Childhood Bestfriends with Hollywood's Golden Boy

Childhood Bestfriends with Hollywood's Golden Boypart 33

Marissa nodded , “ Yeah, I think anyone would feel blindsided by that stinking pile of crap” she said – picking the magazine up by the tips of her fingers like it was infectedand scrunching her face up like she was an old disapproving woman who smelt something bad.

I couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at her face as she flung the magazine further down the bed like she was chucking away trash.

“ I just felt humiliated, I guess. It was like one of those horrible nightmares you have when you’re standing naked in the middle of a classroom or you realise you have toilet paper on your shoes! Only swap that out for being doused in wine, Taylor cutter telling you that the guy”- I sighed, “ The guy who’s your best friend and you – you happen to be in love with has made you the other woman” I sniffed, and wiped away a tear I didn’t realise was rolling down my cheek,“ of course, then add a whole load of famous celebrities watching the rug get pulled out from under you.”

“ I felt…” I trailed off.

shocked

Angry

Hurt

Humiliated

Stupid

And completely and utterly betrayed by one of the only people I really, truly trust.

Marissa moved up on the bed and gave me a hug, “ You didn’t expect it.”

I sighed and hugged her back, feeling another sob tighten my chest and my face felt tight with crying, I croaked “ Nope. I didn’t expect it from him at all.”

We stayed there for another few minutes, her hugging me. And then we sat back against the headboard under the covers and ate more ice cream, turning on the TV to an old re- run of friends. It was one of the really old ones where Phoebe still sings at the Café. I barely even watched it.

Marissa didn’t once tell me to stop crying or even push me to talk about it over and over again. She just listened and kept providing a steady supply if Kleenex each time I turned one into a small snowball from wiping my face or blowing my nose.

I was suddenly struck by what an amazing best friend she was and that I was so glad that we were both going to be in New York together next year. I winced as a memory of Ari’s face right before I left flashed in my mind.

His words ran through my mind, “ Ella I love you. Nothing between us has ever been an act! How could you think that?”

They had seemed sincere. In my mind they felt sincere.

Damn. My head was swirling. It had been all day. I wanted to see Ari but at the same time the thought of seeing him made my stomach twist and my chest tighten.

Was he telling the truth?

If there weren’t those pictures, and if Taylor Cutters smug, pitying face wasn’t flashing across my mind I would have picked up my mobile without hesitation and rung Ari to tell him I thought he was.

I wanted to trust him. My hand itched to reach over to the phone which had been blinking with missed calls and messages all day, to apologise for being so hurtful, to hear him out. Something. To tell him that I didn’t mean half of what I said – that I was embarrassed, upset, furious, and just plain confused about whom to believe. I had felt two inches tall in Chase’s living room as Taylor stood there and announced I was a whore in front of the whole party, which made me want to run away, so I lashed out. At the one person who I felt had hurt me the most – him.