Page 52 of It's Only Make Believe

“Justin fucking happened. You were right about him. He wanted to get back with me, and when I refused, he decided to implode my whole life,” I say.

“Wait, I don’t get it. How did Justin know?” Louisa says. My face must say it all. “Oh, I see.”

“I’m sorry. It just kind of slipped out,” I say.

Louisa shrugs.

“It’s ok. You thought you could trust him. But I still don’t get how he thought getting you fired would make you want to get back with him,” Louisa says.

Here comes the tough part. I take a big gulp of wine.

“Well, you see, the thing is, I don’t think that was his main aim. I’ve been seeing Luke, and Justin wanted to break us up. He tried …” I’m saying when Louisa cuts in, her face a mask of anger.

“Wait. You’re dating Luke? While he thinks you’re me?” she snaps.

I nod.

“I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t know how you would react,” I say.

“Do you know Neil and I nearly broke up because of you?” Louisa says. She’s getting really angry now. “He half knows Luke. They move in similar circles. And he heard a rumor that Luke and I were dating. He thought I was cheating on him. In the end, the only way I could prove my innocence was to tell himthe truth – that Luke doesn’t even know who I am and if anyone asked him, he would point to you.”

“I’m so sorry,” I say. “God I’ve really messed everything up.”

I try to stop myself from crying, but I can’t. Sobs wrack my body, and I just want to go to bed and curl up in a ball and stay there.

“No, come on Tee, don’t cry,” Louisa says. “I’m sorry. I know this was my idea not yours so if anything, all of this is my fault.”

“I’m the one who told Justin,” I say.

“And I’m the one who talked you into doing it,” Louisa says. She smiles at me. “How about we agree that we both fucked up?”

I smile back and nod.

“Are you and Neil ok now?” I ask.

“No,” Louisa says. “But it’s not because of this. We just kind of fizzled out.”

“I’m sorry,” I say.

“I’m not,” Louisa says. “Let’s not waste any more time talking about him. That’s another mess that’s been cleaned up, just like this one.”

“What am I going to do about Luke though,” I say.

“I can save his job easily enough. Let me talk to my father real quick, and as for you two being together, I guess you just have to hope he likes you more than he hates what you’ve done,” Louisa says.

It’s all I can do really, but I kind of hoped Louisa would have some miracle solution for me. I top up our glasses and sit back and sip my wine while Louisa gets her cell phone out and calls her father.

“Hi Daddy,” she says, putting the call on speaker phone. “How’s Europe?”

“Never mind bloody Europe girl. I know about the stunt you pulled. And I say you because I don’t blame Tia for a second. I know this was all you,” he says.

I feel a bit better for that one. At least Enrique isn’t mad at me too.

“I can explain,” Louisa says. “I know you think I’m work shy or whatever, but that just isn’t true.”

“And you thought having someone pretend to be you and doing the job I got for you would prove this, did you?” he snaps, not sounding convinced. I have to say he makes a good point, but Louisa isn’t done yet.

“That’s it, though. The job you got for me. I would have always felt like I was being judged as your daughter rather than as myself. So, I found my own internship and I didn’t tell you because I was afraid that I would fail, so I let you think I was doing the one you got me, and I haven’t failed. I have actually got an offer from them too and I’m trying to choose between them. And I knew Tia needed an internship as much as I did so I offered her the one you got me,” she says.

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