It didn’t make me forgive him though. I was still in such a state of shock that I didn’t know if or when forgiveness would be back on the table. And damn if that didn’t feel like an arrow through the chest.
Around seven the next morning, my eyes weak and lids heavy, I finally dozed off only to be woken up by a pinging sound on my phone. It wasn’t my usual text notification, but I didn’t think much of it. I rolled over and lifted it into my line of sight, expecting it to be a message from a blissfully unaware client.
A pop-up window reading Find My iPhone Alert showed on the screen.
Son of a bitch!
It was a safety measure we’d implemented for when I showed houses. Aaron and Mark both had access to it. It was how they’d located me when I’d gone to the hospital with Katherine after she’d fallen and broken her arm. I hadn’t thought to turn it off when I’d decided to stay at a hotel rather than going home. It wasn’t like I was in hiding. I just hadn’t felt like dealing with any of their bullshit until I’d had time to gather my wits and thoughts.
It beeped again, the sound echoing through the quiet room.
With a frustrated growl, I threw the covers back and stomped to the door, knowing he had to be close in order to ping it. I snatched it open and Aaron quite literally tumbled inside, head first as if he’d had his ear pressed against the wood. His phone went skidding across the floor as the small tote bag he was carrying broke his fall.
“Shit,” he mumbled, quickly rebounding to his feet.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I snarled, backing him into the hallway.
I flinched when a pair of red-rimmed eyes met mine. God, he looked rough. Disheveled hair, wrinkled shirt. Though I probably didn’t look much better.
“I, uh…” His voice was thick and filled with anxiety. “I’m freaking out, Remi. I know I shouldn’t have come. Bowen made us all swear to give you space, but I feel like I’m about to peel out of my skin here. You can be mad, or scream at me, or even punch me if you want. But please, I’m begging you, just don’t shut me out. Not again. I can’t handle it.”
To be honest, punching him didn’t sound half bad. It only would’ve made me feel guilty though. Aaron had always been a gentle soul, and as my best friend, traitor or not, I softened knowing he was hurting.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “You have a lot of nerve showing up here right now, begging me for anything.”
“I know. I know,” he whispered, but even that was shaky. He extended the tote bag in my direction. “I just needed to see you. I brought you clothes and stuff. I don’t actually know what I grabbed. It’s probably all shit, but it’s clean, and I packed your toothbrush. Shampoo and conditioner too. You’ll look like an electrified poodle if you use the cheap shit for too long.”
Snatching the bag from his hand, I leveled him with a glare. “Did you seriously just insult my hair?”
“It was a joke! I was trying to lighten the mood to hide the fact that I’m freaking the fuck out right now.”
“You’re freaking the fuck out? Oh, I’m sorry. Did you find out that your friends and family have spent the last eight months lying to you too?”
His shoulders sagged. “I didn’t want to lie to you. None of us did. But you were barely even speaking to me before the plane crash. And then you woke up and started asking for me. It’s not an excuse, but I just wanted my best friend back.”
My chin jerked to the side. “Wait. Why weren’t we speaking before the crash?”
He cut his gaze to the floor. “Can I at least come in? I don’t want to talk about this in the hall.”
“Fine. But you aren’t staying long. I came here to get away and give myself space to try to process all of this insanity.”
“Okay, that’s fine. Just let me explain and then I’ll give you whatever space you need.”
Just let me explain was quickly becoming my least favorite phrase in the English language. Bowen had explained. Then Linda. My dad too. And while I had learned that a lot of sad stuff had happened to me, I still couldn’t wrap my mind around the lengths they had all gone to in order to make this ruse my reality.
I started to step out of his way so he could come into the room, but I paused. “Don’t you dare think about lying to me. Not one single exaggeration or omission. Do you hear me?”
He nodded rapidly. “I swear.”
