Chapter 33
Annie
Small talk should be used as a torture tactic because there is literally nothing worse. Devin and I lasted 30 seconds without Grant and Luke as buffers before I was about to flip this fucking table.
Just like I knew she would, she eyed me up and down before she sat down and said how she couldn’t believe Luke and I were still together. I told her how it was new, that we recently got back together, leaving out all the important details.
I think I caught her off-guard—not by my answer, but by the fact that I answered without staring at the floor or talking too softly. She covered it up quickly though before nodding her head, giving me a fake-ass smile, and going on her phone.
I did the same, not in any rush to make more small talk. I wanted to wait for Luke to come back with our drinks before I brought up why we wanted to get together, and when I finally feel his presence behind my chair as he sets down my gin and tonic on the table, it’s game on.
“So, Devin,” I start, “there is a reason we wanted to meet up with you guys tonight.” My voice sounds foreign in my own ears, the high-pitch tone and niceties feel weird on my tongue.
“And what reason is that?” Devin drawls, taking a sip of her red wine.
“You see, when my friends and I ran into you at the grocery store not too long ago, you made a comment about how you showed me that video for my own good.” Her eyes slightly widen when I mention seeing her at the store, and widen even more when I bring up the video.
I knew she would assume I didn’t have the balls to confront her about either of these things, especially in front of Luke and Grant, and I planned on using that to my advantage tonight.
I can say a lot about Devin—considering she was my friend for eight years. I know her well enough to know exactly what to expect from her, and that those nasty qualities of hers I always saw but ignored until she threw them in my face haven’t changed.
Devin doesn’t say anything for a moment, her wine glass frozen a few inches from her lips as if my words paused her movements. I use her falter to continue. “The crazy thing about that video is,” I grab Luke’s hand and hold it in mine on the table, watching as Devin’s eyes fall to our hands before she looks back up at me, “when I told Luke about it, he didn’t remember it. He didn’t even remember that you and Penelope were at Alek’s house that night.”
I watch as the realization hits her. She’s not stupid. She has to know what she did was wrong. She was just too confident, too cocky, that no one would call her on her bullshit.
Grant’s eyes are going back and forth between me and Devin, occasionally looking at Luke with a confused— worried?—expression. “What the hell are you guys talking about? What video?”
I look up at Grant and feign innocence all over my face. “Oh, Grant. Devin never told you?” I turn to Devin. “Do you want to tell him, or should I?” I give her a smile I hope she sees in her nightmares, one that she’s probably seen in the mirror.
Devin finally sets her wine glass down, her body thawing. “I don’t know what you’re going on about. I didn’t do anything wrong.” Her voice is defiant, and I don’t miss how she always gets defensive over her actions.
Especially since I haven’t even accused her of anything yet.
“Is this the video of you and Luke?” Grant asks, and he throws me for a loop because I didn’t think he’d know about it.
“You know about the video?” Luke asks, his body tightening, making his hand squeeze tightly around mine.
“Devin told me you two hooked when we got back together during move-in week, but she didn’t tell me about any video. It’s news to me it was that night.” He looks at his girlfriend. “I didn’t even know you two were there that night.”
I can’t help but throw my head back and laugh. Not only did Devin probably think she got away with all of this, but this is going even better than I could’ve imagined. Devin spun this web of lies so tight, and it’s all about to unravel. I have to let go of Luke’s hand to wipe the tears from my eyes.
“What’s so funny, Vivian?” Devin asks through her teeth, and it makes me laugh even more. I ignore the use of my real name, knowing she’s trying to get a rise out of me. Vivian would be cowering; Annie is about to make her cower .
“So, let me get this straight. You assault Luke when he is too drunk to consent. You record it, corner me at a party to show it to me, lie to me and your boyfriend that you and Luke hooked up, and you honestly think that you did nothing wrong?” When I say it all aloud, it takes all the power away from it. Something that took up so much room inside my head for so many years is now all out in the open.
“Assault?” Devin gasps. “I kissed him, so what? You’re making it sound much worse than it was.” I feel my nails dig into my palms with how tightly I have my fists clenched.
“We didn’t kiss, Devin,” Luke argues. “I was too drunk to even know my name, let alone what was happening to me. You took advantage of that.”
Devin scoffs, and I see red. “Don’t be so dramatic. You’re not some victim, Luke,” she says, and it’s the equivalent of digging her own grave.
“How do you not see anything wrong with forcing yourself on someone like that?” Luke replies, his voice growing in volume. I am so proud of him for standing up for himself and saying his piece, but I am not letting him fight this battle alone.
“Listen closely, Devin,” I say before she can spew some more problematic nonsense. “I didn’t come here to start a fight, but if you keep it up with this bullshit, I will drag you out of here by your hair.”
“No need,” she spits. “We’re leaving. Let’s go, Grant.”
She gets up from her chair and starts to head towards the door, but Grant stays put. “But, Devin—” he starts, sadness lining his features .
“Oh, shut up. You’re really going to listen to these two tell these horrible lies about me?”
“That’s it,” I hear myself say, and I hop out of my chair, walking straight up to Devin. Her face twists into fear as she starts stepping backward. She’s tripping over her heels the closer I get to her, and I can’t help the pride blooming in my chest at the role reversal.
I’m not a bully. Never was, never will be.
But I am someone who spent years being scared of one, and I can’t deny how good it feels to see the fear in her eyes.
It’s a knowing fear because she’s never been in the position she is now, where the person in front of her holds all the power. A fear I know all too well.
Her back meets the front door of Lenny’s, and I close the distance between us. “I have spent way too many years letting someone as pathetic as you hold so much power over me. That ends today.”
Her face is pale in the low light of Lenny’s, the neon lights all over the walls making her face look almost translucent.
She opens her mouth as if she’s going to say something, but she closes it quickly.
“You have two options, Devin,” I continue. “You can apologize to Luke, leave, and pray I never see your face again.” She starts to shake her head, proving she is stupider than I thought, but I’m not done. “Or, you can get your ass beat before doing all of the above. Your choice.”
All of her weight is pressed back against the door, anything to put space between her and me, and I reach to either side of her to push open the door.
Luke and Grant have made their way to the doorway, the Lenny’s crew all right behind them, just in time to watch Devin lose her balance with the door flung open, and she falls on the concrete, landing right on her ass.
She screams, and it resembles a little kid who didn’t get their way. “I’m sorry, Luke! There, you happy, you crazy fucking bitch?” Grant rushes over to help her up.
“Sweetie, you haven’t seen ‘crazy’ yet.”
Grant pulls her by the arm. “It’s time for us to go.”
“And don’t bother coming back,” Luke adds from over my shoulder, and I look up to find him beaming at me, a huge grin on his face.
We watch Devin and Grant speed off, and I can’t help but flip off their car as it pulls out of the parking lot, knowing I’ll never see either of them again.