Page 33 of Broken

“Your mother visited?” Rosalie asked.

At the sight of her best friend, her anger atDirty came forward.

“Yeah, it would seem my dad finally got thatpromotion he’d been chasing, and Dirty paid my parents a visit and gave them areality check or something.”

Rosalie had stepped into the house, and Petalcarried the used mugs to the kitchen. She knew her friend would come. Petalhoped to go to Rosalie, but between Myth’s visit and her mother’s, there was nochance of that happening now.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Rosalie asked.

She should have known Rosalie would just get rightinto it. No holding back. They had been doing this their entire lives.Admittedly, over more stupid things, like one of them not understanding math,or a textbook. They agreed to not keep anything between them, and Petalknew she had fucked up, broken their sistercode by not telling her best friend the truth.

With the mugs clean, she grabbed a towel andturned back toward her friend. Rosalie looked so heartbroken.

“In all honesty, I don’t know why I didn’t tellyou.” She shrugged. “With everything going on, you didn’t need to know whathappened.”

“Petal, you’re my best friend, and from what Ihear, that wasn’t little. You had a relationship with Dirty, and not only that,you were pregnant.”

She held her hand up. “No, I didn’t have arelationship with Dirty. We were … having sex. That was all it was.”

“Cut the bullshit. This is not your mom or somestranger you’re talking to. This is me, your best friend, and I know you.Regardless of what you’re saying, you wouldn’t have been with Dirty if youdidn’t feel something.”

“What I felt wasn’t the point. He didn’t feel it,Rose. I did. That’s why I didn’t say anything. He was done with me. Through. Hedidn’t want to be with me.” She didn’t want to keep talking because she knewshe was going to cry, and crying was the last thing she wanted to do. She’dcried too many tears already.

After what Dirty did last night, she didn’t wantanything to do with him. Not a damn thing. She hated him more than anything.

“Talk to me,” Rosalie said. “You got pregnant.”

“And I lost it. Don’t you get that? I lost it whenI was shot.”

Rosalie put her hand against her mouth. “Oh my God,I am so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“They were supposed to get me and Colt. Not you,not my mom. Me and Colt.”

“Stop,” Petal said. “I don’t wish they got youthat day, Rose. I swear.” She went to her friend. “You are my best friend. Ilove you, and I would do anything for you.” She pulled her close and didn’twant to let her go.

****

Dirty groaned and rubbed his eyes, and the worldwas spinning. It had been a long time since he drank like that, and he felt thesickness swirling in his gut. He was close to vomiting. But he didn’t. Hesomehow kept that inside.

Then he felt the water splash on his face and anyidea he had about waking up slowly vanished, as his mattress was also pushedout from under him and he ended up in a heap on the floor. It was then herealized Colt and Myth were in his bedroom.

“Guys, what the ever-loving fuck?” he asked.

The cold had helped to wake him up, but it hadalso reminded him he had a bad fucking headache. He put a hand to the back ofhis head and groaned.

“Feeling like shit?” Myth asked.

“Yeah, if it’s all the same to you, I feel liketotal shit.” He didn’t even know why he was attempting to mouth off.

“You don’t even remember, do you?” Colt asked.

He looked toward his best friend and frowned. Mythwas pissed, as was Colt, and he had no idea why. None of this made any sense tohim.

“Clearly I got drunk last night,” he said. It waspretty much all he could remember.

“Yeah, you got drunk last night, and do youremember what else you did?” Myth asked.

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