Page 108 of Unraveled

She nodded to the ground. “I saw him.”

“With who?”

“Ruby.” Her throat tightened, cutting off the end of the name, but I heard.

Anger began to boil inside me. I’d thought Jet was different. The way he would talk about Annie, I never thought he would betray her like that.

“I’m sorry.” I reached out to place a comforting hand on her shoulder, knowing all too well what she was feeling.

Her head snapped up, the fire in her eyes blazing at me. “Don’t feed me yourI’m sorrybullshit. You defended them at the dance hall.”

“No, I wasn’t–”

“Bullshit!” she screamed, now standing and leaning towards me. Her nostrils flared, and her eyes were wild as she finally snapped. “You’ve done nothing but try to get between Jet and me for months. Picking and instigating and making us fight.”

“Because I was going through hell, not because I wanted y’all to break up.”

“And that makes everything okay? You feel like shit, so fuck the rest of us?”

“No, I–” But she had a point. I’d been an ass, over and over, most often taking it out on her.Fuck.Why did I suddenly feel cornered with no way out?

“Screw my relationship that never had problems beforeyouand that bitch showed up. You’ve been a fucking ass since you got here.” She took a step closer. “Tomemore than anyone. Jet’s beentryingto spend time with you because you’re his cousin, so you’reautomaticallyimportant to him. He’s been trying to get to know you for months, and the only one of us who does is Izzy. But does shereallyknow you?”

I think so… Maybe.I hadn’t been myself in so long.

“But you don’t give a damn about anyone but yourself! You’ve been a dick to me from the moment that we met!”

“You weren’t exactly the picture of hospitality yourself, remember?”

“But I tried to be, at first. Ipulleddeep from that pool of patience, but your obnoxious ass wouldn’t have it. Youwere a dick to pretty much everyone, except for Izzy. Butno oneas much as me. Why, Nic?!”

I didn’t answer.

I didn’t know.

“Why?! Is it because ofAnna?! Your lost love whoobviouslydidn’t want you if she decided to crawl in bed with your best friend! Did you need someone to throw all of your bitterness at?! Was I just the lucky one that got in the way?! My name too fucking similar?!”

“Don’t go there, Annie,” I warned. “I know you’re hurting, believe me. I know how it feels, but don’t go off about things you know nothing about.”

“Because you don’t fucking open up to anybody! No one knows you because you won’tletanyone know you!”

“I don’t even knowmyselfanymore!”

She reeled and rested back on her heels, her mouth snapping shut for just a few seconds before she was right back in swing. “So that means it’s okay for you to go screwing up other people’s lives?”

Christ, does this girl ever tire?

“What is it, Nic? You couldn’t stand being miserable alone, so you had to make sure someone else was drowning with you? Provoking me at every fucking turn and driving a wedge between me and Jet? Even fucking walkinginon us when we’d found just amomentalone. You stole him from me just as much as she did. So, mission accomplished. You had help, but you got what you wanted.”

Fuck. I felt crushed. Was I really as bad as she said? “I never wanted to drive a wedge between you.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ve lost Jet either way.” Her eyes closed as her face crumpled, and she sucked in a staggering breath.

I pulled her into my chest, holding her close, her body shaking against me as she cried. It had been so long since I’d had actual physical contact with someone that it felt strange but good in a way, too.

Fuck, is Annie right? Did I want someone miserable with me? I’d been drawn to Izzy, feeling the connection with her grief when I first got here. Have I just been desperate to keep others drowning in this wretched despair beside me?

“It was hell for me that day, walking in on you two.” I wasn’t sure what provoked the admission, other than her mention of it before.

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