“Thanks,” I reply. “He’s great. What are you up to these days?”
“Not much. Got married, had two kids, got divorced. I just went back to school last year to get my nursing degree.”
“That sounds like a lot.”
“It can be overwhelming. That’s why I was so excited this was coming up. It’s a nice break from the day-to-day stress.”
“You were excited for this?” I ask, confused.
“I know high school sucked for both of us, you more than me. It’s not about that. I’m excited for the adult conversation. You must not have kids yet. Talking to a seven-year-old is not as much fun as it sounds.”
It doesn’t sound fun at all, but I’m not going to tell her that.
Sliding up next to me, Hunter hands me a glass of red as I introduce him to Betsy. After a few minutes, she waves at someone behind me and excuses herself.
One conversation down, what looks like a thousand to go. The room is starting to fill up, and so are the tables. Looking around, I spot two open seats at one in the corner with people I don’t recognize. Getting Hunter’s attention, I nod in that direction and he shakes his head, nodding at a different table before pulling me by the hand without giving me an option.
I don’t really care where we sit. My concern is that, with masks on everyone, I won’t be able to see who’s approaching. The table I picked was in a corner. I only had to watch who was coming at me. His table is in the middle of the room. I can’t watch my back.
Taking a seat, Hunter introduces us to the other six people seated at the table. Their names sound familiar but don’t strike a nerve. That probably means I didn’t have a run in with them, or they were nobodies like I was. Either way, he picked a good table.
We all make small talk for a few as the room continues to fill with new bodies. The music that has been softly playing while people were arriving stops as two masked people take the stage.
“Thank you all for coming tonight. It’s been a long time since we’ve all been in the same room together. Ten years to be exact. I’m sure you all have fond memories coming back to you as you reacquaint yourselves with one another. Before we get too far into the night, Mason and I just wanted to thank you all for joining us and to wish you all a great night.”
Her voice is like nails on a chalkboard. As soon as she started talking, my body tensed up and my stomach started to churn. If that’s the last time I ever hear it, I wouldn’t be sad.
The one advantage to Tiffanie’s speech is that I now know who to look for. I can avoid her tonight. If nothing else, she won’t be able to get the best of me and I have a shot at leaving unscathed.
Hunter squeezes my hand to show his support and I smile weakly.
“You know what she looks like now,” he whispers in my ear. “You can take control of the situation. All you have to do is walk up to her, say what you need to say, and walk away. You don’t even have to give her a chance to reply.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“I thought this was about proving to her that her words didn’t destroy you.”
“It was. It is. I’m just not sure I can do it. Her voice has me on edge and she was half a room away from me. I can’t imagine what it’ll do to me if she’s standing in front of me.”
As honest as that sounded, it was a complete lie. I know exactly what will happen if we come face to face. I’ll want to run. I’ll crumble into a ball on the floor, just like the old me used to.
“You can do this, Jane. I have faith in you. Have a little faith in me that I won’t let anything happen to you tonight.”
“Promise?” I say, wanting to believe he has the power to keep me safe from the devil herself.
“You have my word.”
Excusing myself to the restroom, I ask Hunter to grab me another glass of wine. I’m going to need some liquid courage if I’m going to make it through this. Even with him by my side, this is going to be the hardest hurdle I’ve ever jumped over.
Hunter’s not at the table when I return. Scanning the room, I find him at the bar, still in line for drinks. He’s talking to a guy without a mask but, from where I’m standing, I can see he’s not paying much attention to him. The guy is at least six inches shorter than Hunter, and he appears to be looking over his head. I attempt to follow his line of sight.
There’s a group of people standing around where Hunter’s attention is directed. I don’t recognize any of them, not that I would be able to with their masks, but I rack my brain trying to remember them for a few minutes anyway. Giving up, I look back toward Hunter to find him staring at me, leaning against the bar. He gestures with his head for me to join him, and I do, taking a seat on the nearest barstool available.
Sliding up behind me, he waves at the bartender, grabbing her attention immediately.
“A glass of red wine and Maker’s Mark on the rocks,” he says with confidence as he wraps his arms around my waist.
As soon as she walks away, he kisses the side of my neck sending a shiver up my spine. My body is already wanting him. If he keeps kissing my neck like that, I’m going to drag him out of here so fast heads will spin.
“Are you okay?” he whispers.
“I’m fine.”
“You know what fine stands for right? Fucked up, insecure, neurotic, and–”
“I know, Hunter. I’m okay. A little on edge and incredibly turned on at the moment, but I’m okay.”
“I know how to solve both those things. Want to get out of here?” he suggests.
Do I? Yes.
Am I going to let him take me back up to our room and have his way with me? More than likely.
There’s something I need to take care of first. I came all this way to prove to her she didn’t destroy me. It’s about time I stand up to her. Plus, with Hunter by my side, I feel like I can do anything.
“Yes, but let’s take care of what we came here to do first. One more lap around the room. She’s not the only one I want to see me for who I am now. If we don’t run into her, I’ll let it go. The past will be in the past.”
Gently kissing me on the cheek, I can feel his smile.
