalled. "Is he telling the truth?"

  I hesitated, and then nodded, my eyes filling with tears. "I was going to tell you."

  "You..." Finley looked around. "You were going to tell me? Is that supposed to make it okay?"

  "No," I said, shaking my head. "Not at all."

  "That's why you haven't talked to me in so long? This is what you've been hiding from me?"

  I couldn't speak, so I nodded.

  Tyler pointed to Sterling. "You need to leave."

  Sterling reached for Finley, tears streaming down his face. "Fin. Please. I know you're angry, and you have every right to be, but it was a long time ago."

  "How long ago?" Finley asked.

  "Not long after you left for Sanya," Sterling choked out.

  Finley pulled out her phone and furiously tapped out a message.

  "Who's that?" Sterling asked.

  "Marco," Finley said. "I've asked him to pick me up."

  "Sweetheart, no. We have to discuss this." He touched her arm, but she held up her fists.

  "No!" she screamed, her hands shaking.

  Everyone around us turned to listen.

  She took off her ring and stuffed it in Sterling's tux pocket, patting his chest. "You son of a bitch. You were going to let me marry you without telling me."

  Sterling's bottom lip trembled. "Finley, for God's sake..."

  "And you," she said, pointing to me. A tear escaped down her cheek. "You just wait. I'm going to fuck Tyler, and then you can see how it feels."

  "I wanted to tell you," I cried. "But I couldn't take it back, and I didn't want you to hate me."

  "I don't get to hate you," she said. "You're my sister. But you," she said, glaring at Sterling. "You, I can hate." Finley's phone lit up, and she smiled and waved. "Happy New Year, bitches," she said, slamming the door behind her.

  Sterling quickly followed, and Tyler hooked his arm around my shoulder, kissing my hair. "Baby, I'm so sorry."

  I closed my eyes, feeling the streaks of mascara drying on my face. "It's your birthday, baby," I said. I took someone's cup and slammed back the contents. "Let's party."

  When my eyes peeled open, all I could see were mounds of unfamiliar comforter. I blinked a few times to focus, seeing a frame on the nightstand of Taylor and Falyn.

  I sat up, trying to swallow, but feeling like there were pine needles in my throat. I was lying in the middle of Taylor's bed, alone. I walked down the hall to the bathroom, stopping when I heard the shower, and then continued to the living room, not recognizing anyone else still passed out and draped over pieces of furniture.

  "Tyler?" I called, looking around. I stumbled into the kitchen to get a glass of water. The instant the cool liquid touched my throat, I felt a second of relief before vomiting violently into the sink. Just when I thought it was over, my stomach heaved again, and then again, splashing a mixture of beer, wine, and possibly tequila all over the dishes and trash that had been left in the stainless steel basin.

  I turned on the water, rinsing out my mess and throwing away the trash. I started the dishwasher and then plodded down the hall toward the bedroom.

  "Tyler?" I said, pushing open the door.

  Tyler lifted his head, rubbing his eyes. "Hey, Ellie." He blinked a few times, trying to focus on my expression. "What's wrong?"

  "Morning," Finley said next to him.

  Tyler nearly leapt out of the bed, but then scrambled for sheets to cover himself. Finley casually stood in her perfect form and stepped into her dress, zipping it up and grabbing her heels.

  "What the fuck?" Tyler yelped, looking mortified and confused.

  "I so deserved this," I said, my voice breaking.

  Tyler shook his head, touching his palm to his forehead, trying to remember what had happened. "No. You ... you were drunk and went into the wrong bedroom. We just left you there so you could sleep, Ellie. I did not fuck your sister. Where's Falyn?"

  I shrugged. "Why would I know where Falyn is?"

  "I swear to God, Ellie," he begged. He pointed to Finley. "Nothing happened! I have no idea why she was in the bed naked."

  Finley winked at Tyler and then stopped next to me in the doorway. "How does it feel?"

  I let out a faltering breath, feeling my eyes burn with tears. "Like death."

  "Then we're even. Marco is waiting for us outside. He'll give you a ride home."

  She shouldered past me, and I looked up at Tyler. He dropped the sheets, furiously looking for his clothes. "Don't leave. Ellie," he warned. "Don't you fucking leave with her. We need to figure this out."

  "I deserved this," I said, my face crumbling. "But you didn't. I'm so sorry you were mixed up in this ... in my fucked up universe. I really did think..." I blew out a slow breath, trying not to sob. "It doesn't matter."

  Tyler found his boxer briefs and yanked them on. "Ellie, wait."

