Page 9 of A Conflict of Interest

Okay, well, I had an excuse to think about Veronica, so it was okay. It was just because Nic told me to. I curled up more into myself, typing a reply.

she’s the worst person ever.

Chapter 4

Veronica

she’s the worst person ever.

I winced at the screen, sitting cozy in the corner of my couch, staring out the window at the half-moon over the city, wrapped up in blankets with a cappuccino—Anna had given me an espresso machine for my birthday, telling me to stop barging into her apartment to use hers, but the cappuccinos didn’t hit the same from my own machine.

Right now, though, I was mostly just thinking about how I was texting Kelcey about how much I was in love with Kelcey, without knowing I was me or that I was talking about her. And she’d just given me a well-deserved cutting insult, and I was fully prepared for more as she kept typing.

she’s the most beautiful person in the world,she sent, and my heart ached like she’d just up and stuck a knife in in. I mean, I had no one to blame but myself, and I hunched my shoulders, fuming at the screen, needing her to stop now but—well. I was a self-indulgent woman. I wanted to see what else she’d say.

she’s wild and free and she made everything so much fun… she could show up in the middle of the night and we’d go have the most amazing magical dates together. she always made me laugh and made me feel like the most beautiful woman alive and she made me see how big and exciting the world was if I let go of fears, of whether people would see me and judge me, and I was ten times the woman I am when I was with her

I chewed my lip, antsy, staring at the screen, a sick feeling in my stomach, wondering how I was supposed to respond. If I was even supposed to respond or if I was supposed to just go throw myself from the window. She kept typing, though.

and then it turned out she was just using me for a quick good time and she moved on to go find someone else to occupy her for another fifteen minutes somewhere else.

Ugh—I didn’tdomushy stuff. I wasn’t into this kind of thing. Even in my fanfic phase, I’d mostly just been into the part where they fucked. This was why I couldn’tstandKelcey Huntington, because out of all the people in the world, apparently it was some little marshmallow of a human being who made me mushy after all? Her? I’d just been trying to fuck her because she was cute and I had a thing for blue eyes and I definitely had a thing for rich people. And now here I was, pining.Pining!Veronica Preston,pining.And over a woman! Could you imagine? I couldn’t.

I poured my pent-up angry energy into a message that needed sending.she sounds like a nasty piece of work

She sent a laughing emoji and a crying emoji, and then,it’s probably a bad sign that I’m still hung up on her if I want to defend her…

I pursed my lips, hunching my shoulders.there’s better people to defend. you seem like a wonderful person and you deserve a lot better than that.

I don’t really want better than that tbh… no matter how much I complain I’m still low-key kind of in love with her forever and I don’t want to be with anybody else

Ugh, kill me. Seriously? Was she for real right now? I groaned, slumping over the back of the couch, kicking my feet up over the arm.getting over people sucks,I sent.I’m still high-key kind of in love with the last girl I was with and I don’t want to be with anybody else, even though I’ve high-key tried

There was a long pause before she sent,yeah?

yeah. used to date a whole bunch, just enjoying life in the city, but then this girl comes along and shakes me up and now I’m a useless sap

She sent a line of laughing emojis, and,idk I think you’re amazing,and,you’re really good at what you do and you’re really fun to talk to

dunno… I might be a little like your ex

omg don’t even say that!! you’re nothing like her

News to me, honestly. I groaned.the breakup with me and the girl I was with was totally my fault

we all make mistakes… isn’t it just about whether you go back in and fix them?

Dammit, I’d tried. Not that I wanted to admit to that. I didn’t like how much Kelcey made me into a sap. I wanted to go back to when we were flirty and fun and free and I didn’t have to think about things like that weird wordgirlfriendor what girls were to me or… or about dating and monogamy and commitment orbeing in love.Ick.

yeah… I guess so. you’re a smart woman, kelce.

I’d said it mostly because I knew she hated people calling her dumb, and Anna’s little move putting her on this job to try things out in a low-stakes environment felt a little patronizing, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d felt like she was being infantilized. Her response said it worked.yeah?? you think so??

yeah, definitely. you went and tracked down Danielson to get to ECR and got in with a good contact and started sorting out this whole task in no time. you’re clever and good with people.

She replied, as Kelcey had so many times before while texting me on my actual personal number, with an eloquent,asdjkjsdjglahsflkasjflandthank you so muchwith a handful ofpuppy-dog-eyes emojis.sometimes I feel like everyone just looks down on me and thinks I’m dumb and useless, and Veronica said I was dumb too

I glowered.Veronica is a dumbass who is completely wrong about you

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