Page 39 of Imperfections Forbidden
“You said you were at a friend’s house for the weekend.Naturally, we would all assume you were spending the night at a girlfriend’s house.The way you left is not like you… What friend was this?”
I cross my arms across my chest and look down.She’s not going to stop.I look straight at her and answer her question with the truth.
“A friend.”
“A female friend or a male friend, Cat, which one?”she nearly shouts at me across the room.
“Does it matter?”
“Yes, it does.”She waves, raising her hand and points an accusing finger at me.“That little—no, big, big-ass—love bite on your neck is telling me it was a man friend.Unless you’ve switched sides?Are you trying something new?Is that it, Cat?Are you a lesbian?’Cause if you are, that would be great!”she shouts for anyone close enough to hear.
“What is wrong with you?Keep your voice down.”
“Why, Cat?Why?Are you afraid someone might be curious to know exactly who you were shacked up with for the past two days and long, long nights?”
“I don’t have to answer to anyone, where I was is my business!I don’t owe you or anyone an explanation.”
“Yes, you do.”
I’ve had enough of this.I grab my coat off the bed.“I’m done with this, I’m leaving.”She grabs my shoulder and pushes me back as I try to pass her.I can’t believe this.
“You were with him, weren’t you?”
“Get out of my way, Kate.”She stands in front of me, blocking me from leaving.The anger in her eyes bubbles over the more I try to evade her question.She’s angry, in a way I’ve never seen before.She’s usually calm and cool, even when she’s angry with me.Not now.
“I’m not going anywhere!Why did you even come back here?”
“I live here, where else was I supposed to go?”
“Everything was going fine till you decided you wanted to come back to New York.”
She didn’t want me to come back.Why?
“You couldn’t stay where you were, could you?”
“And here I was thinking you missed me as much as I missed you.I was wrong.”
“Yes, you were.”
Like a glass of ice water being poured over me, I stand, holding my coat over my arm, listening to her angrily tell me her truth about me.
“Why the hell would I miss you coming back here and listening to everyone worry about you like you’re a damsel in distress?You have Dad, Chris, and Jay fooled—we both know you can save your own ass.”
“I never knew you felt that way.You’re right though, I’m no damsel.But you are proving to be a real bitch.”
“We have something in common, then.I guess he likes bitches.The difference is this bitch is pregnant with his baby, sister.Find another man to wrap your legs around to play hero to your damsel.”
“Wow.You’re not holding back a thing.He already told me about the pregnancy and the fake engagement.”
“The engagement may not be real, but the baby is.He was going to ask me to marry him.If you didn’t decide to drag your ass back when you did, the engagement would be real too.I knew you were going to go after him from the second I saw you.I knew you had a thing for him all these years; it was pathetic the way you looked at him when you thought no one was looking.New you, my ass—same old Cat in a somewhat decent-looking package.”
“Is that why you couldn’t wait to tell everyone the very night I came home you’re engaged to Nick?You were so desperate to spread that lie?”
“It was only a lie because of you; he was going to ask me to marry him eventually.The same way he told me he wanted me the night we had sex.Tell me, what was it like sleeping with the same man whose child I’m carrying?Was it good for you?It was damn good for me.The way he held me in his arms, driving into me over and over again, for hours and hours, no wonder I’m pregnant.”
I cover my stomach with my hand.I think I’m going to be sick.“Shut up and get the hell out of my way before I make you move!”
“Go ahead; I would love to be the one to tell Nick how you attacked me and his child in a fit of jealous rage.”