  I turned on my heels, rushing down the hall and pushing out the door. As promised, Marco was waiting for me in a rented Lexus with my sister looking freshly fucked and content in the passenger seat. I slid into the back, and Marco pulled away just as Tyler burst through the door with just a towel wrapped around his waist.

  "Don't stop," I said, hearing Tyler scream my name until we turned the corner a block away.

  "You might as well turn off your phone until you can change your number," Finley said. "That's what I had to do with Sterling. Are you going to your apartment, or the chateau?"

  "My apartment," I snapped, staring out the window.

  My phone buzzed, and I scrambled to turn it off.

  "Told you so," Finley said. She sniffed her hair and made a noise, disgusted. "Agh, I still smell like him."

  "Shut the fuck up, Fin. Just shut up."

  Marco drove me to the MountainEar. By the time I climbed the stairs, put on a T-shirt and sweatpants, and washed my face and brushed my teeth, Tyler's truck had slid into a parking spot, and he was banging on the back door.

  I looked down at him from my window. He was wearing just a T-shirt and jeans, his boots on but untied. I could see his breath puffing out in white clouds, and he rubbed his hands together between knocks.

  "Ellie!" he yelled. "I'm not fucking leaving. Open the door!"

  I unlatched the window and pushed it up without effort, leaning on the windowsill as I peered down at Tyler. "I'm not mad."

  He looked up at me. "Then let me come up."

  "Go home, Tyler."

  He held out his hands. "It's fucking freezing out here."

  "Then get in your truck and go home."

  "I didn't fuck your sister! I was in the shower this morning. You stumbled to Taylor's room, so I slept in there with you. I held you in my arms all fucking night. Taylor must have slept in my room and your psychotic sister must have crawled in bed with him, thinking it was me. You caught Finley with Taylor!"

  I frowned, knowing I could tell them apart by now, but I had just woken up and was upset. Maybe...

  "Just let me come up. Please? I'm gonna start losing fingers soon."

  "You're going to let Taylor take the fall for you? This is beyond fooling your teachers in school, don't you think?"

  "I swear to God. Just let me come up so I can explain. We'll call Taylor if you want."

  "He would lie for you."

  "Ellie, please? It's my birthday." His dimple appeared, but I stayed strong.

  "Then go find your brother and
celebrate it."

  He shook his head, smiling. "I want to spend it with you. Even if that means I spend the day trying to figure out what the hell happened last night."

  "It's two degrees, Tyler."

  "Then let me in," he said, his smile fading. "I can't leave. It'll ruin my whole day."

  "I think you ruined your day when you slept with my sister!"

  "I didn't sleep with your sister! Goddammit!" he yelled, kicking the door.

  "Stop! Wick will kick me out!"

  Tyler perched his hands on his hips, breathing hard. He shook his head, and then looked up. "Open this door, Ellie, or I'll kick it in, I swear to God."

  "You're a bastard," I said.

  He held out his hands. "And your sister's a bitch."

  I closed the window and stomped downstairs, twisting the bolt lock and opening the door. Tyler passed me, jogging up to the apartment. By the time I walked into the living room, he was shivering on my sofa, wrapped in the comforter off my bed.

  I rolled my eyes and turned on the Keurig.

  "I almost got hypothermia over this," he said.

  "You should have dressed warmly," I snapped.

  "I didn't have much time, considering my brother busts into the bathroom to tell me a half-ass version of the story, and I had to run after you in a towel down the block and then back. I grabbed the first clothes I saw, put them on, and ran out the door. The only woman I touched last night was you. You have to believe me."

  "I'm making you a cup of coffee, and then you're leaving."

  Tyler stood. "C'mon! You know this isn't right! Think about it!"

  I let my hands fall to my thighs. "So what? My sister came back and deduced it was your room because of our pictures on the wall, undressed, and climbed into bed with a sleeping, naked Taylor?"

  "Maybe! I have no idea, but that's more likely than me mistaking her for you."

  I stood tall. "Finley wouldn't do that."

  "Oh, but she'd revenge fuck your boyfriend?"

  My face twisted into disgust.

  The Keurig beeped, and I placed a mug under the spout and a K-cup in the holder, pressing the BREW button. I opened the fridge, grabbing a beer and Tyler's favorite hazelnut creamer.

  I handed him the mug, cracking open my beer. "I didn't stir it," I snapped.

  "Goddamn," he said, offended. "I thought you said you weren't mad."

  I glowered at him while he sipped the coffee with a tiny grin on his face. "There is nothing funny about this!"