Miss Pen

Chapter Twenty-two

“You knew this whole time, yet you didn’t do anything about it?”

Technically, I’m not ‘doing’ anything about it. Elise is.

“Of course I knew. Do you think I’m an idiot?” Almost bringing up the part about seeing the pocket knife fall from her bag, I smacked my mouth shut, knowing that the item could still be used if this whole apology thing was a sham.

“I think you’re the complete opposite, Aubrey. Not that it excuses what’s happened, but that’s why I did those things to you in the first place. I was jealous of the attention you started getting, and I wanted revenge. I’d been at the magazine longer than you and was never offered the opportunities you have been. It made me angry.”

What came out of her mouth was just pathetic. Someone needed to get her a pair of big girl panties.

I didn’t care much about her feelings, and if she was looking for sympathy, she wasn’t going to get it from me. Someone could apologize all they wanted, but it would take more than just a few words for me to see the sincerity in them.          

“Things,” I muttered. “You keep saying things. Besides the tire, what else have you done to me?”

Retracting her hand from Gage’s, Carlita shifted uncomfortably, scratching the back of her neck. Giving me a wavering smile, a nervous laugh flowed through the kitchen. “Well, I-uh, you see… I might have had something to do with when your car broke down a few weeks ago. When I took your keys the day we went out, I had my brother go to work and mess with it. I don’t know the exact details of what he did, but I knew you were already having problems with it and wouldn’t suspect someone making it worse.”

Don’t attack her. Don’t attack her. Don’t attack her. I kept chanting, over and over again in my head. I’d heard stories of the police in Boston and wanted no part in that, plus, there was a little thing called my job that I had to worry about.

“I could’ve died from that. How would you have felt, then? It seems like the guilt is eating at you now, so what would you have done if I was no longer here?” 

I hadn’t noticed any major differences with my car after that day, but that didn’t mean anything. Her brother sounded like an amateur, most likely knowing nothing about cars, so I wasn’t too concerned with that part of her story.

Leaning against the cold surface of the refrigerator, I braced myself for whatever else was going to be thrown my way. After Carlita’s confessions, it felt as if nothing else could surprise me, so I smiled at the worried looking brunette with moisture brimming in her eyes, leaning my head to really look at her. How was someone so small, capable of doing such mean things?    

To her, my cool attitude and relaxed posture probably seemed like the calm before the storm, but I wasn’t going to lash out. Though older than me, she had growing up to do, and I actually felt sorry for her, hoping that she’d finally realized it. 

“I-I don’t know,” She mumbled, sniffling. “and I don’t deserve your forgiveness.”

“Where did you get the idea that I was going to give it to you?”

I cackled with laughter, clutching my sides while looking between her and Gage. Suddenly, my answer became clear, Gage giving her a sheepish grin while she glared at him, making my laughter become even louder. Hadn’t I told him not to give anyone advice?

“Aubrey,” He said, giving me a warning look as if saying tone it down. “she’s trying here. Laughing isn’t really helping.”

“And I’m trying not to call the nearest psychiatric hospital to come take her away.” I spat, feeling the underlying anger boiling deep within me. “Unless you want to go with her, you need to keep your mouth shut. Now, is there anything else I should know about?”