The Fence || h. s.

25 || Right Hook

"Clearly you have no problem spilling your secrets to Asa, and it's not like he's your family," her voice betrays her as it cracks. I realise then and there that it's not my secrets that bother her, but rather the fact I'd chosen Asa over her. "Or maybe it's just an excuse to hide the fact that you're a backstabbing bitch who always chooses her own interest over her friends."

Normally, especially in the light of her frosty behaviour earlier on, I'd be quick to reiterate with an equally snide remark. Only this time I can't think of any reason to explain my behaviour with; not without hurting her even more.

"Actually, I am not at all surprised that you've lied to me, but you?" Sally turns to Asa with a pair of narrowed eyes. "Really?"

Asa's face shows little to no reaction to her jab. "I'm sorry, but it's for the best. You're bad at keeping secrets, we all know it, and her entire life is at stake here."

She leans back, flinching as if he had physically struck her. "Of course," she snorts. "The princess always comes first, right?"

"Sally, c'mon, you know it isn't like that," Asa groans.

"Stop talking to me like I'm a little kid!"

"Then maybe you should stop behaving like a fucking brat," he retorts without missing a beat, shocking both Sally and me into a stunned silence.

If it had been me saying these words, none of us would have been surprised. But Asa—our soft, compassionate best friend? Now that's a completely different matter.

Looks like there's a different side to him that none of us is aware of.

Sally eventually snaps out of her shock, mumbling, "Wow, just– wow." 

Just when it seems like she's about to make a very dramatic exit, she abruptly approaches me, chucking an unfamiliar pink envelope at my feet.

"Found this in your backyard while I was trying to figure out how to avoid fighting, but that ship has sailed, hasn't it? I'm guessing you have a secret admirer. Another person to add to the long list of people sucking up to Miss Perfect," she snarls bitterly before leaving the room in a huff.

Bending down, I warily pick up the object she'd thrown at me. This looks a lot like any other mail I'd receive from fans, but the fact that she'd found it in my backyard instead of my mailbox is troubling. How did someone manage to leave it there? Whoever that person was, they had to have entered my property somehow. 

I make a mental note to check the camera feeds later.

Placing the envelope on the sofa next to me, I turn to face Asa. "'A fucking brat?'" I sigh, making quotation marks in the air. "What happened to not letting our anger get the best of us?"

"I'm sorry... I love her, but I also love you, which means I can't just watch idly while she's trying to sabotage you. And we both know she would have done something stupid if we had told her the truth just now," he explains with a frown. 

"She's been through a lot. You have to cut her some slack."

"No, she needs to cut you some slack. You've done everything you could to help her—put yourself in a very uncomfortable position with your parents too—and the moment we hit the first rocky bump, she's already jumping at your throat? That's not fair."

"Well, you shouldn't have called her out like that. All it did was turn her against us both," I tell him, running my hands down my face with a sigh. 

I need more tequila. More booze. Just more tranquiliser, in general.

"How did someone manage to get inside?" Asa's attention switches to the pink envelope. I don't protest when he tears it open, pulling out what looks like a handwritten letter. "You are my sun, and my moon. My sunshine, and my darkness. You are the only reason I still have the will to carry on. Not a day goes by when I don't wish for you to return my love. But you never look my way. You don't see me. Not really. How do I make you see me? How do I make you realise that you're meant to be with me? …What the fuck, A?"