We Are Stars | OLD DRAFT

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Someone to Stay

My best friend wipes additional tears from her cheeks, which are probably sore by now. "Rowen, he told me the most terrible lie about you. He- he told me that the two of you slept together," she exclaims. It's just as I predicted. She knows now, only she doesn't know that she knows. She thinks that he lied to her but he couldn't have been more truthful. "But, of course, I didn't believe him because I know that you would never do that to me," she continues. "Right?"

I drop my gaze down so I wouldn't have to remain trapped in hers; a cowardly move.

"Rowen?" she asks fearfully,"Tell me that it isn't true." I still don't answer her. At this point, my best option is to just admit what I did and take the pain like a real person would. Though no matter how hard I try to force the words out, I can't push them far enough before they come falling back into my throat. "Oh my god," Liv murmurs.

"Liv, I was going to tell you," I sigh.

Her chest heaves as she takes in this newfound information, trying to incorporate what she had just heard. "When? When exactly were you planning on telling me?!"
   
"Every day since it happened, I wanted to tell you!" I yell, catching the attention of eyes around us. "What happened between Darian and I was a mistake, and if I could do it all over again, I would!"

That night, Darian had informed me that there would be a small party at his house and he was inviting some people from school to come over. I was stupid to think that we would be studying and not drinking. Though when I arrived at his house, I was the only one there. Stupidly, I decided to stay. One thing lead to another, and the next woman, I woke up in a bed that wasn't my own.
   
Olivia looks at me with such a solemn expression, as if my words mean nothing to her. "So that's it then. This whole time, you've been keeping this from me," she says, finally coming to grips with reality. She doesn't even bother to raise her voice, which surprisingly hurts even more. "And what's worse, you lied to me. You've been lying to me every damn day since it happened and you don't even seem sorry."
   
"Of course I'm sorry," I say. I have to come up with something that will sway her, and fast. "But it truthfully was an accident. I would never hurt you like that intentionally. I had too much to drink, and I didn't know what was happening until the next morning."
   
She nods, holding back her tears with a angered smile. "So you were drunk when you had sex with my boyfriend. Yeah, that makes it so much better," she sarcastically says, her words acting as the fuel that caused my heart to speed up even more until I can barely feel it pulsing. I can see how the betrayal is bright in her reddened eyes. It's like it hurts her just to look at me. Though I can't blame her. I did the most traitorous thing a best friend could do, and if I were Olivia, I would would never look at me again. "I forgave you the last time you and Darian had a fling behind my back, remember? You promised me that it would never happen again and I forgave you!"

"I know, and you're an amazing friend for that. I promise, if I were in my right mind, I never would've broken your trust a second time," I say, my heart practically bleeding from my mouth as I say everything that I can think of that will exonerate me in this situation.

Olivia's mouth opens widely, like her next words would come storming out without haste. Though before any fire erupts, she glances to the side and closes her mouth, probably because she spotted a person or two casually listening in on our conversation.

Targeting her glare on me, she says more quietly, "But you weren't. You let yourself get wasted and you climbed into bed with your supposed best friend's boyfriend. Hell, you're worse than a jealous prick on a soap opera."

"I know what I did was wrong, but I don't what I can say to make up for what I did. Please, tell me what to say and I'll say it," I beg.

She shakes her head and leans forward on the table. "That's just it. You can't say anything. I gave you a second chance before, and I'll be dead before I give you another one," she hisses, sliding her chair outwards and swinging her legs out from under the table. "You stay away from me and Darian," she orders sternly, pushing the chair back in and beginning to walk off.