Page 44 of Best Friend's Dirty Ex

As the seconds tick by, it becomes harder and harder for me to keep still and quiet.

“Are you satisfied? It wasn't me.” Troy’s quiet growl makes her flinch. “She knows now.”

The questions inside me are bubbling up into a rage. What does she know? What was being kept from her? What lies was Lyla telling her?

Lyla doesn't say anything for a moment, and I silently demand that she apologize to him for throwing such ugly accusations at him when clearly he wasn't involved. Still, she doesn't seem too inclined to say anything, and that only annoys me more. She's really going to walk in here, accuse him of kidnapping her niece or helping her run away, and then not say sorry when it turns out she was wrong?

How can anyone be so cruel, cold, and heartless? I can't imagine accusing somebody of something so awful and then not apologizing the second I find out that I'm in the wrong. Obviously, she has some reason to suspect him of something, but now she knows that he didn’t do this, right? I mean, if he kidnapped her, then wouldn’t the cops be here now arresting him? Wouldn’t the niece have reported what happened?

Why is she still standing there as if there isn't proof that Troy didn't do this? Someone on the phone just told her exactly what happened and why things went wrong, and instead of accepting that, she's still convinced that Troy did something. Maybe she just needs to think that he's some kind of villain. That would make sense, just like saying he's a cheater and he's a dog, even though everything I've heard and learned makes me lean into the thought that she was the one doing things that she shouldn't have.

All at once I suddenly wonder if my friend is more like James than I ever thought. She refuses to take any responsibility or accountability for the things that she did wrong in her relationship with Troy. She puts all the blame on him. She makes herself into the victim. She tries to make everyone believe that he wronged her, when everything that I've learned makes it sound like she's the one that wronged him.

Without more information I can’t know for sure, but I’m seeing red flags.

“I don't expect you to apologize, but I'd like you to at least acknowledge that I didn't do this.” His low growl sends a shiver down my spine.

Lyla seems completely unmoved by his anger. “How can I possibly know you didn't have something to do with it?”

Troy lets out a short sound of disbelief. “Are you kidding? You think that I’m the one who told her? I haven’t ever spoken to her, and I only saw her one time when she was tiny. She ran away because she finally learned that you lied to her. This is on you. Explain to me how it’s my fault. I’ll wait.” He crosses his arms.

Lyla doesn't seem to have an answer and lifts both shoulders. “I know you have your ways of doing things.”

Troy’s short, barking laugh makes me jump. “Are you kidding? This is a joke, right? Do you need to go ask her and see if she says anything about how I told her the truth and helped her run away? You really still think that I had something to do with this?”

Again, Lyla shrugs her shoulders, and I want to shake some sense into her.

I can’t help myself; I step out of the shadows and open my mouth. “Why do you think Troy would kidnap your niece?”

Chapter Twenty-two

Troy

I've been so focused on Lyla, I have no idea how Everly got in the room or how long she’s been there.

I quickly try to think back on the conversation and see if we gave away anything that would have given her more answers than I want her to have. As I search my memory, I see Lyla’s anger beginning to overflow as she spins around to glare at Everly.

“You've been standing there, spying on us?” Lyla’s voice is a shriek.

At least this diversion gives me a moment to think about these new developments. Emma ran away because she found out the truth. That's a heavyweight carry, one I'm not sure I'm ready to shoulder. Well, I know that I had nothing to do with what happened back then. I do feel somewhat responsible. I never agreed with the way things went, but I had no choice.

I learned a long time ago that this was a battle that I had to carry, not one that I could fight, much less win. I tried to fight. I tried with everything I had, everything I was, until every legal avenue was closed. And even then I hurled myself at every door for a while. Bruising myself and bouncing off, still trying to find a way through even when none was available.

“I want to know what's going on.” Everly stands up for herself, lifting her chin a few inches as if ready to do battle with her friend. “You've never told me about any of this, but it's clearly important, so I'm just wondering what I'm missing.” She gestures at me as she continues to speak. “You walk in and accuse Troy of kidnapping someone or helping them run away. Then it seems like you heard that that wasn't the truth, and here you are refusing to apologize, so clearly you're still holding something else against him.”

For the first time in a long time, I realize Lyla doesn't know what to say next. There's not really a lot she can say without giving away the truth. And in this instance, the truth clearly puts her in the wrong. There's no way she can spin this story so that she can be the victim of me.

Still, I can see the wheels in her head turning as she tries to figure out how to twist it. I have no doubt she'll go with the typical boring yawn excuses most women like to put on men. Except in the case of Lyla, they're not generally true accusations.

“Will you tell me what's going on? As a friend if nothing else. Maybe I can offer some advice, or perspective, or help, or something.” I sense that Everly really does want to help, and I almost feel bad for her because in this instance, there's absolutely nothing she can do that can help me or her friend.

Lyla got us both into this mess, and she's the only one that had a chance to fix it. And I think that chance has long since passed for both of us.

“There's nothing you can do to help.” The nasty edge of Lyla's voice seems to stun Everly, and I feel bad for her as her eyebrows lift and her lips part slightly.

“I'm just trying to help.” Everly’s tone is still even and calm.

“Well, I don't need your help, not with this.” With that, Lyla turns back to face me, her eyes still brimming with rage. “I can't believe you let her in here.”

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