“There was nothing to keep from you until the evening before you and Paige showed up on my doorstep.” I splayed a hand over my chest. “I’m sorry, should I have text you all straight away to let you know what happened?”
“Imani, honey, there’s no way it all came out of the blue like that,” Maya insisted, though her tone was soft and not in the slightest bit challenging. She seemed more concerned than anything else.
“You’re right. It didn’t. I knew what Butch wanted, and I took some time to think about it.” I wasn’t going to apologise for that.
Jude put her hands on her hips. “But you didn’t tell us.”
“Nope, I didn’t.” And I didn’t regret that. “It was a big decision, and it needed to be my decision. Asking your advice wasn’t necessary since I knew exactly what you’d say.”
Paige leaned forward. “We’d say what you didn’t want to hear. The truth. Butch doesn’t do relationships, Imani. You, of all people, know that.”
Cassie nodded. “She’s right, sweetie. You said yourself that he doesn’t connect with people and he doesn’t want to. Why give him an opportunity to hurt you again?”
I exhaled heavily. “He’s not going to hurt me.”
“He hurt you once before, remember? Or have you forgotten about that?” sniped Jude.
It was hard to maintain an even tone, but I managed it. “I haven’t forgotten. I happen to believe in second chances.”
Paige threw her hands up in the air. “You weren’t good enough for him a year ago, so why now?”
“People change.” Hell, I’d changed plenty in the past year.
“And you believe he’s changed?” scoffed Jude. “God, Imani, what’s wrong with you?”
“My elbows itch sometimes. Is that weird?”
“Has it crossed your mind that he could be doing this just to keep you from getting back together with Dean?” asked Maya. “I don’t mean it in a bitchy way, honey. It’s just that, you know, guys do weird stuff like that. There’s no denying that Butch can be weird.”
“Weird?” echoed Paige. “He’s about as deranged as they come. He hides it well, but we all see it.”
“You think he’s normal, Imani.” Alora gave a soft shake of the head, adding, “He’s not. He never will be.”
I frowned. “No one on this island is normal. Hell, Alora, you talk to freaking animals.”
“Imani, you take relationships seriously,” said Paige. “You’re going to demand things from him that he just can’t give you. Then what will happen? You’ll be crushed and devastated, and we’ll have to pick up the pieces.”
I licked my front teeth. “You’ll have to pick up the pieces? Like that will be a favour to me? Like I wouldn’t do the same for any of you?”
Cassie stepped forward, hands up. “We’re just concerned for you. Sweetie, you don’t think straight when it comes to Butch; you never have.”
Maybe not, but… “This here and now isn’t about me, it’s about all of you and your bruised feelings. At least be honest about that.”
Paige folded her arms. “Well, since when do we keep shit from each other, huh?”
Oh my God. I ran my gaze along all of them as I said, “Are you going to honestly stand there and say that you tell me everything that goes on in your life? Really?”
None of them answered, and I took that as a resounding ‘No.’ I could practically feel them backing down. Well, not all of them.
Spots of colour stained Paige’s cheeks. “You know, I never had you down as naïve, Imani. Clearly I was wrong, because from what I’ve seen of Butch and Marco, you sure know how to pick ’em.”
I sucked in a breath. “That was a low blow. And it’s the last I’ll let you make.”
Shoulders drooping, Paige looked like she wanted to take the words back.
I didn’t give her the chance. “I’m happy. Does that not matter to anyone here? Is it only your feelings and opinions that count? I’m very aware that I’m taking a risk. You don’t have to like it. You don’t have to like Butch. You don’t have to support me in this. But you do have to get rid of this idea that I need to explain myself to you. Seriously, why is it that you feel I owe you that? Huh? Why? Because I gotta tell ya, girls, if you really feel I owe you a piece of my soul then fuck you all.”
The door swung wide open, and Butch took a step inside. His dark gaze swept the room, taking in everything, and his anger seemed to vibrate through the air. It was simple enough for him to conclude what had just happened. In fact, he may have overheard some of it.
His eyes moved to me and he held out his hand. “Come here, baby.”
Pushing back my shoulders, I went straight to him. “Does this mean dessert’s ready?”
His arm slid around my waist; the move was both possessive and protective. “It means that you were gone too long and I got worried.” He sliced the girls a withering glance that would have made me flinch if I was the recipient of it. “You couldn’t let her just enjoy her evening? This was really necessary?”
Alora cleared her throat, the image of regret. “We just—”
“They were rhetorical questions,” he rumbled. “There’s never a good reason to fuck up your friend’s evening.”
Paige lifted her chin. “We didn’t want to mess up her evening. We just wanted to talk to her.”
“And look how that turned out.” His face went hard, his voice cold as he added, “All of you hear me when I say this because I’m absolutely serious: You don’t talk to Imani again until you’re ready to apologise—and that won’t happen unless I’m there to make sure you don’t hurt her any further. If you’re lucky, she’ll forgive you. But I won’t. She’s done nothing to deserve this shit, and none of you have a right to dish it out. She owes you nothing.” His glare fixed on Paige. “And you…you’re the one person I trusted with her. Now? That trust has gone.”
I thought she’d go on the defence, but her face fell. “I—”
He shook his head as he said, “You’re not the person I thought you were.”
With that, he guided me out of the restrooms.