Chapter Seven
Poppy
My heart stumbles a bit before racing uncontrollably inside my chest. Once inside my house, I rest my back against the front door, breathing uneven, my cheeks warm with both frustration and confusion.
Wesley… my Wesley.
I haven’t seen him since prom night, and damn does he look hot as hell now. He’s filled out and even gotten a bit taller. Where did all those muscles come from? And those tattoos? I can’t pretend I didn’t see them. They were slapped all over his skin like inky little stickers.
The door to the backroom opens, and my sister, dressed to impress, comes gliding out of the room with the hugest smile on her face.
“Hey, Poppy, how was your date? Did Amber and your date’s friend hit it off?”
Shaking my head, I move toward the center of the room, knowing this is a conversation that needs to be had, but won’t be pretty. “Not exactly.”
She frowns. “Oh? I thought you said he was hot?”
“He is. He’s also a misogynistic man pig who has mommy issues.”
Her laughter fills the room. “Sounds perfect for her.” Pippa throws herself onto one of the couches and sighs. “At least she and Eddie are over with.”
Chomping down on my bottom lip, I worry it between my teeth. “Well, that’s not exactly true, either.”
She sits up straighter, eyes narrowing into slits. “What’s that mean?”
“Can I ask you something first?” My fingers grab the bottom of my dress, pulling at the hem.
A single eyebrow raises as she uneasily replies, “Sure?”
“Is it true that you hooked up with Eddie the night Amber and he last broke up?”
She doesn’t even try to hide her smile. “Absolutely not. You know how much he repulses me.” But then her smile twitches. She’s lying.
“Don’t lie to me, Pippa. I have it on good authority that you slept with Eddie.”
Pippa picks at her nails, refusing to look up at me. “And if I did? What’s the big deal? They broke up. That means he was single, and open season for anyone to move in.”
“Pippa, that’s horrible! You know how she feels about Eddie. How could you do that to her?”
Her head snaps up. “How could I do that to her?” She rises to her feet. “How about what she did to me, Poppy? Eddie was mine first.”
“But you told her you were only friends.”
She throws up her hands. “Come on, every girl knows that when their friend says that, it means she’s into him. I had dibs on Eddie, and she swooped in and stole him from me. If anyone is the victim here, it’s me.”
Pushing my glasses up my nose, I glare at her. “You’re always playing the victim, Pippa. But it’s never your fault. Eddie is Amber’s ex, which means he’s off limits. You should’ve never seduced him.”
“What makes you think I seduced him?”
“Because I know you. I know what you did to Amber that night in Las Vegas, and what you did to Eddie the night he slept with Jinafer.”
She marches across the room, her hand whipping across my face before I can stop it. “Is that so? And what exactly did I do, sweet sister? Tell me. Enlighten the class with your bullshit.”
A tear streaks down my cheek as I try to numb the sting with my hand. “You drugged them.”
She smirks. “I did no such thing.”
“I have proof,” I argue, marching over to the painting on the wall.
The one of the three of us in Cabo. It’s also the one that has a secret compartment on the side.
My own personal treasure box that’s concealed to the naked eye.
Pushing in the side, the little hide-a-shelf pops out, revealing the last few tabs of the drug I created in my chemistry class to help with anxiety and stress.
I never meant for it to harm anyone. It was mostly to help ease the stress of finals week.
I just didn’t anticipate that it would have the strange side effect of memory loss and heightened sexual attraction as well.
The tab is kinda like ecstasy, but technically a lot worse.
“You stole my stash,” I argue. “You’re the only person who knows about my little addiction and what I created. I should’ve never told you about them. Now look what’s happened, you’ve used it on our friends. I had capsules missing on both the days Eddie and Amber cheated on each other.”
Her arms cross in defiance. “It’s not my fault you have a drug addiction, Poppy. Don’t blame your baggage on me.”
“This is just like you, Pippa! It’s why Eddie will never be interested in you.
You never take responsibility for your actions, push blame on everyone else, and gaslight everyone into believing you're some kind of saint. You need to tell Amber about you and Eddie, and come clean about the drugs you used on both of them.”
She scoffs. “I will do no such thing! And neither will you.”
