Someone wrapped an arm around my shoulder, startling me, but I managed not to jump visibly. Rachel’s face appeared in my peripheral vision.
“They met at my party. There were so many people, no wonder they can't remember their encounter anymore. And Adrian left after only thirty minutes anyway,” she said, giving Adrian a reproachful look. She was exactly as I remembered her. Tanned skin, golden blond hair, green eyes and long legs. She was the most beautiful girl I knew. How could I not have seen the similarity with Adrian?
She didn't even blush the slightest bit despite her lie. My face would have been flaming red after such a blatant lie. She and Adrian were really one of a kind. Beautiful liars.
Why was she even helping me? The last time we talked, we screamed at each other and I told her that I hated her. I tilted my head slightly to get a better look at her and she gave me a curt smile. I wouldn't necessarily call it warm, but I guessed it was the best she could do in the current situation.
“I didn't know you were friends again,” said Mom with a piercing look. I squirmed slightly under the intensity of her gaze, but again Rachel came to my rescue. She put her previous smile to shame as she beamed at my mother. “It’s still quite fresh. We didn’t want to jinx it. We still have lot of stuff to work through.”
A lot of stuff to work through. I almost snorted. There was and had always been only one thing we had to work through: Ben. But even he was old news now. I didn’t look behind myself to see if he was with Rachel. Years ago he had never been far from her.
Mom wasn’t used to people who could lie so skillfully, so she bought everything and actually smiled as if this was the best news ever. I really wished I had Rachel's skills, then maybe I wouldn't have fallen prey to Adrian's charm so easily. A good liar could see through another good liar’s lies, right?
I lifted my gaze and my eyes met Adrian's. He didn't look happy, his jaw tightened, but I averted my eyes too fast to analyze his expression better.
“I need to go to the bathroom,” I murmured, my gaze directed at nothing in particular, but avoiding the eyes of the people around me. This was too much baggage from the past for one evening.
“I show you where you can find it,” Rachel suggested instantly.
“I remember where it is,” I snapped, then regretted it. “But thank you.”
Rachel and I stared at each other, and the word ‘I’m sorry’ hovered on my tongue. Not for the past, at least not all of it, but for my behavior right now, but our parents and Adrian were watching us. I didn’t want this to get any more awkward than it already was.
Rachel didn’t seem to take my ‘no’ for an answer. She always got what she wanted. That’s why she went to prom with Ben and I had to settle on Chris. “I’ll take you there anyway.” She gripped my forearm and steered me away from Adrian and our parents, and past Ben who had been standing a few steps behind her with a group of people we knew from high school. He gave me a hesitant smile. Three years ago that would have made my heart speed up and fill my head with stupid fantasies, but now it meant nothing. Adrian had ruined me for other men, at least for the near future.
Rachel led me into the entrance hall and toward the bathroom in the back of the house. Eventually I shook her grip off and we walked side by side silently.
I dreaded being alone with her, fearing what she would say. I had a feeling that she suspected about last night, or she wouldn't have come to our rescue like that. Maybe Adrian had even told her about it. I could only imagine what she thought of me now. A horrible thought struck me. What if he’d remembered me even if I didn’t recognize him because he’d turned from chubby boy wonder to fucking hot womanizer? What if last night had been some fucked up way to take revenge on me for what happened between Rachel and me?
We stopped in front of the door and I was quivering with repressed anger. What if Rachel had even told him to do it? I curled my fingers around the door handle, my knuckles turning white from the pressure. I searched her eyes, but like Adrian she was good at keeping her emotions hidden. “You know about last night, right?” My voice was low.
Rachel pressed her lips together. “Adrian mentioned something, but he wasn’t very forthcoming with details. But I’m good at figuring things out.”
I gave a terse nod. “Just tell me one thing, was this some fucked up way to make me pay for what happened before graduation, because if it was—” I swallowed hard. “If it was, then congrats, you nailed it.” I blinked quickly. I would not cry in front of her.
Rachel took a step back, looking as if I’d hit her. “What the fuck, Nora? We’ve been best friends for most of our lives and you think I would make Adrian sleep with you and then dump you to take revenge on you for something that wasn’t even your fault.”