Page 43 of My Scorned Best Friend

“I made a mistake. I never should’ve gotten involved with Ben. I tried, but… it wasn’t a good decision.”

“Because of Xavier?”

I roll my eyes. “If I hear that name one more time, I’m gonna scream.”

We round the corner from the cobblestone streets in the downtown square to the back parking lot.

“X man!” Ben screams.

“Xavier Greene?” Noah says.

I look up and see Xavier getting out of his truck. Then I proceed to clench my fists and scream at the top of my lungs.

That didn’t do much to solve my problem, since Butch from the Meat Market comes out his back door, as does Posey from Fringe, to see what’s up. All eyes are on me, and I have no idea what to do, but red rage lights up inside me.

I glare at Xavier. “Why do you have to make everything so complicated?”

“Me?” He has the audacity to point at himself and look surprised.

“Yes, you. Now we’re the talk of the town and one of your teammates is stuck in the middle of our shit.”

“I just gave you the go-ahead to date him. What did I do?”

My breathing is heavy, and my chest is rising and falling as emotion overwhelms me. “You think you can tell me who I can and can’t sleep with? Well, let me tell you something—I can sleep with whoever I want.”

“Clara, let’s just go home and talk about this, okay?” Xavier’s hand touches my arm.

“No, I have to take care of Ben.”

“I can take him to the inn. Keep an eye on him.” Mandi’s the fix-it girl of their family.

“No, this is my responsibility, but thank you for the offer.”

“Put him in my truck,” Xavier tells Noah, going over to help him.

“Just so you know, it was your grandma and her friends who got him drunk.” I walk behind them to the truck.

“I’m not surprised.” Xavier gets Ben in the back seat of his truck. “Come on, I’ll drive you both back to your place.”

I look back at Mandi and she looks just like I expected—as though she feels sorry for me. Another look I’m about done with in this town.

“Fine, then you can go home to your house.” I climb into the front seat and belt myself in.

I overhear Xavier thanking Noah and Mandi. Mandi tells him if she needs anything to let her know, which he will not. Then he joins me in the front seat.

“Will you just talk to me?” Xavier says, looking at me from the corner of his eye while he pulls out of the space.

“I have nothing to say.”

“I thought we were good. On our way back to being best friends. I’m sorry about Nikki, but you know I have no control over her.”

I glance back at Ben. He’s passed out. “It’s not just that. In some twisted way, we’ve found ourselves hurting other people. Sooner or later, you need to figure out what you want.”

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know. But we’re not twelve anymore. Maybe the days of our friendship are over.”

He reaches over the console of his truck for my hand, and I allow him the contact. Maybe because I’m scared of never feeling it again once I tell him everything I have pent up inside me. It’s all come to a head. It’s now or never, but first I have to get Ben taken care of.

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