Love to Hate You

Chapter Twenty-One

“Laney,” I say through clenched teeth, “the Heartbreakers aren’t interested in fame. Please, take down the site or make it less exploitative.”

“You guys will thank me one day. I don’t need your permission to do anything. The site stays and you learn to adjust your life around it like every celebrity does.”

“We don’t want your help!” I yell into the phone with outrage, “Don’t think I won’t get the police involved. My brother is closer to the police force than you think. Law enforcement is what he’s going to school for so he’s got connections. I’ve got connections, Laney. I don’t want to do that to someone I thought was my friend.”

“But we are friends,” she says firmly, “and you will see this as beneficial one day, just watch.”

A staggered laugh escapes my throat and my hand tightens around my phone in anger, “You’re crazy.” I spit out and end the call.

I throw my phone onto my bed but the force causes it to bounce off and fall onto the floor. I don’t care. My whole life feels ruined. I feel betrayed.

~*~

“Anger, frustration, betrayal, hurt! I want to punch her. I want my fist to come in contact with her perfectly straight teeth! I hate her. She’s crazy! How could she do this to me?  I thought we were friends!” I scream out as I pace Sean’s living room angrily. He sits on the cranberry colored sofa with his head in his hands, not saying a word. He’s just been listening.

“How is it that every person I meet turns out to be a complete jerk who’s only interested in what they want and don’t give a damn about how it’ll affect me—us in the long run?” I screech out in frustration, “Why is it even that important to them? I don’t understand!”

“I don’t know,” Sean finally says, “I can’t even think right now.  She actually told you she doesn’t care about our privacy? Are you kidding me? Close the drapes, by the way. I always feel like Stephanie’s outside my house.”

“She did. She said she was “helping” us, yeah right.” I grumble while I stomp over pull the drapes closed. “I don’t know why it matters to her so much.”

“None of this seems right,” Sean mumbles, “I feel like there’s something else going on. Why would she be so hell bent on us being famous if it didn’t affect her somehow? This is so confusing. I can’t concentrate on anything. We’re supposed to be working on the song.”

“I can’t sing right now. I can’t think of anything clever to say against Justin when I’m not even mad at him. In fact, I think I’m totally in love with him. It’s Laney and Stephanie I’m mad at—and that has nothing to do with the song.”

“You think you’re in love with Justin?” Sean asks softly while completely changing the subject. I stop my pacing and swallow slowly. I actually said that out loud and I think I might believe it twice as much now that it’s out in the open.

“Yeah,” I say while nodding a little, “Yeah, I think so.”

“Oh,” he breathes and shifts awkwardly on the sofa, “how do you know?”

I shrug and think back to a couple of things that make my belly flutter and I can feel a blush spread across my cheeks.

“I always come back to him. Even when I hate him I like him. I think it goes both ways.” I say quietly. It’s kind of embarrassing to tell Sean this. It’s kind of embarrassing to admit, period.

Sean nods slowly, “You two deserve each other, then,” he smiles softly. “I take it you don’t want to write a “break-up” or “sassy” song anymore?” he says and reaches over to pick up his notebook and turn it to a fresh page to start on.