Page 56 of Finding Hayes
“Oh, you’re clearly slow to the game. It’s a play on words. Bad Apple. Bad Abbott,” she said as she pulled the door closed and stood in front of me.
“I didn’t say that I didn’t understand it. I said it makes no sense. It’s stupid. And you’re just a sad, mean girl who has nothing better to do than kick someone when they’re down. I was hoping it would blow over with you, but I think it’s time that I tell my best friend how horrible you’ve been to me.” I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at her. Why the hell had I kept my mouth closed about it, anyway? I just knew if I said something, he would freak out, and she would most likely take it out on me even more. I wanted it all to stop.
It was too much right now.
I turned around to leave, and she grabbed my arm.
“Don’t threaten me. You’re no different than your mother. The Abbott never falls far from the tree,” she said with a chuckle. She was really running with this whole apple analogy.
I shook her hand off my arm and glared at her. “It’s not a threat. It’s a promise.”
“Do you know that Hayes and I sit around laughing about you?”
“No one believes you, Kate. You can go home now. I’m leaving,” I hissed.
“Who do you think he called when he needed someone this morning? Not you. He called me. We’re together, and you can’t stand that, can you?”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I don’t care. I don’t have time for this.”
“He’s mortified that everyone thinks you two are best friends, especially after what your mother did. He doesn’t know how to get rid of you. His coach is pissed that he got sent home from school for defending you. He’s over it, Savannah. He’s moved on, and you just keep on clinging to him. It’s desperate and sad.” She smirked as she looked down at her phone.
“You’re pathetic and weak,” I said, raising a brow. “You’re threatened by my friendship with him. You’ve been trying to come between us since the day you started dating him. What are you so afraid of?”
A maniacal laugh left her mouth, and she started reading something on her phone. “Sometimes I feel like my life would be easier without her in it. But I don’t know how to walk away.” She paused and turned the phone so we could both see the screen before she continued reading. “I know it’s hard, Hayes, but sometimes you outgrow people.”
“You’re evil,” I said, feeling my breath hitch in my throat.
She shoved the phone toward me. “Read it. Read what your best friend thinks of you.”
Hayes
I feel like a dick saying this, but I’m disappointed in the person she’s become. I feel like all I do is take care of her. I just don’t want to do it anymore.
And you shouldn’t. Sometimes you have to walk away from people. It doesn’t mean that you don’t care about them. It just means that you’re putting yourself first.
I backed up. I didn’t want to see any more. I shook my head and tried hard to hold in the tears until I got home. I would not cry in front of this evil girl.
And she’d always been so good at putting on a show. She’d act sugary sweet in front of people, but I’d seen her true colors many times.
And she’d clearly poisoned Hayes against me. What else could it be?
His words stung. He was the one person that always had my back. But clearly, that had changed.
“He’s been trying to put distance there between you guys for quite a while. We sit around laughing at how needy you are.” And then she changed her voice, in her best attempt at mimicking me in the worst way. “And now your dad has cancer, and your mom is knocked up by Mr. Jones. It’s mortifying. He doesn’t want to deal with your whiney shit anymore. Go find yourself your own boyfriend and grow the hell up.”
I could feel the blood draining from my face.
He’d told her about my dad?
About my mom?
A heavy weight sat on my chest, and it was difficult to take a breath.
He’d laughed at me. He’d told his bitchy girlfriend my deepest secrets.
He wanted distance.
No problem. That’s exactly what he would get.
