Page 43 of On The Edge
“Then I got some free tickets to a concert from my business partner. Front row to a rock group I’d mentioned in passing, because I liked a few of their songs. I get pushed and moshed against the guardrail, and right before I pass out, I see Reisyn fucking Mathers. The same guy who abandoned me, up close and personal. From a distance, I could’ve fooled myself into thinking the oddly familiar-looking guys rocking out weren’t the same guys who destroyed me. But the universe isn’t that kind to me.”
I swallow, my mouth feeling exceptionally dry and my eyes stinging from tears I won’t let fall.
“So if you’re asking if school got better, the answer is no, it didn’t. Except then people weren’t making fun of me for being a slut who was in love with four guys. They were cruel because I must have been so goddamn disgusting and so freaking desperate that not one of those four guys wanted me. That they had to fuckingleave the cityand cut ties with everyone because they justhadto get away from me,” Melody growls angrily and stands up. “Guess that was true. All because you two were idiots, didn’t know what was going on, and didn’t even have the common decency to have a fucking conversation with me.”
Melody turns and strides out of the bodega. I watch her bend and swerve to not touch anyone as she leaves, and I jump up immediately.
Helen appears out of thin air, holding up one finger and nodding. “Go get her, dumb-ass. If even half of what she said was true, you boys have a lot,a lot,of groveling to do. You don’t have many chances left to fix things.”
I reach into my wallet and grab a stack of bills, thrusting it into her hand. I don’t know what I gave her, and I don’t care. I follow her advice and run after Melody.
I won’t fuck this up. Not again.
Not when I still love her, and now know that she loved me, too.
TWELVE
“What the fuck was that?”I snap, holding my hand to my hurt eye.
Fuck, she got me good.
If I wasn’t so annoyed, I’d be impressed.
“That,” Markus says with an infuriating grin, “was karma, my friend.” Adam sniggers and walks back towards his room.
“Where are you going?” I yell after him. “If we’re all up, we might as well go get some time in the studio or the gym.”
“You promised extra resting time, Drill Sargent. I plan on resting.” Adam rolls his eyes while flipping me off over his shoulder.
His attitude since Melody came back has been really fucking annoying. Up until yesterday, Adam agreed with nearly everything I said or did. Melody comes back into the picture, and suddenly he forgets everything we’ve worked for? I call bullshit.
I tighten my grip on the sheets around my waist, suddenly aware that I’m naked in the hallway. “Wait, guys,” I call, running my free hand through my hair.
Adam stalls, and Markus looks at me with reserved interest, huffing, “What?”
“Can we talk?” I need to explain. I know they’re both pissed off about the roofie. I know they want to know what the plan is. But I can’t… How do I… We all just need to get back on the same page.
“What is there to talk about, Reis?” Adam snaps. “We found the girl we’veallbeen head-over-heels for again after six years, and learned some really interesting shit. Like how instead of telling herwhywe left, we just up and left her. Didn’t fucking know that. Did you?” Adam turns and snaps at Markus, who puts both hands up and shakes his head. “‘I told her we had to go. I explained. She didn’t care.’ Those were your words, no?” His anger is aimed directly at me now.
I hang my head in frustration and sorrow. He caught me there. I did say that when we were on the way to Tulsa for the bus. Adam had looked at me so full of hope that she might show up and stop us. I couldn’t dash his hopes. I lied to them all and said I’d clued Melody into the fact we were leaving.
I said what I needed in order to get them here. To getushere.
“Damn it,” I mutter under my breath. “Did she tell you?”
“Did she tell me?” Adam asks frustratedly. “She didn’t have to tell me. I heard the fucking pain in her voice when she accused Markus and I ofabandoningher.”
“How could you do that to her, Reis? To us?” Markus rubs his temple and closes his eyes.
“You didn’t hear what she said! How many times do we have to fucking go over this?” I explode at them in anger. They stay silent, but the looks on their faces tell me that I’ve lost them. Sighing, I run my hand through my hair again. “You didn’t hear how…fucking awful she talked about us.”
“Was she just talking shit to talk shit? Or was there something deeper going on?” Markus clarifies.
“Does it matter?” I scoff.
“Actually, you stupid prick, it very much does.” Adam clenches his fists at his sides. “You told us what she said, butwhydid she say that?”
“I don’t know, I don’t really care. I didn’t think you guys would either, seeing as she said that we werenothingto her, after years of daily hangs and the bond we’d built.”
