Ember

13 - Confronting this bitc.h!

Ember

I called Colin the second I left the clubhouse. He couldn’t hide his excitement at having me agree to join the band. I laughed when Marco, Bob, and Saint hollered their enthusiasm. They made me feel special for a moment there.

I don’t know about being special, but I know I need this. I’m not saying it will be easy for me; I’ve never been away from my family before. But I’m a big girl now, and I’m going to enjoy the ride while I can.

Colin told me that he’d send a car to pick me up Thursday morning. I can’t stay at home until then, not with Lydia. I’m staying in a hotel until I leave, not that I’ll be telling anyone. If I did, that would bring about too many questions I’m not ready to answer.

Before I leave, I need to see my mother and brother. For everyone else in my life, I’ll send a group text to tell them where I’ll be going and when I’ll return. It would be the decent thing to see them and say Goodbye in person, but I don’t think I could handle it.

I have enough time to pack everything I need before Lydia gets home and before Toby arrives. I don’t need much. Most of it can be stored until I return. My dad will collect it all and put it in his garage. A suitcase of my clothes and essentials will be plenty for now.

I’m packed and showered before anyone arrives home. I groan inwardly when I hear my bedroom door open. I don’t know how I’m supposed to get out of here without a fight. I know I should confront the two of them, but right now, I just want to get out of here. My mind is all over the place, and my heart is shattered.

“Hey, Chica. Whatcha doin’?” Lydia flops down on my bed dramatically.

My gut clenches with sudden rage. All I want to do is rip her hair out and smash her face in!

Does she honestly have no clue what she’s done to me?

Does she even care?

How the hell can she act as if nothing has happened?

We’re supposed to be best friends.

What kind of person sleeps with and steals their best friend’s boyfriend?

Of all the people in the world to have done this, I would never have believed Lydia could be the one. She will never know how much she’s hurt me, and I doubt I’ll ever forgive her for this. I don’t care about Toby; she’s welcome to him. But it’s what she did that I cannot forgive. I will always love her because I don’t know how not to, but she’s ruined our friendship. Nothing between us will ever be the same again. I just hope Toby was worth losing her best friend for.

Everything has changed, and nothing feels right anymore. I’m not vindictive, even though I would have every right to be right now. I’ll tell our families whatever Lydia wants me to tell them so she can be with Toby without anyone punishing him. Because let’s face it, it wouldn’t be just my father who wanted him dead. Lydia’s dad would string him up by his balls! Tank and Draven would take turns torturing Toby until they finally put him out of his misery. I don’t want that. But that is the last thing I will ever do for Lydia. When I leave this house, I’ll do my darndest to pretend the traitorous bitc.h doesn’t exist!

“Nothing. I’m going away for a while. I’m going on tour with Colin’s band.”

“Wait,” Lydia sits bolt upright. I roll my eyes to myself and continue brushing my hair. “You’re leaving?”

“For a short while, Lyd. I’m sure you and Toby will cope just fine without me.”

She huffs. “Have you even told Toby that you’re going?”

“Nope,” I drop my hairbrush in my bag and zip it up. I’m ready to leave. “I’m sure you can tell him for me.”

“Don’t you think it should come from you?”

I shake my head and drag my bag out of the room and down the hallway.

“Big suitcase just for a couple weeks away, Em,”

“Yup,”

“You can’t just leave without telling your boyfriend.”

My face is burning with anger.

I cannot just leave, can’t I?

My boyfriend?

Stupid bitc.h! She’s not going to let me get out of this house without a fight. Fine.

I spin on the spot and face Lydia, hate burning in my eyes. Lydia’s face drops. She knows me well enough to know that I fuckin.g know what she’s been up to.

“My boyfriend? How big of a fool do you think I am, you bitc.h!” I scream the words at Lydia. She takes a step back, hand on her chest. “I know you’ve been fuckin.g him.”

She shakes her head.

Why the fuc.k would she even try to deny it?

“I saw you! I saw you making love on our couch with the man who was supposed to be mine!”

I’m right in her face, all the anger I feel pouring out of me, and I don’t give a fuc.k what she says, I don’t want to hear anything from her miserable mouth. I might not be a vindictive person, but that doesn’t mean I have to be a fuckin.g doormat either. All I wanted was to leave without any drama.

But why the hell should I walk away like I’ve done something wrong?

This whor.e betrayed me! Lydia is the one who has hurt me the most. Men come and go, and that’s the way of things. Best friends are supposed to be for life. If there’s anyone you can count on in this life, it should be a friend as close as a sister. Not me, though, I had to go and be lifelong best friends with a slut who doesn’t know how to keep her legs shut!

“You were my best friend! My best friend, Lydia.”

“I know.” She can sob all she likes, but she has no right to fuckin.g cry right now. “But he was mine before he was yours, Ember.”

My eyes widen, my hands shake, and my heart is in my throat. “What the fuc.k do you mean?”

“Toby and I dated before you and he were even a thing.”

I clench my jaw in anger. She’s lying; she has to be.

But why?

She’s already been caught out, and I thought I meant a little to her enough to tell me the truth.

“You remember when I told you about that guy eight months ago? The one I was dating but hadn’t introduced to anyone because I was scared he’d be chased away by my family?”

My eyes close for a second at realizing what she’s saying. I feel sick, and I can feel the tears of anger and sadness trying to force their way out of my eyes. I know what she’s talking about.

Lydia had met a guy a few months ago, and though she told me all about him, she never let anyone meet him. Lydia told me that his name was George and that he was everything she ever dreamed he’d be.

How blind could I have been?

Toby George Hail. Lydia gave me his middle name, not his forename, because she didn’t want anyone to realize who he was. I never made the connection, and now, I feel stupid.

“I told you that I’d fallen in love with him and that I could see myself marrying him.”

I grit my teeth because this hurts. I should just walk away without another word, but something has me glued to the spot.

“Toby found out who my dad was, and he freaked out. I didn’t give Toby the chance to explain himself, and I walked away. I wouldn’t answer his calls or texts, so he moved on.”

He moved on to me, Lydia’s best friend and roommate.

What the hell does that say about Toby?

How sick could he have been?

Was he with me to hurt Lydia?

Or to show her what she was missing?

How did he even know I was her roommate?

Did he know?

Of course, he did. He sought me out and got close to me because he missed Lydia. He entered a relationship with me because he couldn’t have her. The pig!

I hate this bitc.h for what she’s done to me, but I feel sorry for her at the same time. Toby got into a relationship and slept with Lydia’s best friend to make her jealous. And she was so pathetic that she let that slide and went back to him, even though he hadn’t ended things with me. For that, she was a complete bitc.h. But I blame Tony. He used me and fucke.d with Lydia’s head. The man is an ass of the worst kind, and I hope Draven Vidal kills him!