Chapter Twenty
Hunter
One lap and then she’s all mine. It’s almost over. I’ve run into so many people I use to know. People I would hang out with, party with. None of them have recognized me.
Why would they? No one expects me to be here. I graduated a year behind them.
I can do this. I can keep up this charade for one last lap, and then it will all be in the past. For me at least. Jane seems to think the memories that have haunted her will magically vanish after tonight. I hate to be the one to tell her, and it’s going to be me when I finally come clean, but those memories will never stop haunting her. They may not be as abrasive as they once were, but they’ll never disappear.
Focus. It’s show time.
Keeping a close eye on the crowd around us, Jane stops and talks to every group of people she can. Some of these assholes barely give her the time of day once they remember who she is. They stop listening and find a way to excuse themselves from the conversation. If she notices, she doesn’t let on.
We’ve been dancing around Tiffanie for a while now. She’s standing behind Jane at the moment, talking to Betsy. Actually, she’s talking at Betsy. I try to listen in, but the music is too loud to make out anything beyond her nasty tone. Some things never change, I guess.
For Jane’s sake, I was really hoping she had changed. At least matured a bit. Glancing over my shoulder, I see her bitch grin is firmly in place. Nope, she hasn’t changed at all.
Nudging Jane, I nod in her direction. She smiles weakly at me before excusing herself and walking toward the exit. It takes me a minute to realize she’s jumping ship. She must have heard the way she was talking to Betsy. She’s freaking out. Tiffanie is winning. I can’t let that happen.
Taking her by the elbow, she comes to an abrupt halt causing me to bump into the back of her. My body
wants to let her walk out of the room. My conscience knows she needs to turn around and face her past. It’s what she wants, too. She’s just afraid.
I can’t blame her. Tiffanie was a bitch in high school. If I were her, I might be a little scared, too. That doesn’t mean I’m going to let her miss her opportunity.
“Let’s get it over with,” I say, wrapping my arms around her from behind. When she doesn’t respond, I give her a light squeeze.
“Fine. I have a feeling I’m going to regret this, though. As great as this idea sounded when I was two thousand miles away–”
“I’m right here,” I say, interrupting her. “It’s going to be just fine. Promise.”
Letting out a huff, she turns in my arms and reaches up, placing a hand on either side of my face. Leaning down, I rest my mask against hers and promise her again. We’re in a bubble. Only the two of us matter. Our eyes are speaking to each other, conveying more than words ever will.
I’ve fallen in love with her. I knew it would happen, but I never thought she would feel the same. Judging by the look in her eyes, she does. That amazes me, but it breaks my heart at the same time because I’m going to shatter her world tomorrow when the truth comes out. I pray she forgives me for lying to her. If she can’t, both of us will be broken.
“Excuse me,” a shrill voice says from behind me, bursting the bubble that was surrounding us. That voice is one I had never hoped to hear again but knew I would once I accepted this job.
Smiling at Jane, I turn to face my ex. Damn, she looks ragged. I couldn’t see her very well when she was on stage earlier, and as she roamed around the room, I tried my best not to look directly at her.
“Jane?” she asks, surprised.
“Hello, Tiffanie,” Jane says with confidence, taking my hand in hers.
“I’m surprised to see you.”
“Why’s that?” she asks, acting confused. She even tilts her head slightly.
“Well, I figured you wouldn’t want to come back here. You know,” she starts, glancing in my direction, “after how much you hated high school.”
“I didn’t hate high school, Tiffanie. I hated you.”
Sucking in air, I hold it for a second so my laugh doesn’t escape. The smile on my face is impossible to hide, but I don’t care.
Score: Jane 1, Tiffanie 0
“Are you sure? The way I remember it, you didn’t have any friends.” Tiffanie is trying to get under her skin, but my girl isn’t going to let that happen. I have faith. She’s the bigger person and she’ll act that way.
“That doesn’t change the fact that you made my life a living hell every chance you had. But I guess I should have expected that coming from you. The person I was friends with as a kid wasn’t the person you became once you grew a decent pair of boobs.”
Jane 2, Tiffanie 0
“Wow! Someone grew a pair of balls in the last ten years. Have you been waiting all this time to tell me off? Is that what you’ve been up to?”
“Not even close. But I will say it feels good to finally call you out on your shit.”
“Are you trying to show off for him?” Tiffanie asks, gesturing to me.
“Why would I need to do that? He knows all about you. He knows how you tried to destroy my life back then. He’s my fiancé. I don't need to show off for him. Where’s your husband?”
Jane 3, Tiffanie 0
“So, you and Tyler are getting married? That’s a surprise. Well, not really. You always wanted to be me, so having my leftovers isn’t that much of a surprise I guess.”
Shit! Shit! Shit!
Game over. Tiffanie just won. She outed me and I’m not even sure Jane realized what’s going on.
How in the hell did she even recognize me?
This is bad. Really bad. I tug on Jane’s elbow, but she pulls away from me, wanting to stand her ground.
“Excuse me! I never wanted to be you. I’m not sure who you think he is, but Hunter was never yours. He would never be with someone like you.”
“She doesn’t know?” Tiffanie asks, directing her question at me. When I don’t reply, she continues. “This is hilarious. You should probably fess up. She’ll find out eventually.”
