Dear Nick

Friends

I nodded, took a deep breath & told Lexi the entire story of the night before, including how Demi & I ended up having sex. I know I had told Demi I wouldn't tell anyone, but I needed to tell someone & Lexi was my friend. I also told Lexi about Demi hearing us having sex that morning & our confrontation that happened right before I met her, to come to the beach. Lexi listened, closely, letting me talk & vent. "So... she blames me for Joe breaking up with her." I finished with a sigh.

Lexi's mouth twisted a little as she narrowed her eyes at me. "Do you think he broke up with her because of you?"

I chuckled, looking out at the water. "I may have informed him that I know how to kill someone & make it look like an accident & also that I know how to dispose of a body so no one can find it." I smirked at her & she grinned, nodding her head.

"You did her a favor & one day she'll realize that."

"I'm not sorry he is out of her life, that's for sure." I reached for my glass & took a drink.

"Well, duh. He's an asshole. Why would she want to stay with someone who hit her?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I have no idea, actually. She never really had boyfriends when we were in school. She never seemed interested in high school boys until we were seniors, then she dated a guy who was in college. She found out he was cheating on her & he broke up with her. Come to think of it, she's never really broke up with any guy. It's like she's afraid she won't find someone better."

"Maybe that's the problem. She isn't confident enough to think she deserves better. Was she abused as a child?" Lexi asked, leaning on her hand.

"No. She had an amazing childhood. I mean as far as I know she was never abused. She probably would have told me at some point, right? I mean I've been her best friend since we were six."

Lexi inhaled, slowly. "Well, that's not something a person would share willingly. My cousin was sexually abused by her brother's best friend for a few years when she was younger & she never told anyone until she was in high school & even then she didn't like to talk about it. It's humiliating." Lexi bit her lip & scrunched up her face. "You're also a guy. You are probably not someone she would feel comfortable telling something like that to."

"True."

"Is there someone in her family you could talk to? Maybe someone who would know?"

"I don't know. I don't want to pry into her life, though, ya know? I don't have a legitimate reason to be asking."

"If you think she's obsessed with a guy who is hurting her, that is a good reason." Lexi lowered her chin at me, eyeing me from under her lashes.

"She's not with him, anymore." I simply said, then took a drink of my tea. Lexi & I talked for a little longer, then went back in the water. We packed up our stuff & headed home around dinner time. When we got to our building, I didn't want to be alone, so Lexi invited me to hang at her place & we ordered a pizza & hung out.

Demi seemed to avoid me over the next few days & when we did cross paths, she barely acknowledged my presence. One day, I came home from work & Demi was in the shower. I happen to see her phone on the counter, in the kitchen, when the screen lit up, then the phone vibrated. I looked to make sure it wasn't a phone call I should answer, but when I looked at her phone, I was shocked to see a text message from Joe. "Fine. I'll meet you tomorrow night for dinner. I miss you, too, btw." The text was punctuated with a few kissing emoji's & heart eyed emojis & I wanted to punch a wall.

I went to the fridge to get a beer & leaned on the counter to drink it when I heard the bathroom door open. Demi appeared a moment later, looking relieved when she saw her phone on the counter. She jumped when she saw me. "You're meeting Joe? So have you been desperately trying to get him to take you back for the last few days? Are you fucking stupid?" I couldn't contain my anger as my voice bellowed.