Her Silent Revenge novel Chapter 134

Even for this unexpected visit, she's perfectly made up, like the dolls I used to play with as a kid.

Always perfect. Always presentable. Always the same selfish brat. "What do you want, anyway? I need to get back to Arlo soon."

"Oh, right. But did you meet your parents? I heard they were in town," she says, following me up the stairs. "I hope it went okay."

"I didn't tell them I was filing a restraining order, so I guess that's a plus. They have one chance to start behaving themselves. We'll see where we go from there."

"Holy crap. Pretty hardass for you, Lemmy." What gives? That's what she really means. Surprise colors her voice. "I thought they might hit you up to go back to California."

"They did."

"Oh. And you said no?"

I turn around and face her, huffing a breath.

"Why, you're trying to get rid of me?" I ask dryly, staring at the water stain on the wall and hoping she notices too. Any hint of mold will send her into a hypochondriac fit. "Or are you just wondering where Patton went?"

"I mean… I stopped by his office today in Lee's Summit. He's been out for a while, according to his secretary, and I wondered—"

"If I know where he is," I finish.

Her eyes widen at whatever the look is on my face. Hopefully bitter rage because that's what's burning through my chest.

How dare she.

How dare she show up and pull this crap, now of all times.

"You decided you'd ambush me while I'm at my most vulnerable. Be honest," I bite off.

"What? No, I—" She flinches back.

"Kayla, you could have visited anytime this past week after Arlo was poisoned. You could have called. But you chose the exact second when you couldn't find Patton Rory. So you came sailing over here, pretending to be worried, all so I could bail out your latest boy toy quest. I'm not stupid. You're in luck, I guess, because I have news for you." I walk down a step and she stumbles back a few steps. "Here's the thing, Kayla. He's not going to date you."

"What? What the hell is wrong with you?" Twin red suns flare on her cheeks. "Don't talk to me like that! You don't know him. Guys like Patton always come around."

To make her feel a sliver of the agony I've lived for the past week.

"But even if that wasn't true, and even if he didn't have a kid with me, and even if you were his equal as a human being… even if you were someone who didn't prey on people's misery…" I take a deep breath, ready for the kill shot. "He told me he'd never date you. He said that himself. In fact, he thinks you're pretty fucking rude."

Her eyes widen, hate and hurt bouncing in her pupils.

Not because of my betrayal, of course—I'm sure she's plenty livid about that—but because she knows I'm telling the truth. We've been friends long enough for her to know when I lie.

"I wasn't going to tell you, not like this… but since you came here trying to capitalize on my grief, why not? You deserve to know everything." She backs up another step as I walk toward her. "I don't want to see you here again, Kayla. Not now, not ever. Life's too short for the kind of friend you pretend to be."

After all, just think about what happened to Delly. And she trusted Evelyn Hibbing with her life, her family, until that screwy woman backstabbed her brutally.

The thought makes me sick.

Kayla looks ash-white now, her eyes heavy with tears of humiliation.