Page 81 of Ask Me Something

It took every minute of therapy I’d attended and self-visualization techniques I’d learned to pretend I didn’t know what she was talking about. “It’s an interesting approach you have Jamie. You’d like to be in a relationship with Brian, and yet you seek to cut down those in his life whose opinion he values. I’m not sure how that’ll work for you, but good luck.”

Her clenching jaw was enough for me to know I’d scored a direct hit. She left through my door without a backward glance.

It had barely closed before I dialed Brian again.

“Hey, has she left?” he answered.

“Yes. Were you part of the bet?” My voice was barely audible while my breathing started to slide out of control.

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb. Were you part of the bet my first year in Charlotte about who I’d sleep with first?”

“Sasha, it’s not what you think.”

“Yes or fucking no?” My voice cracked, and I could feel the panic welling up.

“Yes, but—”

I didn’t let him finish, instead slamming down the phone. The betrayal lanced through me with physical pain. Suddenly I was at school, sixteen again, having a strange woman with eyes like mine show up during lunch and ask me for money. I’d found out the people I trusted most in this world had kept the biggest secret of my life from me. Shaking the painful memory from my head, I reached for my waste basket just in time to throw up my coffee.

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