Page 57 of I Did Something Bad
Fourteen
“May, I can—”
“How long have you known?” Tyler asks.
Hours later, we’re in May’s trailer, the two of them supposedly running lines while the crew sets up for the final scene of the day, a formal ball, which is why I’m now watching May Diamond in a backless mauve ball gown and Tyler Tun in a black tuxedo partaking in a silent duel of the gazes.
Finally, May pulls her knees up under her layers of tulle and rolls her eyes. “Does it matter?” she asks, her know-it-all smirk confirming Tyler’s suspicions.
“Yes,” Tyler says, plopping himself down on the other end of the couch.
Which leaves me the makeup chair. I swivel it around, and the squeak interrupts their staring showdown. “Sorry.”
“Did you really think you could keep a secret from me?” May’s eyes narrow once more at Tyler.
Tyler’s brows lift in response to her tone. “Where’d we mess up?”
“We?” May’s own brows waggle in a suggestive manner as she shoots me a glance. “I knew something was up when Tyler walked you back to the car because you werehaving a bad period day.To be honest, I thought you guys had had a quickie in some dark corner of the park, especially because he couldnotstop talking about you after the dinner you guys had. And after you left the set, he kept checking his phone and—” Tyler opens his mouth, but she holds up a hand before he can even get half a syllable out. “Please, I know you were checking to see if she’d texted. I’m your best friend, I know the look on your face when you’re waiting for a girl to text.”
My throat constricts and emits a weird gulping sound. Tyler is silent, but when I look over, shades of pink are starting to appear on his cheeks. “May,” he says, shifting in his seat.
May rolls her eyes again. “But then on that Monday when the police came to question everyone, you were fucking up every take. And while Khin was being interrogated, all you kept asking was if she was done yet. And then earlier—” She passes me an amused look. “When you went deathly pale when they brought out the pen, it all clicked. You could never be an actress by the way, Khin. No offense.”
“Heh,” is all I can say.
“This isn’t a game, May,” Tyler says, surprising me with his terseness.
But May doesn’t seem the least bit bothered. “No, it’s not. Now I need to know what the plan is.”
“Plan?” Tyler scoffs. “Thereisno plan. You’re going to stay quiet while we take care of this.”
“We?” May repeats once more, this time definitely giving me a pointed look. “IfIcan figure it out, do you really thinkno one elsewill find out? You’re welcome for earlier, by the way. There goes my diva pass.”
“We didn’t ask for your help,” Tyler retorts. “And that was so stupid earlier. What if someone had called you out? Like your assistant?”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” May sits up and lifts her shoulders as if to say,Come at me. “Should I have let your girlfriend incriminate herself with her pen?”
“I’m not—” I try to cut in.
“This has nothing to do with you,” Tyler tells her, either not hearing theg-word, or ignoring it altogether.
May bites down on her bottom lip, eyes flattening into cutting slits. “Look, asshole, you can either loop me in and let me help you, or I start tracking your every move and meddle to my heart’s content.”
Tyler throws up his hands. “Why are you doing this?!”
“Because I’m not letting my best friend go to jail!” May counters without missing a beat. “Are you telling me that ifIwas caught up in a murder,youwouldn’t help me get away with it?”
“You—”
“Answer the question.”
He presses his eyelids shut with a thumb and forefinger. “Of course I would,” he finally says.
He opens his eyes and as the two of them hold their gaze, my mind races right back to that first night of shooting where I saw then what I’m seeing now, what I recognize because I have it myself with Nay and Thidar: a soft, deep love that could stretch and bend across thousands of miles without ever once ripping. Many people assume friendship love isn’t as fulfilling, as unconditional, as overwhelming as romantic love; those people are so, so wrong.
“Of course you would,” May repeats with a nod. AnI’m not leaving younod. Awe’re a teamnod. “Now—” She turns to me. “Where are we on lawyers? Do you need—”
“No lawyers,” Tyler answers.