She grabs a metal candlestick from off the coffee table and threatens me with it. “If you tell them, I will hurt you, Poppy.”
“Do you realize how crazy you sound, Pippa? I think you need some serious help. Something’s not right up here,” I tell her, tapping at my head aggressively.
“How are we twins but so darn different? You’re psychotic!
Unhinged! You manipulate people to do your bidding, and when things don’t go your way, you threaten them and try to gaslight them into believing your lies.
I’m your sister and you’re over here threatening me with a candlestick like you’re playing Clue and about to kill me in the library! ”
“Which is why you need to keep your damn mouth shut, Poppy. I may love you, but I will shut you up if I have to. Eddie is mine. He doesn’t want Amber anymore. He just wants me.”
“Then why is he bringing Amber home right now, and not out with you?” I motion to the window where Amber just pulled up with Eddie.
Immediately, her nose is pressed to the glass, fogging it up as she huffs out angrily. “What’s he doing?” she screeches. “Why are they together?”
She whips around to face me. “What the fuck happened tonight?”
“The date was bad and her date tried to assault her. Next thing I knew, Eddie, Rich, and Wesley were there and yeah… we just ended up hanging out with them.”
The rage in her eyes was crazy. She literally looked like she could spit flames. “I can’t believe this!” she screams, tearing at her hair. “How can they do this to me again?”
“They love each other, Pippa. When are you going to accept that?”
“Never!” she rages, throwing the candlestick and narrowly missing my head. “When she comes through that door, I’m going to give her a piece of my mind!”
My heart almost stops beating when I hear the door to Eddie’s truck slam shut.
“If you don’t want to be in the middle of this,” Pippa growls. “I suggest you leave the room, Poppy.”
Is she really going to tell Amber everything?
“I’m not sure if that’s such a good idea, Pippa. Someone should…”
“Mind her fucking business and leave the living room.”
I don’t like the way she’s looking at me or the way her eyes have darkened to black slits. Amber’s about to walk into a firing squad, one I can’t shield her from.
I hover in the hallway out of view, waiting for Amber to walk through the door. This was about to be a fiery explosion, one that would change everything between us.
“What the fuck was that?” Pippa shouts at Amber, who has barely made it across the threshold to place her bag on a desk. “Was that Eddie?”
“It was… but why does it matter?” Amber looks nervously away, not understanding why my sister’s turning into such a feral beast.
“Because!” Pippa screams. “Because you two broke up. I thought we decided you were done with him?”
“I’ve missed him, Pippa. He’s my person. So, we decided to get back together. We’re still going to go through with the wedding in February.”
“That’s bullshit!” Pippa yells, her face an angry tomato red. “You guys are so fucking toxic that it makes no sense for you to keep trying. You’re not right for him. He’s not right for you. It should be over!”
“What the fuck is wrong with you, Pippa? You’re acting deranged and screaming like a lunatic,” Amber fires back, just as Pippa starts moving in closer, fists clenched like she’s about to attack.
That’s when I spring into action, grabbing Pippa’s hand before something bad happens. “Pippa, calm down. We both know that Amber and Eddie have some magical chemistry no one can deny. They’re toxic and reckless, but they love each other. That should be all that matters.”
Pippa rips her arm out of my grasp and shoves a finger into my chest, violently pushing me back with it.
“You’re going to take her side? You’re going to support this after everything you know about them?
You’re supposed to be siding with me. So much for twin fucking loyalty. You’re just as bad as her.”
“What’s going on?” Amber questions, her voice wavering.
I feel bad for her. She doesn’t deserve any of what Pippa has done, and she definitely doesn’t deserve this now.
“She’s just looking out for you, Amber. She doesn’t want to see you get hurt again,” I lie.
I don’t even know why I’m covering for Pippa.
Maybe I’m scared of losing her. Or maybe somewhere deep down, twin loyalty is really a thing.
But for whatever reason, the lie slips past my lips.
Pippa smirks. “Yeah, I’m just looking out for you.
” She’s perfected the art of the perfect eye roll, and sends it Amber’s way.
“If you think I’m going to support you getting back with that cheating asshole, you’re fucking delusional.
You can throw whatever invite you have for me and Poppy in the trash.
