Page 351 of As the Rain Falls
“Real mature, Angelina.”
“You know what?” she spits out. “Fuck you, Gabriel! I told you to drop it, but you’re the one who kept going!”
“Right.” Mateo smirks meanly. “Because I’m the one who doesn’t give a fuck about you, right? I’m the one who’s purposefully doing shit to make you feel uncomfortable?”
“I’m sick and tired of dealing with your moods.”
“My moods?” his eyes widen, faking shock. “Angelina, just yesterday you fought me about the stupidest reason in the world.”
“It’s not stupid, and I get to do whatever the fuck I want!”
“No, you don’t!” he sighs. “You actually don’t, not if it’s going to make you freak out for hours on me, saying the worst things just to hurt my feelings!”
“Gabriel, I apologized to you!” Angelina cries, and I grab her arm, trying to pull her away from him. “I told you I was sorry!”
“Stop!” he sinks into the tub, looking like he just wants to disappear. “Stop calling me that!”
“Guys, please. Let’s not argue.” I tap Mateo’s chest, motioning for him to let me up. “You’re both making a big deal out of nothing. It’s a misunderstanding.”
“It’s not a misunderstanding,” he presses, not ready to let it go. “It’s your friend acting like a total bitch.”
I frown a little, thinking he might be going too far.
“Okay. Language?”
“I get it that you’re sick, Angelina. I understand.” He rises up to his feet. “But it doesn’t mean you get to treat me like shit just because you can!”
“You said you were fine!”
“I wasn’t!”
“Enough!” I step between them, feeling like Bella Swan talking about being Switzerland. “You both need to calm down!”
“Oh, it’sfine, Cassandra!“ Angelina shakes her head, her voice now dripping with mock sweetness. “Mateo is just finally tired of me!”
Mateo doesn’t miss a beat.
“What if I fucking am?”
Angelina pales, ignoring me completely.
I wince, knowing that this is not what he should’ve said to her right now.
We were all having a good night.
It wasn’t supposed to go like this.
“Well, at least you know how to be honest about this one thing.” She shakily crushes her cigarette in the ashtray and walks out, slamming the door behind her.
I immediately glare at him.
“What?”
“Why’d you call her a bitch?” I snap, pointing a perfectly pink nail at him. “And why did you just say that to her? Are you fucking insane? After all she’s been through?”
Mateo’s gaze hardens. “You don’t know her like I do.”
“I know her well enough!” I sigh. “I thought you two were into each other or something.”
