It’s just a frame of Asher and me standing in front of the locker room. The football team’s, I think. I’m wearing a blue cheerleading uniform and Asher has a blue Tigers jacket on, which means it’s from high school time.
Although I can’t hear any words, I can feel the maliciousness on my skin. Asher appears pissed off, his jaw clenching and his hands balled into fists by his sides. I, on the other hand, seem cool. My arms are crossed over my chest and my expression is robotic, like the one from the fake pictures on the internet.
As he grits his teeth, forcing words out, I stand there unmoving. Silent. No reaction.
I’m entranced by the scene: the volatile tension in his body, the complete relaxation of mine.
Only, am I really relaxed?
I tilt my head to the side, watching closely. From the outside looking in, I appear completely unaffected. However, my nails dig into my arms. It’s not hard enough to draw attention, but it’s there. I’m doing that to rein it in. I can tell without having to remember that particular scene.
But what was I reining in? My reaction? My emotions?
What exactly were you hiding, Old Reina?
Asher pushes past me on his way out. I stumble backward with the force of it, but I hold my ground. As he disappears from the scene, I stare directly at the camera. It’s a full-on glare, one that’s meant to dissect souls and ruin lives.
It’s the harsh Reina.
The Reina no one fucked with.
The screen goes black right after.
I continue staring at it as if Asher and I were still there.
“That’s only a fraction of your relationship.” Jason brings my attention back to him. “You were never actually together.”
My gaze slides from the black screen to his face. “Who recorded that?”
He pauses as if it’s the last question he expected I’d ask. I want to know who I looked at with that icy stare. There was someone who filmed something they shouldn’t have, and I want to know if they paid for intruding on my privacy.
“Someone from the football team? I’m not sure. I found it online a few years ago.”
“You keep all videos you find online?”
“The ones concerning you, yes. We’re friends, princess, remember?”
“No, I don’t remember. That’s the whole thing, Jace.” My voice is resigned more than anything. “What do you know about my involvement with Arianna?”
Asher and I might have had problems, but they weren’t so huge to the point he’d have murderous intentions toward me. Something tells me all of this started after Arianna’s death.
Jason abandons his position near the TV and flops beside me. His gaze gets lost in the black screen like mine was earlier. “You were friends.”
“Define friends.”
“From the outside? Best friends. She never did anything without you by her side. You were her role model and she relied on you so much, to the point Asher didn’t like it.”
The sound of his name slaughters me all over again.
My lashes flutter over my cheeks as I fight the onslaught of pain hitting me out of nowhere. Those broken pieces are now trying to puncture what remained of my heart, as if demanding that everything should be left for dead.
“What changed?” My voice is higher than normal. “Earlier you said she hurt me and I didn’t hold back.”
“I’m not sure either.” He lifts a shoulder. “All I know is that Arianna was acting weird right before her suicide.”
“Weird how?”
“She clung to you more. Asher distanced himself from you more than usual. You were miserable and appeared to have a million thoughts going on in your head.”