Alec didn’t question why I was avoiding him, which made me even more nervous. Like he was aware I was onto him and didn’t know how to proceed. I couldn’t believe these thoughts were running through my head. I never in a million years thought I would be in this position… doubting the boy I thought I knew better than anyone.
Just before the last bell rang, I asked my chemistry teacher, Mr. Wyatt, if I could leave a few minutes early for an appointment. Obviously, I didn’t have one, but he didn’t question me. We’d all planned to meet in the locker room before Karina left school for the day. My stomach twisted. I wondered if she would lie. If I would know if she were telling the truth. If all of this could just be a big misunderstanding that I had allowed myself to blow out of proportion.
Ivy and Maura met me in the hallway, and we found Coco outside of the locker room.
“Let’s do this,” Ivy said, pushing the double doors open as a few girls started to walk out.
The last bell rang just as we stepped inside and found Gigi talking to Karina.
“Oh my god, really, Gigi? You’re ambushing me?” Karina hissed when she saw us.
“We aren’t ambushing you. We just want to talk to you.” Gigi placed her hands on her hips and shrugged.
“What is this even about?” Karina tossed her PE clothes in her locker and slammed the metal door closed, the sound echoed through the large space.
“It’s about Alec,” I said, hating the way my voice shook when I spoke.
Karina squared her shoulders and faced me. “Just because your daddy is the mayor and your mama thinks she’s the queen of this town does not mean you get to corner me and force me to speak to you. I mean, who the hell do you think you are?”
“We’re the Magic Willows, bitch,” Ivy snarled as she stepped in front of me, and we all startled.
Karina took a step back and shook her head before Coco moved in front of Ivy. “Relax, mother of dragons,” Coco said, as she often referred to Ivy as Khaleesi whenever she got worked up. “Listen, Karina, Addy needs to know, girl to girl—are you sleeping with her boyfriend? Is something going on? If you are, he’s being really unfair to her. We don’t blame you—we blame him. But help a girl out.”
Ivy huffed behind Coco, probably angry that she was being nice to Karina. But Coco knew how to get what she wanted from people, and you could catch more bees with honey, right?
Karina glanced over her shoulder to see if anyone was around. “Alec and I are friends, obviously.”
I moved forward, meeting her gaze. “That’s fair. He told me you guys were in the room talking because your parents are going through a tough time. So that was it? You just talked?”
My stomach twisted with guilt. What if Alec had been telling the truth and I’d doubted him?
She gawked at my question. “Is that what he told you? That pisses me off.”
“He didn’t tell me any details about your parents, just that you needed a friend,” I said.
She shook her head. “Wow. He’s brilliant. That’s not what happened. I don’t know why I’m protecting him after all this time.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest, desperate to shield myself from what I knew in my gut was coming.
“It means that it isn’t my parents going through a hard time, it’s Alec’s parents who are at odds. We weren’t talking in that bedroom. Alec and I hooked up again. He’s going through something and I was there for him. Just like I always am.” She shrugged.
My stomach wrenched at her words. What the actual hell was going on?
“Can you be a little more specific?” Coco asked, glancing over at me, and shaking her head.
“We slept together.” Karina shrugged.
I took a step back. I thought I was prepared to hear it, but I wasn’t. I put a hand over my mouth to keep the sob threatening to escape at bay.
“Is this the first time, since, you know… the other first time?” Maura asked. Her voice was calm and cool.
“Umm, no. There were two other times. If it makes you feel better, Addy, he told me you two talked about it. But that he didn’t think you were ready, and he didn’t want to push you.” Karina’s voice cracked at the end of her statement, as if she felt bad for me.
I hated pity almost as much as I hated liars.
And Alec Taulson was a liar.
I nodded. “So, while you’re sleeping with my boyfriend, you two discuss me? That’s a bit twisted, even for you guys.”
“It’s not like that. We’ve been there for one another. He’s always been honest that he’s going to end up with you long-term, you know, because of your history. So, this thing with us can’t go anywhere. And I’m okay with it.”
This was so twisted.
“You’re all right with sleeping with someone else’s boyfriend?” Ivy hissed.
“I’m all right with sleeping with Adelaide Edington’s boyfriend—yes. Looks like life isn’t so perfect anymore, is it, Addy?” Karina’s ice-blue eyes met mine, and a chill ran down my spine. I knew we weren’t friends, but I hadn’t realized the depths of her hatred.
“What did I ever do to you?” I asked as a tear ran down my cheek.
“Oh, I don’t know. You’ve got your hooks in the guy I’ve crushed on since middle school. Your family thinks their shit doesn’t stink and your mama has been a royal bitch to my mom. Coach Hansen has always favored you. Hell, every teacher at this school favors you. And you know what? I don’t think you’re all that great. So yeah, I banged your boyfriend multiple times, and it feels damn good to see you get knocked down a few notches.”
Ivy lunged forward and shoved Karina into the lockers.
I reached for her shoulder and tugged her back. “Leave her alone. She isn’t worth it.”
My friends turned to look at me, and I shrugged. “You can have Alec. He’s all yours, Karina.”
I stormed out of the locker room with the girls in tow.
“Jesus. This is worse than I thought,” Coco said when we huddled outside the locker room.
“I’m so sorry, Addy,” Maura said.
“I’m totally down to get suspended for a few days just to punch that smug smile off her face,” Ivy snarled.
I swiped at my tears. “Don’t. She wants us to react. Let’s not give it to her. Karina and I have never been friends, so this isn’t on her. She’s not the bad guy in this scenario. Do I like her? No. I can’t stand her. But Alec is the one who betrayed me.”