“You should probably shut the fuck up,” Jane hollers. “I don’t know what you’re trying to insinuate, but you need to step off.”
Jane’s outburst has drawn the attention of most people within earshot. All eyes are on Tiffanie and Jane. Tiffanie is grinning from ear to ear, her attention still focused on me. Jane is seething, her glare focused on Tiffanie. I want to run. This is not how she was supposed to find out. She’s never going to forgive me.
“The eyes gave you away. I could never forget those eyes,” Tiffanie finally says.
“Hunter, let’s go. I’m not sure why I felt the need to prove myself to her. She’s not worth the effort.”
I hear Jane, but my eyes are locked with Tiffanie’s. She’s ruined everything like she always does. She knows it, and she’s enjoying this moment. Jane tugs on my hand, but I don’t budge.
“He’s letting you go,” Tiffanie says. “He knows he’s been made and that you’re going to be angry with him. This is your chance to run away and save the embarrassment. So, go. Run, Jane, run.”
Turning toward Jane, she’s staring up at me. There’s a mix of emotions on her face. She’s attempting not to cry. There’s a pleading look in her eyes, begging me to tell her it’s not true. Her mouth is pursed in anger, probably both at me and Tiffanie.
Realization strikes. The pieces fall into place. I see it in her eyes. Her spark dies, and the girl Tiffanie used to torture is staring back at me. She knows it’s all true, and she’s embarrassed. There’s no changing that. I can’t take that back. I can’t take any of this back.
“I’ll meet you back at the room,” I say, averting my eyes from hers.
My hand falls from hers as she slowly backs away and disappears out the doors. It takes everything I have not to run after her, hold her in my arms, and apologize until she forgives me. It’s going to take a lot more than an apology for her to understand why I did what I did. I’m not even sure I understand it completely.
“You’re a bitch,” I finally say, turning back toward Tiffanie.
“You’ve known that, but you still loved me once.”
“I never loved you. I loved the status you held. I loved the popularity it brought me. I loved being in the spotlight. Until you showed me your true colors. You were a bully. You preyed on the weak and made them feel small.” My voice is starting to rise. Anger is seething through my veins. Ripping my mask off there are a few gasps as people realize who I am. Pointing my finger in her face, I continue. “You attempted to destroy the innocent. You looked for opportunities to hurt others, not just Jane. She was your friend once! If that’s how you treat your friends, why would anyone want to be around you?”
Tiffanie takes a few steps back, looking around to anyone who will step up and help. No one is willing, so I continue my verbal assault. I’m not even close to being done.
“No one knew the real you back then. If they had, you would have needed a friend like Jane. She’s caring and sweet. She’d give you the shirt off her back if you needed it. She’s the best kind of person there is, and you would have been lucky to have her as a friend. Instead, you tried to destroy her. Your actions and hateful words almost did, but you know what, she stopped being afraid of bullies like you a long time ago. She fought back, made something of herself. You didn’t win, Tiffanie. She didn’t let you.”
Throwing my mask on the ground, I turn and walk away without giving her a chance to respond. She doesn’t deserve the opportunity to defend herself. As I approaching the doors, I hear applause. Looking over my shoulder one last time, all eyes are on me, including a broken looking Tiffanie's. It doesn’t matter what these people think of what I said. All that matters right now is Jane.
She needs to hear what I have to say. I need to explain myself and apologize before she decides she
can’t forgive me.
Rushing to the room, I barge through the door a man on a mission, but I’m met with silence. Jane isn’t the only thing missing. Her bags are gone. The makeup she left spread across the bathroom counter has been cleaned up. Standing in the middle of the room, the only thing that remains of her is the scent of her perfume still lingering in the air. And the diamond engagement ring I gave her a few hours ago.
Chapter Twenty-One
Six months later
Reese
“What do you want me to do with these?” Ireland asks, startling me.
“Put them wherever you can find a spot,” I reply, indifferently.
He’s sent me flowers every Monday for the last six months. Each week a beautiful bouquet arrives at noon like clockwork. There’s never a note, but I know they’re from him. Who else would be sending me flowers?
This week it looks like daisies. I quickly glance away before Ireland catches me and thinks I care.
She’s tried to talk to me about what happened multiple times, but I’m still not ready. It’s all I think about, yet, I still haven’t found a way to come to terms with what he did. All the lies. The deceit. Not that I was innocent when it came to lying. The person I lied to most was myself, though.
The one thing he hasn’t attempted to do is call, not that I would answer. I’m sure he knows that. One day, when this pain is a distant memory, maybe I’ll reach out to him for answers. Maybe not. I’m not sure I want to know the truth. It might cause me more pain than all his lies.
“You know, tonight is the grand opening of that place I was telling you about,” Ireland says, taking a seat across from me. “We should go. We haven’t had a girls’ night in a long time. It might be fun.”
What place? I don’t remember her telling me about anything. That seems to be par for the course these days. I missed a closing last week and an open house a few weeks ago. They were both on my calendar. My mind can’t seem to focus on anything other than Hunter Drake. Scratch that.
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