There’s no way in hell I’m going to your wedding. ”
Amber looks at me brokenly, then back at my deranged twin.
“Pippa, I need your support in this. I know that Eddie and I have a tumultuous history, but I love him. He’s everything to me.
Just like you and Poppy are. I need you two to be by my side.
It’s always been us since we were young, and the thought of you breaking up our friendship over me getting back with Eddie is a bit crazy.
He’s one of your best friends too. You’re acting like a jealous girlfriend right now. ”
She doesn’t know just how right she is.
“I wouldn’t touch that motherfucker with a ten-foot pole.
And if you can’t see how fucking wrong he is for you, then I hope you get everything that’s coming your way.
He’s a dog, Amber. A horny, stray dog that’s going to fuck every pussy he meets on the street.
He’s going to keep cheating and cheating until there are no more girls to cheat with.
And you’re no better. You cheated too. You’re both stupid for even attempting to try again.
How can you trust each other after everything that’s happened? ”
“I don’t know. We just do. We’re just meant to be.”
Pippa shakes her head and throws up her hands. “No. You’re destined to fail, and the fact that you can’t see that makes you not only blind but dumb as fuck.”
“Please, Pippa, I need your support right now.”
“You need my support right now, blah blah blah. All bullshit. All of it. You don’t give a fuck about me. Never have. If you go through with this wedding, consider this friendship done,” Pippa fires back, mocking Amber the whole time.
“Pippa, what the fuck is wrong with you?”
My sister sneers. “Nothing. I’m not the one about to make the biggest mistake of her life. That’s all you.”
Amber’s phone rings. She looks down at it briefly before looking back up at Pippa.
“Go ahead, answer the damn thing, your corrupted prince awaits,” Pippa shouts as she marches toward the door, throwing a shoulder into Amber as she moves past her.
Amber pathetically shouts after her, “Where are you going?” when she really should just leave her be.
“To get some air and clear my head.”
The door slams, and immediately Amber turns to face me. “What the hell is wrong with your sister?”
So many things.
She spends a few minutes talking on the phone with Eddie, between tears of frustration and confusion. He seemed to console her pretty well, but she still looks lost and defeated.
She moves to the center of the room and throws herself onto the couch, laying down on it like I’m suddenly her therapist.
“Tell me the truth, Poppy, am I making a mistake?” Her head flops over to look my way.
I shrug. Knowing everything I know, the last thing I want to do is hash out Amber’s relationship with her, but I do because I know it’s important.
“You really don’t want my opinion, Amber.
You know that I’ve never really been Eddie’s biggest fan, so I’m probably the last person you should ask.
I will ask you this, though. Can you picture your life without Eddie in it? ”
She’s silent for seven heartbeats before she speaks again.
“No, I can’t.”
“Then there’s your answer. All I can say is that if you love him and you think he’s the one, fight for it. Once you give up the fight, any hope for a future between you both is gone. If I had to guess, this is your guy’s last shot at making it work.”
I never thought my own words would slice through me like knives, but they do. As I’m throwing them out there, thoughts of Wesley’s aggravating face bombard me. He gave up on me five years ago, and now any sliver of hope we had of having something is gone.
This is on him… not me.
So, why was he looking at me like I was still his whole world?
“I think I’m gonna head to bed. Thanks for the pep talk, Poppy. I believe it helped.” Amber stumbles to her room, both of us disoriented by the Pippa hurricane that just ran through our apartment.
Amber’s always been the kind of person who can overcome anything. Me, on the other hand, has the tendency to overthink things and drive myself mad.
At least one of us isn’t spiraling anymore. I’m over here trying to figure out what to do about my crazy sister, holding onto the mother of all secrets, while navigating my friendship with the one girl who’s never really put Pippa before me.
Loyalty has never felt this disjointed before.
And love?
I’m not even sure what that is. All I know is that Wesley suddenly popping up in my life again has my head going all crazy, and the stress of it all is making that familiar headache form.
So, instead of going to bed to sleep it off, I march over to the picture, grab a tab from the hiding place, and let that shit dissolve on my tongue, allowing the numbness to take over.
Tomorrow will be better…because in the morning I won’t remember half of this.