“Exactly,” Avery said. “So why start now?”
Cadence chuckled as she watched Avery finish off her sandwich.
“You’ve gotta forgive him at some point, Cadence. You can’t stay angry with him forever. If you do, you two will eventually break up.”
That thought was alarming. Cadence hadn’t thought of it—that if she couldn’t find it in her heart to forgive Mark, then they wouldn’t make it as a couple. Where would she go? What would she do? He took care of her. Sure, she pulled her weight, but it wasn’t his weight. His weight was heavier.
Avery cleared her throat. “Now, who are these yahoos you’re hanging out with? ‘Cause I’m not sure I approve.”
“They’re just school friends.”
“They’re losers, Cadence, and I don’t trust them.”
“Hey! They’re my friends. Back off.”
“I don’t trust them,” Avery repeated.
“This is rich coming from you.”
“Excuse me? Are you implying that I’m not a trustworthy friend?”
“No! You’re totally trustworthy. I just mean, in general, you’re sneaky and self-serving. You’re gonna do what’s best for you,” Cadence clarified.
“Excuse me?”
“Um, Avery? Are you serious right now?”
“You little bitch,” Avery said. “I’ve never been selfish with you.”
Cadence burst out laughing. “You took me to Gavin’s garage the day Mr. Connelly humiliated me in front of the class. You did it so you could see him. Didn’t really have anything to do with being there for me because—”
“Stop calling him Mr. Connelly!” Avery screamed.
Cadence blinked and reared back.
“Huh?”
“That’s the second time, Cadence! The second fucking time you’ve called your boyfriend by his last name! He’s not your teacher anymore! You’re dating him! You’re sleeping with him and living with him! You share a life with him! Just stop it!”
Cadence was stunned, and then her surprise turned to suspicion. She narrowed her eyes.
“Whose side are you on?” she asked warily. “Have you been talking to him?”
Avery scratched the top of her head and let out a dramatic sigh.
“I’m not taking anyone’s side on this. I think he should have told you a long time ago that he was married. You deserved to know. But you don’t deserve to be pissed off because he had a wife before you. He didn’t even know you then. And you’re punishing him because of it.”
“Fuck. You.”
“I’m right, Cadence. I see it. You’re not just hurt that he kept a secret. You’re hurt that he loved another woman and had to let her go unwillingly. Because you know that if nothing happened to her, you wouldn’t be with him. You’d mean nothing to him.”
Cadence jumped up from the table. “Who the fuck do you think you are talking to me like that?”
“I know I’m saying things you don’t wanna hear, but you need to hear them. You’re losing it. You’re making bad choices. You’re sabotaging the best thing that’s ever happened to you—”
“Shut up!” Cadence screamed.
“You can’t look at what if’s. You have to look at what actually is. He lost his wife. She’ll always be in his heart. You have to let him have that. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you to death because he does. But you can’t keep punishing him.”
Cadence grabbed her bag and stormed off.
“Cadence, wait!” Avery called.
She whirled around and looked at her friend. They’d already attracted the attention of every student in the union, so she didn’t care what she said next.
“Don’t you dare follow me. I mean it,” she hissed. “I’ll take you to the ground if you even fucking think about it.”
Again, the angry girl. The alter ego. She was emerging from the recesses more frequently. Taking over without permission. Cadence didn’t talk to Avery that way. But her other self did. And right now, her other self was pissed.
“I don’t wanna see you guys hurt anymore!” Avery cried.
“Go talk to Mark about it!” Cadence spit. “You’re good at that. Talking to Mark about me behind my back!”
She fled the student union before Avery could reply.
“You have the sluttiest dresses,” Cadence said as she rifled through Carrie’s closet.
“And?” her friend replied. “I only wear them to clubs. I’m not wearing them around campus.”
“I can’t do this,” Cadence said. “I’ll look ridiculous in one of these.”
“Whatever! You’ll look smokin’ hot. And I’m putting clip-in extensions in your hair, too. You’re gonna look like a Barbie doll when I’m finished.”
Cadence giggled. Well, a Barbie doll sure beat the hell out of an American Girl doll.
“Are we drinking before we get there?” Cadence asked. She pulled a black strapless dress out and held it up to her.
“A little. But I’ve got fake IDs for us,” Carrie replied.
“No way!”
Carrie walked to her desk and pulled out a drawer. She held up two IDs.
“Yes, ma’am,” she said. “And I got them for free.”