“You were with him that day?”
I nodded.
Her cheeks flushed up and she squeezed her hands together, but she asked in a dreadful tone, “You had sex with him that day?”
Okay, enough with the sharing. I narrowed my eyes and asked in a flat voice, “Why do you care about that?”
She squeaked again and looked away. There was a frantic feeling to her when she hurried out, “I don’t. I just—did you? I mean, Adam said you did and I didn’t believe him.”
It took one step before I latched onto her arm.
Her eyes were round as she gaped up at me.
I gritted my teeth and tried to contain my anger. It was like whiplash. “Are you kidding me? You never cared before. You would’ve been excited. Now you care? Now you’re telling me Adam had something to say about it?”
She gulped and moved away from me. My hold tightened on her, and her eyes got bigger when she tried to pull her arm from me. “Let go of me.”
My eyes bore into her. I needed to know. “When it came out that Mason and I are dating and that Adam had been using you to get to me, you stopped talking to me. I thought it was because you felt hurt or betrayed, but now I’m starting to wonder. Why’d you stop talking to me, Becky?”
Her mouth had fallen open and she closed it now. Her eyes slid to the side.
“Tell me the truth too.”
“I…” She took a deep breath. “IstoppedbecauseAdamconfusedme.” Another deep breath. “Hesaidyouliedtomeonpurposeanddidn’tconsiderme,” another breath. “afriendotherwise
youwould’vetoldmeyouweredatingMasonKade,butnothatIblameyouwithJessicaandLydiaandallthatcrap.”
My fingers let loose, and I was ashamed to see there were white finger prints on her arm. “You’re an idiot? You know that, don’t you?”
She gulped and hung her head. “I’m starting to think that.”
“I didn’t tell you about Mason because I don’t trust anyone. You can’t blame me for that. I caught Jeff cheating on me, then found out that Jessica had been screwing him for two years, and to make it worse, Lydia knew about it. My other best friend covered for them. You showed up, and we were only friends for two months before this shit’s hit the fan again. Can you blame me for not telling you?”
She gave me a sad look.
I narrowed my eyes and clipped out, “And Adam’s talking to you? You’re listening to the guy that used you because you were the only one I was talking to? Really? Come on, Becky. I know you think Adam Quinn is this great guy, but he can be really low and dirty if he doesn’t get what he wants.”
“I know.” It came out like a whimper.
“Do you?”
Then the doorbell rang again, and I let loose with a string of curses. “It’s the pizza. Hold on.”
But it wasn’t the pizza.
CHAPTER TWO
“Malinda Decraw?” I blinked in shock. Mark’s mother stood on my doorstep with a covered casserole in her arms. She wore a red coat with a red scarf draped and knotted in a fashionable way. She had her long brown mane of hair with gentle curls swept over one shoulder. As she stood there for a moment, she rubbed at one of her jean-clad legs and stomped her feet in black boots.
“Hi, Samantha!” She held out a hand with a warm smile and brushed some of her long brown locks over her shoulder. “Could I come in?”
“Uh, sure.” I took two steps back, still dazed.
She came inside and rubbed her arms over her coat. “Oh, hello, Rebecca. How are you dear?”
Becky came forward with strained features. As Malinda kissed her on the cheek, she looked at the floor. “I’m good, Ms. Decraw. How are you?”
“It is quite chilly, even for January. Don’t you think, Rebecca? I have to say, I’ve gotten to know your mother a bit more from the Country Club and find her delightful. You must tell her.” The warmth Malinda oozed made me take a step back. It was immediate and seemed heartfelt. Her eyes twinkled a bit as she spoke to Becky, who seemed shy all the sudden.
“I will. I know she really likes you too.”
Malinda’s cheeks were pink and she pressed a hand to her neck as a gushing laugh bubbled forth. “Oh dear. Have I overwhelmed you? Laura told me that can happen sometimes. How is your friendship with Adam going along? He comes over all the time now for dinner. He’s such a charming young man. I couldn’t be happier for the two of you.”
“Wait—what?” I turned to Becky and lifted an eyebrow. “Are you and Adam dating?”
She stood frozen. The blood drained from her cheeks.
“Goodness, no.” Malinda laughed again and placed a gentle hand to my arm. “Laura and I have grown quite close. She’s told me all about Rebecca’s feelings for Adam. I approve, whole-heartedly. But I’ve never been a fan of some of Mark’s friends. Some of those girls are so aggressive and provocative. I say a girl should remain a girl, at least while in high school. She can go crazy in college. That’s the time to find herself. Rebecca, sweetheart, mum’s the word with me if you do have a few wild nights in college. I won’t tell a soul.”
I swung between the two and knew I must’ve looked as a scarecrow. “Huh? The two of you are close?”
“Oh, heavens, Samantha. I completely forgot why I came over.” She chuckled again and the sound filled the air. Dimples appeared in her flushed cheeks. “I live across the street. I wasn’t sure if you knew that. I’m so glad you and Mark have become friends, but I wasn’t sure if you were aware of where we lived. I know David hasn’t wanted to bother you with that information yet. You know how he is; he doesn’t want to put too much pressure on you. He thinks you’ve been through so much, but I keep telling him that you seem like a tough girl. You’ve got a clear head on your shoulders, and you’ve got oomph, if you know what I mean.”