“Ace—”
Thankfully party sounds cut through the air and Kendall slides out the front door. She quickly closes it behind her and makes her way toward my car. She looks between us with concern before taking my arm and walking me over to Jameson’s car.
“I couldn’t find your purse. I’ll come back and get it tomorrow,” she explains, unlocking the passenger door for me.
I quickly climb in as Kendall slams the driver’s side door. She reaches over and grasps my hand in hers as we reverse out of the driveway. I clutch it tightly and sob the entire way to our apartment complex, where she helps me to her door.
Inside she hands me a set of pajamas, a clean towel, and a lingering hug before she reluctantly leaves me to shower. I quickly strip out of my clothes and stand under the hot water, hating how familiar this all feels.
Once my skin is red from the heat and the bathroom is filled with a hazy fog of condensation, I dress in Kendall’s pajamas and make my way to her room. She’s sitting on her bed, already showered and in a pair of pajamas, waiting for me. I want to apologize for taking so long and leaving her to use Shelby’s bathroom, but she stands up and wraps me in a hug, and my words instantly turn into tears as I come apart.
A couple of hours later a loud banging on the front door stirs us both from sleep. My eyes feel scratchy and dry from all of the tears, and my head has a sharp, stabbing sensation, accompanied by a dull, thudding pain that makes me wince as I move.
“I don’t want to talk to him tonight.” My voice is laced with desperation. Fresh tears somehow materialize, blurring Kendall as she flips off the bedroom lights and closes the door behind her.
“Where is she?” Even with the space between us, Max’s voice is loud and urgent.
“Max, you need to go home. There’s nothing to discuss tonight.” The politician side of Kendall takes control as I hear her calm and commanding voice.
“Where is she, Kendall?”
“She’s here, with me, but she doesn’t wasn’t to see you right now, Max.”
“I need to talk to her.”
“You should both sleep on this, go into it clearheaded.”
“Kendall, I need to talk to her!”
“Max, stop! Max! Get out!”
The lumbering of heavy footfalls tells me that he isn’t accepting her proposal to wait. The bedroom door swings open and the lights flash back on.
“Oh, babe.” Max’s voice sounds pained as he instantly makes his way to the bed with an outstretched arm.
I scurry off the bed and stand as far away from him as possible. “Get out, Max.” I demand, trying to sound fierce, but my voice is hoarse and thick with tears.
“Babe, please talk to me.”
I shake my head, making the throb intensify. “I have nothing to say to you, Max. You need to go.”
“You don’t understand.”
“I can’t do this,” I whisper.
“No, Ace, she’s nothing! Nothing!”
“I’m nothing!” The words leave me in a shriek. “I saw you! I saw you kiss her!”
Max’s face blanches. “I didn’t—”
“Go, Max.” I don’t bother with wiping my tears away; they’re coming so fast it would be a wasted effort. Plus, I don’t want to draw attention to my hands shaking like an addict experiencing withdrawals.
“Ace, we need to talk about this.”
“Go, Max,” I repeat.
He takes a couple of steps closer to edge of the bed and reaches out to touch me again. “Don’t touch me!” I snap, pulling away from him angrily.
He freezes and looks at me, panic stricken. I use his hesitation to walk past him and head to the bathroom. After locking the door, I sink to the ground, let my head fall to my knees, and cry.
A few moments later I hear Kendall and Max arguing in hushed voices.
A short time later the front door shuts, the lock turns, and I hear Kendall softly pad to the bathroom door where she quietly assures me that he’s gone.
The next day I feel and look like hell. Kendall makes me chocolate chip pancakes, but I have no appetite. She doesn’t bother asking for any additional details about what I’d seen. Apparently she’s pieced together enough of it with my screaming fit last night.
I had turned my phone off on our way home last night, but Kendall’s phone has been going crazy with calls and messages all morning. She silences it, not bothering to reply to any of them.
The following day I begrudgingly turn my phone back on so I can send a text to Abby so she doesn’t freak out since I haven’t been home. I ignore the multitude of messages that I see as it comes to life and quickly shoot her a text before turning it back off.
On Monday I still feel like hell, and I look even worse. Kendall still hasn’t spoken to anyone, refusing to answer Jameson’s calls even though I plead with her not to let my issues affect her relationship. I know she feels that he’s betrayed me, and by doing so, her as well.
We spend the day lounging around, still not showering as we wallow and watch chick flicks and barely speak. As our third movie of the day ends, I sit up and brush a hand over my hair, feeling the throb of my headache which has taken permanent residency since Friday night. “I need to go get my laptop,” I explain.
“At Max’s?” Kendall asks, already knowing the answer. “Do you want me to go with you?”
“Only if you want to talk to Jameson, otherwise you’ll just make me a bigger target.” I climb off the bed and straighten my clothes. “I’m hoping they’ll be at the gym or something.”
“It doesn’t make sense, Ace.”
“I know.” I drop back down beside her and put my head in my hands. “But it’s never made sense for Max to be interested in me. She looks like the girls that he’s always liked. I—”
“Don’t you dare doubt yourself! You are a hundred times more beautiful than that tramp!”
I know she’s lying, but I don’t bother calling her on it. What’s the point? I borrow a pair of Kendall’s flip flops and walk over to my apartment looking like a disheveled mess.
“Are you okay?” I inwardly groan hearing Nate’s voice as I climb the apartment stairs.
A humorless laugh slips between my teeth, my gaze stretched to the sky. “Peachy.”
“Ace, I’m serious. Are you okay?” He stops in front of me, blocking the stairs.
My attention snaps to Nate. “I’m fine! Get away from me,” I demand.
“I can help you.”
“I don’t need help! Especially not from you!” I slide beside him to continue up the stairs.
I quickly use Kendall’s spare key to unlock my apartment and disappear inside.
A note from Abby is on the fridge, asking me to call her. I know Kendall’s spoken to her, mostly via text, likely because she’s telling her what a wreck I am and doesn’t want to hurt my feelings.
I retreat to my room and take a shower, dissecting mine and Max’s relationship and looking for every minuscule crack. By the time that I’m dressed, I feel even worse.
I put away my hair dryer, which leads me to reorganizing all of my bathroom drawers.
An hour later as I finish reorganizing my bookshelf, I realize we still have Jameson’s car, and mine’s still there. They know that I’ll have to come back. I groan and drop back to my bed as I turn my phone on so I can tell Kendall that I’m coming over. As I do, my phone receives a message from Wes that I contemplate ignoring before I open it.
Wes: Acester I’m worried about u- I’m ur friend 2- please talk 2 me
Me: I’m good. I’ll see you tomorrow in class.
I quickly text Kendall and turn my phone back off.