Page 15 of Wicked Games

“Seth, I’m so happy you called. I’ve been worried. How are you?”

“Are you in love with me?” I demand, and even to my own ears it sounds ridiculous.

“I— What? What are you talking about?”

“It’s a simple question, Violet. A yes or a no will work.”

“Are you drunk? Of course I’m not. You’re not saying you’re in love with me, are you?”

I sigh and shuffle into the kitchen. “No. I’m so fucking screwed up.”

“Tell me what’s going on. I’ll drive down if you need to talk.”

I finish my beer and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. “That’s what I’m talking about. Us. You and me. Supporting each other. Doing favors for each other. Helping each other.”

“We’ve been friends since college. I don’t get it, Seth. Are you saying you want out? We can sell, or, I don’t know. I don’t want to run⁠—”

“No. I don’t want out. I want to know what we’re doing.”

“We’re friends.” She pauses. “Does Avery have a problem with it?”

I open the fridge and grab another beer. I pry the cap off but instead of drinking it, I press the bottle to the side of my face. “No. She said Brooke did.”

She laughs, and it’s full of relief. “Of course she did. She hated me. Everyone knew it except you.”

“Then do you think Avery was right? Brooke left because of our friendship?”

“I don’t know. You’d have to ask her. She knew we were good friends when she married you. If she had a problem with it, she should have said so a long time ago. She met Rowan and maybe she found something with him she didn’t have with you. I don’t know. If you want to sell the company or whatever, and ask her if she’ll take you back, I’ll support you. I’d miss you, but there’s never a day I want to think I came between the two of you.”

“I don’t want that.” Even if I did, Brooke and I are too far gone for that to help.

“I’m glad, because I don’t want that either. Can you tell me what happened?”

“Avery and I walked to town to have dinner. On the way back, she mentioned something about talking to her if I needed to, but then she asked if Brooke left because I was friends with you. She must have assumed we talk a lot, and we do. You got me through some rough shit, and I really appreciate it.”

“Okay, but why would she think that about Brooke?”

“She said she read an interview where Brooke hinted she was jealous we spend so much time together, and I got angry. I already feel guilty enough about a lot of crap. I know I didn’t make Brooke happy, but she never told me why. If it was because of us, I want to know.”

“I don’t remember her giving an interview where she sounded like that, and I try to keep up with that kind of thing. Did Avery say where she read it?”

“No, and I was too pissed to ask. I said some nasty stuff back, and she told me to have a nice summer.”

“She’s a writer, and I suppose it wouldn’t be difficult for her to read between the lines, especially since Brooke did end up leaving you. The feelings must have been there, but I’m surprised she admitted to it. In public. That’s the kind of thing you only say to your friends. Now I want to know where Avery read it. I want to read it too.”

“It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter because apparently it’s true. I didn’t know Brooke hated you.”

“You didn’t see her staring daggers at me at your wedding? You shouldn’t have asked me to stand up with you.”

“You’re my best friend. That’s what best friends do, and if I ever get married again, I’ll ask you to do it again, too. You looked sexy in your tux.”

“Yeah. That’s why Brooke left. You say shit like that.”

“I say a lot of shit,” I mutter.

“Was it that bad?”

“Yeah. It was that bad. She’s never going to talk to me again.”