“Some things never change,” a familiar voice sneers.
My head snaps up at the sound of Sabrina’s voice. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
This must be a nightmare. That’s the only logical explanation for why the girl who made it her life’s mission to torture me nonstop for years is sitting a mere seven feet away…looking at me like I’m the one out of place.
Then again, that’s how she’s always looked at me.
Like I didn’t belong anywhere.
So much so, I started to feel like I didn’t.
Shifting her focus to something behind me, Sabrina’s face lights up. “There you are, baby. Sorry I’m late, my plane was delayed.”
My stomach churns as a sweaty Phoenix strolls inside.
My mind spins as I attempt to put the pieces together.
It’s been twenty-four hours since our blowout and we still haven’t spoken a word to each other, which was fairly easy to do because I intentionally spent the night in George’s room.
Guess Phoenix invited her here as payback.
But is it?
Because she did call him baby.
Just like she used to.
Storm walks in a moment later. His eyes go big when he spots Sabrina on the couch. Then they narrow on Phoenix.
“You just keep fucking up.”
A confused Skylar comes out of the bathroom. “What’s going on?”
I wish I knew.
Memphis, Chandler, and George join us next.
“Good sh—” The tension must be obvious because Memphis stops mid-sentence and looks around until his eyes land on Sabrina. “Who’s the new chick?”
“Not a new chick,” Storm says. “That’s Sabrina.”
This time, Chandler’s eyebrows shoot up. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.”
Then he marches off, muttering something about not being paid enough to deal with drama.
Memphis shakes his head. “You’re a brave motherfucker. Brave and stupid.”
Definitely the latter.
George sidles up beside me. “You okay?”
I plaster a smile as fake as Sabrina is on my face. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”
That’s when it occurs to me that everyone—aside from poor Skylar who’s looking more confused by the minute—knows Phoenix cheated on me with Sabrina and it’s the reason things ended between us.
Visibly annoyed now, Sabrina twists around to look at Memphis. “I’m sorry. Is there a problem?”
To her credit, she appears even more beautiful than she did in high school. Her long blonde hair is even longer, she’s tanner, her makeup application is flawless.
She’s thinner.
“There’s about to be,” Skylar bites out. “Who the hell are you?”
Not one to lose her alpha-female position, Sabrina stands. “I’m Phoenix’s high school sweetheart.”
Oh, God. I’d laugh if I didn’t think I’d end up puking instead.
Doesn’t stop Storm from doing it, though. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever heard the guy laugh so hard in my life. “That’s one hell of a delusion.”
Sabrina’s jaw drops. “Excu—”
“I’m gonna go shower,” Phoenix interjects.
I might as well not even be in the room anymore because all his attention is on her.
It’s that action—or rather, inaction—that makes me realize this isn’t him trying to give me a taste of my own medicine.
If it was, he’d be looking at me for a reaction.
Hell, he’d be preening around the room, silently gloating.
Sabrina isn’t here because of me.
She’s here because he wants her here.
“After, we can grab a bite to eat.”
I nearly rock back on my heels from the force of the blow.
Phoenix Walker never took me on a date.
But he has no problem taking the girl who used to mercilessly bully me to the point that I sincerely believed the things she said were true out on one.
I came here to make him suffer. To hurt him.
But if this were a contest to see who could wound the other more, he not only won…he effortlessly wiped the floor with my heart and outshined me.
Just like he always has.
Moist cake with creamy white filling infuses my taste buds as I chew.
I can practically feel the endorphins going off in my brain as I swallow, already anxious for more.
My stomach recoils as I take in all the empty wrappers scattered on the floor of my hotel room.
And just like that, an all too familiar shame surrounds me like a viscous fog as I finish my last twinkie and walk over to the mirror.