“No,” I say quickly. “I made it up, but I swear, this wasn’t part of some premeditated plan. It just happened because you were so beautiful, honey, and I wanted inside your body so bad.”
Renee shakes her head, those curls flying.
“So you told me I was a part of something special. You made mebelievethat I was someone special, when all along, this ritual was just something you picked up watching porn?Aaaagh!” she screams, literally tearing at her hair now. “I could kill myself!”
That makes me jerk with horror.
“Don’t kill yourself,” I rush. “Kill me, but not yourself, honey. I deserve any punishment coming my way.”
But Renee merely shoots me a furious look before spinning on her heel.
“You’re a fucking liar, Bridge Jessop,” she spits. “I can’t believe I was stupid enough to fall for your shit, and you know what? Don’t ever talk to me again. Don’t call me, don’t text me, and come to think of it, don’t even look at me when we’re at services. I hate you!”
Then, Renee runs out of my home, slamming the door behind her with a resounding thud. I stand there in the quivering silence. What the hell just happened? Yes, I made up the Mormon Dildo Challenge but it’s only because I wanted to get into her curvy body. Plus, I was going to tell her, I swear. When we were on firmer footing, I was going to come clean and reveal everything.
But now, it appears that I’m too late because Renee’s caught me in a lie, and our relationship is over for good.
8
Renee
The last week has been the worst of my existence because I can’t eat, I can’t sleep, and I can barely focus when I’m at my computer. Every second I spend in the office, I’m thinking about Bridge and how he betrayed me. Thank God we haven’t run into each other because that would be hell on earth, certainly.
But the worst part is that I miss the alpha male, and I hate that I do. Even though I know he lied about the challenge, a part of me still wants him because of the way he made me feel. When I was with the handsome man, I felt like I was one of a kind. A special star whom he adored and cherished.
I let out a snort.Yeah, but it was all fake, the voice in my head says with irony.What a crock of shit.
Sighing, I reach for my bag of Doritos. It’s Saturday afternoon, and shamefully, I’m still in my PJs as some reality show blares on the TV. I don’t even know what it is, and I don’t care either. It’s probably someHousewivesfranchise because there are fifty-year-old ladies with frozen expressions catfighting on screen.
But then my phone buzzes on the table, and I sigh before picking it up. The name on the screen is “Kaci,” and I seriously think about pressing “Ignore.” Then again, my friend is relentless, and I know she’ll just call back again. As a result, I pick up the phone and grunt, “Hello.”
“Oh, thank God, I thought you were dead,” Kaci says dramatically. “Get your ass off the couch and come meet me for coffee. You need to stop wallowing in self-pity and re-join the Land of the Living.”
“No, I’m watching this new show—”
She snorts.
“I don’t care about your show, girl. You’re coming. You have twenty minutes to meet me at the Coffee Point.”
Then, she hangs up before I can argue. I stare at the phone for a moment. Kaci isn’t the type to just let things go, and if I don’t show up, I know she’s just going to come here and drag me out. As a result, I force myself off the couch, get dressed in some raggedy sweats, and drive to the coffee shop with a sour expression on my face. My buddy’s already waiting for me at a table in the corner, and she ignores my pout.
“Hey, girl I already ordered you an extra large Peppermint Stick Mochaccino. It’s your favorite, right? Come sit.”
How can I be angry when there’s a huge whipped coffee in front of me? I do as I’m told and let out a grudging, “Thanks,” before taking a giant gulp and getting cream all over my nose and chin. Meanwhile, my friend studies me.
“Wow, you look rough.”
I grimace. “Thanks. Yeah, it’s been a tough week.”
She shoots me a look.
“You’ve been going to work like this?”
I sigh.
“Sort of. Maybe. But it doesn’t matter because it’s not like I see a lot of people. No one’s commented on how I look, at least.”
Kaci smiles.