toward the door without a word.
But Mel is there. She moves in front of the only way out, blocking it. She folds her arms over her chest and she shakes her head. “You are not leaving until you turn around.”
“Get out of the way.” My jaw locks and my eyes narrow. My fists tighten at my sides. Her eyes drop to my hands before returning to my face.
“Do you plan on punching the shit out of everyone who cares about you?”
“You don’t care about me.”
She throws her head back and laughs. “You’re such a wreck that you can’t tell your ass from your elbow right now. The man asked you to look at the room and you can’t even do that. Your brain left your body the minute you stepped out of that elevator. Or was it earlier when you were fucking Henry Thomas? Maybe you left your b rain with him?”
My jaw drops. It hangs open , but I don’t breathe. I thought she was my friend. I thought Mel cared about me, but she doesn’t. Betrayal winds its way up my throat and chokes me. I want to punch her. I want to scream at her, but I can’t say anything. Then, when she brings up Henry, it’s like a verbal bitch-slap.
“You were with Thomas?” Sean’s voice is behind me.
I don’t turn. I don’t answer. I stare at Mel like she’s a traitor.
Mel’s tiger eyes bore into me. “You can think whatever the hell you want about me and you’re right. I’m a slut. I’ll do whatever I have to do to survive, but there is no way I’d betray you. Open your goddamn eyes, Avery, and look around.
“ Look at me. Do I look like I’ve been working? Is my hair all messed up like yours? Am I covered in sweat? Is my dress wrinkled? Does the room like we had sex?” I stare at her. My eyes flick over her dress and her hair. She looks pristine. It still doesn’t mean anything. They could have showered. She could have hung her dress.
Mel unfolds her arms and steps toward me so we’re nose to nose. She knows I don’t believe her. “Turn around.” She pushes my shoulder and I turn about half way. I can see the room out of the corner of my eye. My pulse is pounding in my ears like a distant drum.
Papers. There are papers everywhere. There’s an open briefcase on the desk by the window. Pens and papers are all over the table. There’s a pizza box with a few half-eaten slices on the floor in front of the television. The flat screen is flickering. An old movie is playing. The bed is made and the only place that’s rumpled is where Sean put me a few minutes ago. My eyes sweep the room, taking it in.
“No,” I say. “I know what I saw. I know what you do, what he wants. So , Sean was working before you came—”
Mel stands next to me and cuts me off. “ Cut the crap, Avery. You know the truth. You see it. Nothing happened here. If it did, you know that man wouldn’t be thinking a logical thought for the rest of the night. Besides, I still smell like a spring daisy.” Mel lifts her arm and shoves her armpit in my face. “Sniff.”
I swat at her and step away. “Stop it, Mel.” I don’t want to believe her, but I smell her deodorant and her perfume is still there. It’s not mingled with sweat. She didn’t shower. I finally see it, and the thought sinks in slowly.
Nothing happened here.
My mind knows, but my heart is stuck. I can’t let it go. I don’t know what to do. I stand there, staring. I don’t look at Sean. I know what he looks like. I know how good he smells. His scent hit me hard in the stairwell. I know his after-sex scent and that’s not it. My eyes move across the room, searching for any indication of sexual activity, but there isn’t anything. It looks like Sean’s been working and Mel’s been eating.
Mel leans against the wall and folds her arms across her chest again. She glances at Sean and then back at me. “Avery?” I don’t answer. “Say something.”
I feel like I’ve been sucked into the center of a maze. I can’t find my way out. Exhaustion, fear, and humiliation are all
But Mel is there. She moves in front of the only way out, blocking it. She folds her arms over her chest and she shakes her head. “You are not leaving until you turn around.”
“Get out of the way.” My jaw locks and my eyes narrow. My fists tighten at my sides. Her eyes drop to my hands before returning to my face.
“Do you plan on punching the shit out of everyone who cares about you?”
“You don’t care about me.”
She throws her head back and laughs. “You’re such a wreck that you can’t tell your ass from your elbow right now. The man asked you to look at the room and you can’t even do that. Your brain left your body the minute you stepped out of that elevator. Or was it earlier when you were fucking Henry Thomas? Maybe you left your b rain with him?”
My jaw drops. It hangs open , but I don’t breathe. I thought she was my friend. I thought Mel cared about me, but she doesn’t. Betrayal winds its way up my throat and chokes me. I want to punch her. I want to scream at her, but I can’t say anything. Then, when she brings up Henry, it’s like a verbal bitch-slap.
“You were with Thomas?” Sean’s voice is behind me.
I don’t turn. I don’t answer. I stare at Mel like she’s a traitor.
Mel’s tiger eyes bore into me. “You can think whatever the hell you want about me and you’re right. I’m a slut. I’ll do whatever I have to do to survive, but there is no way I’d betray you. Open your goddamn eyes, Avery, and look around.
“ Look at me. Do I look like I’ve been working? Is my hair all messed up like yours? Am I covered in sweat? Is my dress wrinkled? Does the room like we had sex?” I stare at her. My eyes flick over her dress and her hair. She looks pristine. It still doesn’t mean anything. They could have showered. She could have hung her dress.
Mel unfolds her arms and steps toward me so we’re nose to nose. She knows I don’t believe her. “Turn around.” She pushes my shoulder and I turn about half way. I can see the room out of the corner of my eye. My pulse is pounding in my ears like a distant drum.
Papers. There are papers everywhere. There’s an open briefcase on the desk by the window. Pens and papers are all over the table. There’s a pizza box with a few half-eaten slices on the floor in front of the television. The flat screen is flickering. An old movie is playing. The bed is made and the only place that’s rumpled is where Sean put me a few minutes ago. My eyes sweep the room, taking it in.
“No,” I say. “I know what I saw. I know what you do, what he wants. So , Sean was working before you came—”
Mel stands next to me and cuts me off. “ Cut the crap, Avery. You know the truth. You see it. Nothing happened here. If it did, you know that man wouldn’t be thinking a logical thought for the rest of the night. Besides, I still smell like a spring daisy.” Mel lifts her arm and shoves her armpit in my face. “Sniff.”
I swat at her and step away. “Stop it, Mel.” I don’t want to believe her, but I smell her deodorant and her perfume is still there. It’s not mingled with sweat. She didn’t shower. I finally see it, and the thought sinks in slowly.
Nothing happened here.
My mind knows, but my heart is stuck. I can’t let it go. I don’t know what to do. I stand there, staring. I don’t look at Sean. I know what he looks like. I know how good he smells. His scent hit me hard in the stairwell. I know his after-sex scent and that’s not it. My eyes move across the room, searching for any indication of sexual activity, but there isn’t anything. It looks like Sean’s been working and Mel’s been eating.
Mel leans against the wall and folds her arms across her chest again. She glances at Sean and then back at me. “Avery?” I don’t answer. “Say something.”
I feel like I’ve been sucked into the center of a maze. I can’t find my way out. Exhaustion, fear, and humiliation are all
Similar Books
