Page 53 of This Time Around

I clear my throat, not knowing how to respond. “Yeah, well, you better go get him a cold drink before he gets so hot he can’t stand up, if you know what I mean.” I wiggle my eyebrows and laugh.

I grab a glass of water off the tray beside me and turn to address the room. I clank a cocktail fork on the glass to call everyone’s attention.

“Thank you all so much! I am not sure I could have made the leap to do this withou-”

The bell on the door chimes and when I look back up; I see Cash.

What in the actual fuck is he doing here?

I try to shake off his presence and continue, “Sorry, Everyone here plays-”

He is holding the door open and from somewhere behind him, walks April. Leading her inside, he caresses the small of her back. He leans down and whispers something in her ear, and she looks at him with a look I have never seen before.

My heart pounds, and I question everything.

Everything I see unfolding in front of me.

Everything I know about my best friend and the current state of our relationship.

Exactly how mad she is at me.

Everything.

April wouldn’t. She knows how much I fucking hate him. She knows every fucking thing that happened between the two of us. I confided in her.

As she walks through the door, he keeps contact with her and when she doesn’t pull away, my blood runs cold.

Attempting to regain my composure I continue, “Everyone has played such an important role in making this happen. Cheers.” I raise my glass, cutting my speech short.

He is not her fucking date, is he? There is no way.

As the two of them get farther into the light, I notice he is wearing gym clothes. He couldn’t even get fucking dressed up for the occasion?

None of this is adding up.

I just stand there frozen in my place. My emotions run wild-hurt, mad, betrayed-name it and I’m feeling it. April notices the second she makes eye contact with me from across the room. She makes her way towards me, but Knox and Ana intercept, both of whom have no fucking clue about my hate for this man.

Everything around me turns to slow motion as I try to cool my nerves and regain perspective. April would never do this, no matter how mad she was at me. This is not what it seems.

Everything slows. Everything goes silent. All I can focus on is my attempt to figure out what the fuck is going on.

I watch Ana hug April. Then Cash. Knox hands something small to Cash, as if he knew he was coming. Cash tries to protest whatever is in his hand. Knox insists he take it. Luke punches Cash in the face.

Fuck. Luke PUNCHES CASH IN THE FACE.

Something inside me snaps and the silent slow-motion picture I was watching bursts to life.

Luke’s beer goes flying.

I’m crazy, right? No? Luke made the same assumption. No… no way. A small sob threatens to break through as I stare in horror.

“What the fuck was that for?” Cash yells, holding his chin.

Knox steps in between Luke and Cash, placing one arm between them, confusion etched across his face. With his other hand, he nudges Ana back, and looks at April.

“Get her the fuck away from here,” he demands, gesturing for April to move Ana away from the fight.

“How fucking dare you, you fucking piece of shit!” Luke yells, reaching for Cash. “You fucking belittled her to your friend, made her feel like she was not fucking worthy of love, shattering the most precious thing in the world. You had pure fucking perfection in your hands and you fucking treated it like trash, and then you had the fucking nerve to call her a bitch.” He is clearly being precise with his words right now, careful not to mention my name. “And now you have the fucking audacity to show up here with my little sister! She is not a fucking toy to play with Cash, your next fucking conquest.” Luke reaches out and punches Cash again around Knox’s head. This time, somehow, the punch lands a little harder and draws blood on Cash’s lip.