Chapter 22

Everything moved in slow motion.
It felt like something straight out of a movie.

As much as I wanted to disappear at that very moment, I couldn't. I almost groaned as the duo approached us. Bree held my hand and squeezed it and I squeezed back before she let go. I stared at Peter, my heart beating wildly in it's cage. I knew he was an asshole but I could not help the flood of memories that swamped my head. My eyes shifted to the arm looped around his and I felt my chest tighten as I finally made eye contact with her.

Rosalie.

My best friend. Well, no. Supposed best friend.

She looked me dead in the eye and a smirk crept to her lips. She was enjoying this.

Suddenly, it felt like I didn't even know her at all. It all felt so unreal. My heart ached so bad, I thought I was going to pass out right there.
I braced myself for however the conversation would go and snapped out of the slow motion trance I was in.

"I thought it was you!" Peter said, almost excitedly. I was confused. Like what was there to be excited about.

"Hi bestie" Rosalie said with a sly grin on her face. The type that made your skin crawl.

The absurdity of this situation was still so baffling.
I thought I was going to be able to handle at least a conversation but the more I stood there saying nothing, the more I realized that I just could not.

I swallowed nervously. I was tongue tied. Quite literally. My mind went blank and everyone looked at me weirdly. Well, not everyone. Not Bree at least. I could feel the worry coming off her in waves.

"Right." she said, before she grabbed my hand again.

"We gotta go" she said to them and immediately turned me around. I was so close to breaking down and crying.

"Oh come on. You know it doesn't have to be this way. We could all chill and catch up" Peter said to us as Bree pulled me away.

"Stop it, babe" Rosalie's voice whispered to him.
And that was it.
That was my breaking point. My entire body sizzled with an emotion I wasn't sure of yet.

I suddenly halted in my steps, making Bree turn back to me, confusion and worry written all over her face.
There it was… the emotion. I knew what it was. It was anger. My hurt and sadness, everything channeled into rage. I clenched my jaw so tightly, it could have cracked.

"Andy, are you-" Bree started to talk but I didn't even wait for her to finish her statement.
I turned around sharply and my eyes landed straight on the duo in front of me.
My face remained emotional as I approached them, Bree hot on my tail.

As soon as I got to their front, I raised my hand up and slapped Peter really hard, even my wrist.
Words cannot possibly explain the pleasure it gave me.

A gasp escaped Rosalie's mouth as Peter staggered backwards, his hands cradling his cheek.
"What the hell?!" He yelled and I stared at him dead in his eyes. I knew him well enough to know that he was too much of a chicken to actually even attempt anything.

Rosalie nudged me backwards, her chest almost touching mine. I was irritated, so I took a solid step back.

"How dare you?!" She asked, her eyes seeing with anger.

"You fucking -" she started to cuss me out but I didn't let her finish her statement. It was only fair that she got a taste too. So, I slapped her too.
A loud gasp left her lips as she staggered backwards in shock.

Almost immediately, she raised her hand to reciprocate the act but Bree stopped her.

"Don't you dare, you fucking whore" she said and one look at her angry eyes and Rosalie cowered in fear. She took a solid step back and flipped her hair to the side in a bid to hide her fear. But I saw it. Every bit of it. She was my best friend after all.

She was a fucking coward and it still frightened me to know how two faced someone can be. It still felt like a dream.

"You know what? I won't even bother stooping to your level. So much for being my best friend. In case you weren't sure, we're not friends anymore" she said and I scoffed as I looked at her in disbelief.

"You're unbelievable" I said and she raised a brow.

"First, you betray me by getting with my boyfriend behind my back, then you don't even bother trying to get through to me and now, YOU somehow think you have the right to tell me we are not friends anymore. It's funny to think you assumed we were still friends till now. What do you think this is? A movie?" I ranted, anger seeping through my voice.

"Stop being overly dramatic Andy" Peter suddenly said. He had been quiet since I slapped him, I almost thought he wasn't there anymore.

"Dramatic? I can't believe you think you have the right to even speak. What the hell are you even doing here in Miami in the first place? Did you follow me here?" I asked, the thought suddenly striking me as very possible.

Rosalie rolled her eyes.
"Oh please. You think everything is all about you. Reality check? It's not!" She said, and the venom in her tone… the hate… you could just hear it.
I wondered how long she had felt that way towards me.

"Then what did you come here for?" Bree asked.

"It's none of your business. And you? I'm surprised you could even afford to come here" Rosalie scoffed and if I was wearing heels, I swear I would have squashed her disgusting soul.

"Oh, we could and first class tickets too" Bree said and I paused, momentarily glancing at her before I nodded in agreement.

What?!
I mean I wasn't going to say anything about her father's empire because I knew it was a secret but I also wasn't going to say we bought first class tickets.
I was just going to go with 'Well we're here or something like that' at least.
I knew she was just trying to help but I had a feeling it would do more harm than good.

Both Peter and Rosalie were taken aback.
"There's no way," Peter said and I glared at him.
Peter was a trust fund baby and so was Rosalie. The only difference was Rosalie's type of trust fund would last even her future generations yet to come, while Peter on the other end, his was very limited.

So, I knew what surprised them wasn't the thought of being in first class seats in a plane but the thought of me, of all people, being able to afford a first class ticket.

"You don't have any money, you lying wench" Rosalie said to me and then turned to Bree.

"Oh poor Briana, did your roommate borrow money from you? Again?" Rosalie asked and I sighed in disappointment. I don't know what I expected.
I groaned out loud.

"Enough of this shit show. I can't even believe I let it get this far. You claim to be here for a different reason and we are as well, so let's get out of each other's hair then" I said and grabbed Bree's hands this time, leading her away from them. I didn't stop until we were back in the car and she let me.

As soon as we were in the cocoon of warmth inside the car, I sighed. All the strength I pretended to have, I let it all go. I allowed myself to feel as weak as I truly was.
But I couldn't cry, not while the driver was right there. Not while Bree was sitting right there.
I would look stupid, because why the hell should I cry over people that clearly don't even give a shit about me.

Bree looked at me with worry.
"I'm okay" I said with a sad smile and she sighed, before turning to the driver.

"Come on, let's go" she said before relaxing in her seat again and turning to me.

"Where to, Miss?" The driver asked, diverting her attention from me again.

I seized the opportunity to just close my eyes and relax. I didn't want to talk and I could tell that was all she wanted to do. She was trying to help, yes, but I just wanted to be on my own. For now, at least.

"Home" she said before I felt her stare at me again.

She sighed and I felt her hand slip into mine. I flinched slightly from surprise but I eventually relaxed.

Trust Bree to always find a way. That was just who she was. And I appreciated her for that.