Chapter 27 #2
She rolled her eyes and pushed herself upright, and I was glad that she looked better than she had in the hospital. Less exhausted, less wracked with pain. “It better not be another jumbo box of condoms, Stella.”
“It’s not,” I said. From the look on her face, I knew she didn’t believe me, so I pulled my hands around with a flourish. “Ta-da!”
Her eyes flashed wide. “Shut up, no you didn’t.”
I nodded and popped the lid of the cake box, showing her that I had, in fact, gone to her favorite bakery all the way across town just to order her favorite (and also out of season) upside-down almond fig honeycomb cake that I’d had to pay double for.
“Bring me my biggest fork,” she said, waving to the kitchen.
I laughed and set the cake on her lap before following her order, grabbing a fork for myself, too.
“Uh-uh,” she said, pulling the box close and hunching over it like a dragon guarding her treasure.
“Hey, I was the one who bought it,” I whined. “I don’t get a bite?”
“Not until you tell me why you bought me an apology cake.”
“It isn’t an apology cake.”
She stabbed her fork into the dessert and took the largest bite imaginable, all while maintaining direct eye contact. “I’ll eat this whole goddamn thing in front of you,” she said, her mouth so full that crumbs fell out.
“Why can’t it be an I-hope-you-feel-better-cake?”
She swallowed. “Because you have been blowing up my phone every hour on the hour since I got out of the goddamn hospital, and you know damn well that my recovery is going better than expected. The truth, bitch.” She pointed her fork at me. “Out with it.”
I threw myself into the armchair next to her. “I saw Maddie again.”
Runa nearly choked. “What the fuck? Where?” Her eyes narrowed. “If you killed her without me, I am going to be so mad.”
I shook my head. “I didn’t kill her, but it was close. She was at my parents’ company party.”
“I told you she’d be back. I told you whatever Theo said to her wouldn’t be enough.” I’d been keeping Runa up-to-date on everything that had happened. Mostly.
“I should have listened to you.”
Runa winced. “How bad was it?”
I told her the whole story, starting with Theo coercing me into the party, and then that ugly interaction. I skipped over the near-crash afterward, not wanting to trigger her, but told her about my fight with Theo and ruining my favorite dress in the rain.
She hefted the cake box toward me. “Fine. I guess you could use a bite.”
I forked one out and popped it into my mouth, and maybe this was my favorite cake, too, because, goddamn, the flavor combination was so subtle but so good.
“I’m sorry,” Runa said. “That it played out that way.”
“Why, because she’s still alive?”
“Yeah, but also because it sounds crazy-making.” She shook her head. “For her to just stand there, demanding an apology after everything she’s done? My god.”
“I don’t know how I kept my shit together. I’ve never felt like that in my life. Like I could actually murder someone with my bare hands. Well, aside from Theo.”
“Too bad she isn’t single, or you could set the two of them up. It sounds like they deserve each other.”
I took another large forkful of cake, careful not to meet her eyes.
She sighed. “You fucked him, didn’t you?”
I shoved the cake in my mouth and then pointed to it like, Oops, sorry, bad timing. Can’t answer you.
She leaned forward and backhanded my shoulder. I really should have known better than to sit so close to her.
I chewed my food and swallowed. “It was a one-time thing.”
She brandished her fork like it was a sword. “Li-ar.”
“Fine. A kind of one-time thing. Two weeks ago, we slept with AJ.”
Runa let out a whoop. “You filthy little slut. How was it?”
I covered my face, peeking at her through my fingers. “Which time?”
“Both, duh?”
“It was . . .” I dropped my hands, shivering.
She let out a low whistle. “That good, huh?”
“Yes, but it’s not going to happen again. Theo thinks he’s got enough people to clear my debt.”
“But what if he’s wrong?”
“Thank you! That’s what I said.” I quickly caught her up on the rest of the night, including Theo’s prank, because, again, there were no secrets between us.
She laughed so hard afterward, I worried she might choke. “You have to see him again. You cannot let that man get away with something so diabolical.”
“Why would I see him when I’ve just gotten free?”
She sent me a Don’t be stupid look. “Because you want to.”
The sound of running water cut off, and then I heard the shower door close and heavy footsteps padding in her bedroom. My mouth fell open. It hadn’t been the washing machine. There was someone else here. First thing in the morning.
I stared at her in accusation. “Is there a man in your bedroom, Ms. Lund?”
She dropped her gaze to the cake. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You fucking ho-bag. This whole time, I’ve been spilling my guts, and you were what? Just not going to tell me your recovery is going so well because you’re being dicked back to health?”
Her eyes snapped to the closed bedroom door. “Will you keep your voice down?”
I rose from my seat. “It’s that hot nurse who ‘attached your electrodes,’” I said, using air quotes. “Isn’t it?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“One way to find out.” I backed up a step.
“Don’t you dare!” she whispered-shrieked.
I rushed toward the bedroom, reaching for the doorknob, threatening to open it.
“Fine! It’s him, okay?”
I paused for half a second, drawing out her panic, before shaking my head and returning to the couch. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Her cheeks pinked.
“Ohhh,” I said. “You really like him, don’t you?”
“Yes, and I didn’t want to jinx it by talking about him.” Her expression turned apologetic. “I’m sorry.”
“I get it,” I told her. Lord, did I get it. All she and I did was trauma-dump and talk shit about the entire world. If she’d tried to casually bring it up, I probably would have found some way to tease her or turn it into a joke. “I’m happy for you.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
More noise came from the bedroom, and I glanced toward it, starting to feel like an interloper. “I think I’m gonna head out.”
Runa grabbed my arm as I started to stand. “What about Theo? Are you going to see him again?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. He literally blackmailed me.”
Runa shrugged. “So?”
“And treated me like shit.”
She rolled her eyes, grinning. “I’m not asking if you’re going to marry him. I’m asking if you’re going to bounce on it again.”
“You are a horrible influence.”
She sobered. “Don’t you feel like your work is half done? I mean, sure, your debt might get paid off, but there are still more people out there in need of some vigilante justice.”
“Girl, my tummy is too upset to run around this city living out my Catwoman fantasies.”
Runa laughed. “Fair enough.”
“Plus, Theo has enough names. And he already has his foot in the door. Once people from that world realize there’s an ultra-exclusive party they didn’t get a ticket to, they’ll be desperate to find a way in. All I’d have to do is tell him which ones to target.”
“Which gives you a perfect excuse to talk to him again,” she said with a triumphant smile.