All that time, everything had been a charade. She’d pretended we were partners, but the whole time she’d been freaking reporting back to my mom? Had she reported back on our dates, too?
And she was pissed with me over a stupid, meaningless bet I’d made with Alex? What she’d done to me was a million times worse.
I’d never forgive her. Ever.
And I’d never let anyone that close to me again.
Chapter Forty-Four
Trina
Friday, July 19
I should’ve heard from Slade by now. It was Friday, and I’d mailed the letter on Wednesday. I chewed my lip. Should I call him? Text?
Maybe the post office screwed up. Maybe the mailman got in a car accident and my letter never got delivered. I sighed, picking at my blue toenails. I could torture myself or just do what I needed to do.
I grabbed my phone and texted him, hitting send before I could chicken out. Did you get mail from me?
Entire species spawned and died before he replied.
Yep. Message received.
What the heck? I reached for his letter, holding it like a talisman, and typed a new text.
Meet me tonight? 8:00?
This time his reply flew back. You’re kidding, right? How about never.
My heart hit the floor. He’d read my letter, and this was his response? But what about his letter? Had it been a joke?
Hands shaking, I pressed call instead of send. I needed to hear his voice, to figure out what the hell was going on.
“What?” he snapped, answering on the first ring. “You calling to file a report with my mom? Run through all her money already, BB?”
My breath caught in my throat. No. No no no.
“What are you—”
His bitter laugh was sharp in my ear. “Don’t even try, BB. I know all about the deal you made with my mom. She told me everything.” He paused then spoke in a low angry voice. “Well, that’s not quite accurate. You told me a lot, by sending me those checks.”
What? But I’d sent the checks to his mom. I thought back to my scrambled rush to get the letters to the post office, and the reality of what must have happened hit me. I’d mixed up the envelopes somehow. I felt weightless, but not in a good way. More like I was about to pass out from shock and horror.
“No,” I whispered. “You weren’t supposed to see those. There was another env—”
He cut me off. “I don’t know why I’m even talking to you. You were pissed about a stupid fifty-dollar bet—which never meant anything to me—but you took hundreds of dollars from my mom? You had to be paid to spend time with me? You reported on me like I was a fucking child, Trina.” I could practically feel his anger reach through the phone to slap me.
“Slade, I never…I stopped taking the money. I told your mom our deal was over. Once you and I…once we…”
“Once we what, BB?” The anger in his voice was palpable. “Screw it. I’m done talking to you. And I’m done working with you, too. I gave my notice today. So now you can run things your way, just like you always wanted.”
“Slade, wait!” I cried out, but it was too late. He’d disconnected.
Desi and I sat in her car in the mall parking lot. I’d waited for her shift to be over, then poured my heart out, between sobbing jags, telling her the whole story. By the time I finished, she was looking at me like she didn’t even know me.
“I can’t believe you never told me about the deal with his mom.” She frowned. “So much for best friends telling each other everything.”
I groaned in frustration. “I was protecting him, believe it or not. Even back then, when I didn’t really know him. I felt bad for him. I didn’t want that rumor to get around.”
She chewed on her silver thumbnail. “I guess I can see that. But still, once you guys got together…” Her expression transformed from judgment to pity. “Oh, sweetie. This sucks.”
I nodded, tears streaming down my face. “What do I do now, Dez? He hates me.”
She sighed and shook her head. “I hate to say this, but I think you’re right.” She darted a glance at me. “I don’t think even you can fix this mess, T. It’s pretty ugly.”
My heart sank as she said out loud what I knew was true.
“So we’re over, is that it?” I whispered.
She squeezed my hand. “Maybe so.”
Hopelessness overwhelmed me, and she let me cry until I finally ran out of steam.
Chapter Forty-Five
Slade
July 20, Saturday
Mom knocked on my door, but I ignored it. I heard her sigh in the hallway then something rustled underneath my door. I rolled over on my bed and saw a pink envelope with Trina’s handwriting.