Page 97 of The Ex-Best Thing
“You don’t want to mess with a Bree scorned, if you get my drift.”
“I think the whole country got your drift, Alonzo,” the host says.
This makes me want to pull my hair out. He knows nothing. He doesn’t understand why I wrote the song or released it. He wasn’t even around when we went to that meeting in LA. He’d stayed behind in New York for his mom’s birthday. Yes, maybe I vented a little, but I didn’t tell him everything. I’d been fuming too much. Then, shortly after that, Lonnie made it clear he was into Abby and I let him go.
My boyfriend doesn’t flirt with another woman repeatedly in front of me and get away with it. I have more self-respect than that.
“It’s out,” Colby says, looking at his phone.
My heart goes wild. Benny opens Instagram on his phone and I watch him navigate to my page, where the video is already gaining likes at a speed I wouldn’t have thought possible after that diss track lost me so many fans. He moves over to X, and it’s showing the same thing. His phone buzzes with a text from his agent.
Justin
It’s a hit, man. I knew it would be the moment you sent me the files, and I’m not surprised at all. I take back what I said. You and Bree would make a killing if you stuck to collabs.
“What did he take back?” I ask.
“When ‘Hashtag Medusa’ dropped, he wondered if I should accept another collaboration request from Jaida. I turned it down.”
I nestle into his side, finding myself able to relax for the first time in ages.
We finish the rest of Lonnie’s segment, but it’s more of the same, snide, backhanded comments about my propensity for being dramatic, selfish, and wanting everything to go my way.
“He’s lying through his teeth,” Benny says.
“He doesn’t know you at all,” Zoey adds.
Colby frowns. “He sounds like a tool.”
Olive nods. “That’s exactly what he is.”
I’m grateful for each of these people, coming to show their support, sacrificing their weekend to lend their help, coming out to Bodega Bay to warn me. A wave of appreciation washes over me. “Thanks, guys.”
“We’ve got your back,” Olive says.
“Check YouTube,” Zoey says. “How many views are we at now?”
We spend the next thirty minutes watching the views rise across all platforms. The thing I didn’t expect? I hoped for it, of course, but I didn’t know if it would happen.
People are leaving comments in support of me.
I knew Bree would do something like this. This is class.
We’re on your side. Whatever Jaida did, you’re the bigger person always, queen!!!!
Give us details! I need to know what happened!
Follow for follow! Bree’s biggest fan. Heart heart heart.
The comments keep rolling in, and there are some on Jaida’s side, of course. Her video was convincing. But the support my listeners send to me is received, and my chest swells with the reminder that maybe I made a stupid mistake, butallis not lost. It’s always possible to come back from stupid.
The only person who isn’t showing her support like I expected is Nancy. Which is weird.
I snuggle against Benny. “Have you heard from your grandma?”
“No.” He frowns. “Did she call you, Colby?”
“Mom’s been calling nonstop,” Zoey mutters.
