She yawns, before sitting up against the headboard. “What’s the last thing you remember?”
“Getting shitfaced and dancing. After that it’s a blur.”
“You were completely trashed, so Alex and I got you out of there. You puked your guts up in the garden, and I decided to stay with you. I was worried you might puke in your sleep. Alex stayed in one of the guest bedrooms.” She averts her eyes, plucking at the comforter.
“What aren’t you saying?” I ask, because I can tell she’s concealing something.
“Go freshen up, and we’ll talk when you come back.”
I have no energy to argue, so I grab some clean pajamas from my drawer before entering my en suite bathroom. I pee, brush my teeth, and rinse with mouthwash before hopping in the shower. I take my time washing away the excesses of the night while I contemplate everything that happened. Resting my forehead against the tile, I let the warm water cascade down my back as pain infiltrates every nook and cranny of my body.
I can’t believe Reeve let Saffron choose my birthday gifts. I’m convinced she had a hand in more than just the lingerie. Reeve has never bought me makeup before, and I’m sure that was her handiwork too. I feel ill thinking about the picture I sent him of me in the underwear. Ugh. I wish I could take it back. As soon as the marching band stops playing the samba in my head, I’m taking the lingerie and makeup out back and burning all of it. How could he let her choose such intimate items for me?
Tears stream down my face, mixing with the water, and my heart hurts so much I’m in immense physical pain. My tears turn into full-blown sobs, and then Audrey is there, turning off the shower and wrapping me in a towel. I slump to the floor of my bathroom, pulling my knees up to my chest as I cry. “How could he do this?”
“You need to talk to him.”
I have no idea where my cell is or if he even tried calling me back. “It’s not just the gifts,” I sob. “It’s also how he went out partying with his friends and almost missed talking to me on my birthday. I thought he hadn’t called because he was working really late, but he was out drinking and laughing with his new friends, and I was just an afterthought.”
“You don’t know that.” Audrey gently towel-dries my hair. “Reeve loves you, Viv. Look at everything he did yesterday to prove it to you.”
“It doesn’t matter now,” I deadpan as my tears dry up. “He ruined everything. None of it means anything now.” I rub at my nose as I turn to face her. “He told me I was overreacting, and he hung up on me.” Tears pool in my eyes again. “He has never done that to me. Ever.” Shock splays across her face, and it’s good to know I’m not the only one who thinks this is out of character for my boyfriend. “He’s changing,” I whisper. “He’s already changing, and I don’t like it.”
A knock at the door interrupts us. “Viv,” Alex calls out. “Is Audrey in there with you?”
“I’m here,” Audrey replies.
“You need to get out here. There’s something you need to see, and Reeve has been trying to get a hold of you, Viv. You need to call him.”
Audrey slips out of the room to talk to her boyfriend while I finish drying myself. I get dressed and drag a comb quickly through my hair before tying it into a messy bun on top of my head. It will be a mass of tangles, but I don’t care. It’s not like I have plans to do anything today except wallow in my bed, watching sad movies and eating my body weight in ice cream.
When I open the door, Alex and Audrey are arguing in hushed tones.
“What’s going on?” A new layer of anxiety settles on my chest.
Audrey’s tongue darts out, wetting her lips, in a clear nervous tell. “You need to be sitting for this, babe.”
I crawl into my bed, tucking my knees to my chest and pulling the covers up over me. “What is it?”
Audrey moves up beside me while Alex sits on the edge of the bed, wearing an odd expression.
She squeezes my hand. “You don’t remember, but that idiot Nate put the moves on you last night.”
I blink profusely, tugging at my ears, sure I must be hearing things. “What?” I fix her with an incredulous expression.
“He kissed you as I was coming back to the table. I saw it go down. You were out of it, and he was wasted, so I have no idea if it was intentional or not, but he kissed you and…you didn’t push him away immediately.”
Horror washes over me. “I wouldneverkiss Nate or any other guy,” I shriek. “Never.” My eyes fly to Alex’s, understanding now why he was giving me a funny look. “I love Reeve, and I have no desire to kiss anyone else! I know Reeve and I were fighting, but I would never do something like that to hurt him. Never. You’ve got to believe me,” I plead.
“I believe you,” Alex says, his shoulders relaxing a smidgeon.
“I was drunk off my ass, and it must have taken a few seconds to register with me,” I continue, grappling to understand how I let this happen. My hands clench into balls. “I am going to kill Nate!”
“You really are,” Alex adds, holding his cell out to me. “Because someone recorded it and it’s all over social media.”