You're Invited(97)

I told her about the abuse, my eyes trained on the floor, my voice rational and robotic. Those things happened to a different girl. I wasn’t her. Not anymore.

I told her how her parents took me in when I showed up at their doorstep, a broken shell of who I used to be, and begged that they didn’t tell her I was there, just in case she was still loyal to him. Just in case she told him where I was and he found me again.

I didn’t tell her about the baby, but we weren’t best friends all our lives for nothing.

“Nadia?” she asked, and all I could do was nod. Something flashed through her eyes—was it understanding, or hurt, or rage, or recognition? I don’t think I’ll ever truly know.

“And that’s why,” I finished, feeling heady, probably from the nerves but also from finally being able to talk about it after so long, “that’s why I came. Because I couldn’t have him hurt you—hurt all of you, but especially Nadia—the way he hurt me.”

Kaavi was quiet. It was disconcerting.

But still, I gave her a moment. This was big news; I knew that. I basically told her that the man she was about to marry was the thing nightmares were made of. She probably had a million questions for me, even if she believed me.

She did believe me though. I knew it the second I finally looked her in the face.

And she didn’t have a million questions. Just one.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I tried, so many times. But you were so angry with me for disappearing, and your mother was so upset about—”

“Not now. Why didn’t you tell me then?”

“I think maybe”—I faced her full-on, my eyes searching out hers, years of things unsaid—“I was afraid of appearing weak. Of not being in control.”

She blinked. And then she shook her head.

“Well, I’ve really gone and gotten myself fucked, haven’t I?” She rubbed her eyes.

“I’m sorry. Maybe you think you love him, but I promise you, you deserve better.”

Kaavi sighed.

“You don’t know the half of it.”

“Then tell me, Kaavs. Let me help you. You know I will. You know you can trust me.”

“Okay, look, I have an idea. I—well, let’s just say that I’ve had my own suspicions about Spencer. I’ve been thinking of a way out of this for a while.”

I could have fainted with relief. Of course Kaavi was smarter than I had given her credit for. Of course she’d caught on to the fact that Spencer was a scumbag.

“But why can’t you just leave him? Call the whole thing off. Your parents would understand.”

“My parents? No way. They are part of the reason . . .” she let her voice trail off. “My parents won’t be of help, Ams. I’m on my own. And anyway, I can’t let Spencer get away with all this. He needs to pay for all his bullshit.”

This did not feel right. Didn’t she know that she couldn’t get the better of him? She might be smart, but he was dangerous.

“What do you mean?”

“Listen, I’m just going to, well, I’m going to disappear for a while, okay? Tonight. And I’ll need you to cover for me. Please don’t say no.”

“Of course I’ll cover for you, Kaavs, but where are you going?”

“I’m going to fly out to Singapore. I’m getting my flight arranged now as we speak. Now listen carefully—everyone’s going to lose their shit when they realize I’ve gone. You’ll probably be questioned. I don’t want you to lie. I want you to tell them—anyone who asks—what you’ve told me about Spencer, okay? About him being such a class A dick.”

I found myself nodding. She was leaving. Thank god she was leaving.

“Let me come with you.” The words slipped out before I even thought about them.

She smiled at me but didn’t say anything. For a second there, I saw her. My best friend. The girl who listened to my dreams, who was my only family.

“I just—it’s been so long. I don’t—” I felt my voice wobble and paused to get it back under control. “I don’t want to lose you again.”

“You’ll never lose me, Ams. You never did, okay? What, you think that just because we don’t speak to each other for a while that we’re not friends?”

“Five years is more than a while.”

“Hey, I’ll be fine, okay? I need you to stay here and handle things for me. People need to know who Spencer is. Just give me some time to get on a plane and get out of here.”

After everything I had done, I could give her that.

“I’ll be fine, okay? Now here’s the plan. I’m going to call Spencer in here.”

“What? No!”

“No, calm down, listen. He has to be seen coming in here. Where’s your room, again?”

“Upstairs, around the corner.”

“Perfect. I want you to go now, and call room service. Have them deliver something to your room. Tea, or something that won’t take long. The waiter will have to pass by my room to get to the stairs. Hopefully we can time this right and the waiter will see Spencer.”

I didn’t like it one bit.

“And then when he leaves, I need you to come back. To help me get everything together. Think you could do that?”