Chapter 2
Brittany, my train–wreck of a bestie, was waddling around a strip club, getting cozy with some dude wearing next to nothing. She’d told Chad she was at my place, eating chili.
My phone buzzed non–stop, all Chad.
I ignored the first few calls, but he started spamming me with voice messages.
Clicking on one that was, like, fifty–nine
Clicking on one that was, like, fifty–nine
seconds long, I held the phone away from my
ear.
Even then, Chad’s full–on rage tsunami blasted through the speaker.
“Amy, are you freaking kidding me? Brittany’s
pregnant! You’re letting her eat that crap? If
anything happens to my kid, you’re dead meat!”
“And while you’re at it, tell her to turn on her
damn phone! I’ve called her a million times. Did
you talk her into going out again?!”
Listening to Chad’s entitled rant, I rolled my
eyes.
Last time around, my drama queen of a friend,
Brittany, loved hitting the clubs, even before
she and Chad tied the knot. She always blamed
me for dragging her there.
L
Of course, Chad never liked that.
He’d warn her to stay away from me like I was
the plague.
After they got married, she kept sneaking out,
only to get busted by Chad one night.
She had a hickey, and Brittany told Chad it was
from partying with me.
After that, Chad gave me the stink eye every
time he saw me.
Then I overheard him talking to Brittany.
“Brittany, is your friend into girls? You better
not let her turn you gay.”
Brittany giggled.
“What are you worried about? Even if she
wanted to, she doesn’t have that kinda
<
I blushed at the conversation, but was too
embarrassed to set the record straight, and
grew distant from Brittany.
Now, she’s knocked up and hitting the clubs?
And using me as her alibi?
The voice messages from Chad were devolving
into straight–up insults.
“Amy, you’re a freak! Don’t screw up my wife! Make her call me now, or you’re gonna regret
it!”
I snapped. I blocked Chad’s number and email,
everything.
Last time around, Brittany got wild, and went to
the bars while five months pregnant to party
and dance. She told her husband that she’d
been at my house, eating chili.
<
She ended up having a miscarriage, and the
blame fell on me.
She claimed I dragged her to the club, got her drunk, and that’s what killed her baby.
Chad went ballistic.
He didn’t even wait for the police to investigate.
He stormed my place with his cousins and beat
me to death.
And me?
I’d just gotten engaged to my boyfriend.
We were supposed to be taking engagement photos that day. Instead, it became my funeral.
My parents couldn’t handle it. They both got sick with depression, and died.
<
Hearing Chad’s voice again, I just seethed.
I still remembered the pain. This time, I’d
protect my family no matter what. But Chad
showed up with his mom, Karen.
