True Colors (The Masks #1)(38)

I nodded, taken back by her vehement defense of him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”

“You’re really a nice person, Caitlyn.” She touched my arm. “I know you don’t mean any harm, but Liam likes his privacy. I’d respect that if I were you.”

Her warning was loud and clear and the expression behind her mask knocked the breath from my lungs.

The buzzer went and Indie’s attention was drawn back to the game...or at least Micah. I kept my mouth shut after that, more intrigued than ever. I had rattled her big time and knew not to push it any further. All other research I did would have to be on my own without anyone else knowing about it.

Without meaning to, I spent the rest of the game in my own quiet distraction. It drove Stella nuts and I didn’t even notice until we were back in her car and she started going off at me.

“Well, that sucked!” She yanked on the parking brake and slammed it down.

My forehead wrinkled as I looked at her.

“Don’t play dumb. I went to the game to hang out with you and you spent the first quarter chatting to Indie and the rest of the game playing mute robot. You didn’t even hear half the stuff I said to you!”

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, annoyed that I’d let her down yet again, but also annoyed that she was pressuring me with her bullshit when I had so much else to worry about.

“You know what, you’re becoming a really lousy friend, Caitlyn. I used to be able to rely on you and now you’re just not there for me anymore.”

Irritation tickled my insides. I pressed my lips together and looked out the window.

“Do you want to be my friend or not?”

“Of course,” I muttered, wondering if I actually did. I knew I could probably tell her the truth about my quiet behavior, but something warned me against it. She’d gossip. She’d turn all my insights into big drama, which it was, but the school didn’t have to know about it. Indie needed to be approached quietly. Stella would turn this information into a circus and do major damage along the way.

“Well start acting like it then.” Stella spat as she braked for the red light. “Stop focusing on everyone else all the time and hang out with me.”

It was taking major effort to keep my lips pressed together. I wanted to boil over at her and tell her everything I was thinking, but I couldn’t. I mean, I never had before, always afraid she’d be mad at me.

We pulled through the intersection and had to slow down a short while later for another red light.

“It’s so embarrassing going to a function with my best friend only to have her ignore me. How do you think it makes me look, Caitlyn?”

She did that kind of thing to me all the time!

“I mean, think about it from my point of view. I’m sitting there like a loser as you chat away to Indie and then—"

“You’re not the only person in this world, Stella!" I thumped the edge of my seat, making us both jolt. I never raised my voice to her. It actually felt pretty good - scary, but good. I swallowed. “Other people have problems too, and I can’t keep pouring all my energy into you, all the time.”

“Oh well I’m sorry for being such a burden.” The way she elongated the word sorry made it obvious how much she didn’t mean it.

In spite of the way my skin was bristling, I licked my bottom lip and kept calm. “You know I didn’t mean it that way, Stella. I just meant—”

“Whatever.” She flicked her hand in my face. “Go hang out with Indie then.”

“We both hang out with Indie. I don’t see why I can’t talk to her.”

“I’m not saying you can’t talk to her, I’m just saying... oh forget it. You’re not hearing me anyway.”

“I’m trying.”

“No, you’re not. You don’t care about me anymore, Caity. I don’t think I can be friends with someone like that.”

I saw past her scorn to the betrayal beneath and felt badly...but also annoyed. I had been a good friend to her for years, always at her beck and call. This friendship had never been about what I wanted or needed; it was always about her. I even got together with Chase because she said I should...and if she ever found out something was brewing between me and Eric, she'd cut it off at the knees. I just knew she'd do anything she could to sabotage it out of plain jealously and spite.

Why was I still friends with this girl? Our history just didn't seem a good enough reason to be bossed around by her anymore.

Normally I would apologize and work it out so that Stella got her way, but I just could not form the words.

“Fine.” I crossed my arms. “Can you drop me at home? I don’t feel like going to the beach with you guys tonight.”

“It’d be my pleasure.” The ice queen accelerated towards my place. She ordered me out of the car at the bottom of my street and I was left to walk home alone.

The idea of losing Stella had always speared me with dread, but as I reached my front door, I realized that I wasn’t as sad as I thought I’d be. Maybe I’d been losing Stella for a while and just didn’t know it. Or maybe my new eyesight showed me that Stella didn’t have to be my only friend, that there were nice people in this world who did need me. They may not realize it yet, but I was going to be there for them anyway.