I let out a deep, steadying breath and turn calmly toward her. Wriggling my wrist free from her grimy hands, I place both of my hands on my hips and just stand there waiting for her to answer. Her eyes skim over my body before she speaks and I have a feeling I know what words are going to come out of her mouth. I brace myself for the blow that I know is about to knock me over. Her lips curl up into an evil little smirk, and she says, “Because he picked a fat, little wiry-haired bitch over me.” Courtney steps into my face again and pokes me in the shoulder one more time. “Now, if you don’t leave him alone, I’m going to have to do something about it. Just you wait and see.” Her words are a calm but evil whisper. Unwilling to let her get the best of me, I glare at her, showing her that her words mean nothing to me.
“Well, maybe if you weren’t a,” I tap my finger on my lip as I call up the perfect words. “Oh that’s right – a shallow, cold, heartless, bitch you wouldn’t have lost him in the first place. Besides what kind of person, if that’s what you can even call yourself, actually insults a child. You fucking bitch.” I’m practically vibrating in anger recalling what she said about Emmie.
Rolling her eyes skyward and huffing at me, she says, “Whatever. She’s a fucking little retard and it doesn’t even matter. It’s not like I insulted Bryan. I don’t even know why he cares.”
Before I can even hold myself back, my palm stings sweetly against her cheek. “Don’t you ever fucking call her that again! She is not a retard!” Gripping her chin in my hands, I force her eyes, which are now filled with a few tears from my slap, up to meet mine.
“Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to leave Bryan and me alone, for good. He doesn’t want you, and after this little insight into who you really are, I can totally tell why.” I release her chin and push her back slightly before glaring at her one last time. “You’re not even worth the air I wasted on this conversation. Now, get the fuck out!” I hold my head high as she walks past me and out of the bathroom.
I really hope that puts an end to her whole “I’m going to get Bryan back” campaign.
When some of the adrenaline fades, reality sets in. What the freak? She’s acting like they were engaged or something like that. Yet, as much as I don’t want to let her words affect me, I can’t deny that they do. They speak to every issue I’ve had to this point and force me to question what Bryan and I have shared. The freaking bitch!
Trying my best to seem unaffected, I splash some cold water on my face and touch up my make-up once more. A knock on the door startles me and I call out, “I’ll be right out!”
Exiting the bathroom, I walk past a huge line that’s snaking its way down the hall. People give me the evil- eye as they wait. Great, just what I needed – more people hating on me!
By the time I make it back into the living room, a crowd of people are dancing to some loud club mix. I see Bryan off to the side; his back is to me as he’s engaged in a conversation with someone I can’t see beyond his body. When my eyes land on his solid back, a warm feeling of comfort and security anchors me. Courtney can say whatever the hell she wants, but I know that she’s not who he wants.
As I make my way toward him, I nearly stop in my tracks. My gut churns and anger boils hot and fierce in my veins. Of course, Courtney is standing right in front of him. But what’s more shocking than that, is that she’s wrapped around Liam like a vine. I don’t know if she’s trying to make Bryan jealous or what, but the only thought that crosses my mind is that she looks like a whore. A bitchy, whore dressed up like a slutty nurse.
Bracing myself for the worst, I pad over to Bryan’s side and I’m more than a little hurt when he startles at my touch. He doesn’t include me in the conversation or look at me warmly or anything like that. In fact, he doesn’t say anything as he pulls me away from his little chat with Courtney and Liam.
Maybe it’s because I’m bristled with anxiety from my exchange with Courtney, but my words come out harsh and accusatory. “What’s up with that? What the hell were you guys talking about? Why did you pull me away like that?”
He doesn’t have a chance to answer me. His phone must vibrate in his pocket because I don’t hear it ring. When he looks at the screen to see who is calling him, his eyes looks a little scared. “I have to go outside to take this. I’ll be right back.” And then he walks away from me, leaving me all alone in the middle of a Halloween party that I didn’t even want to go to in the first place.
Scanning the crowd, I don’t see any familiar faces. Maddy, Cammie and Lia are nowhere to be found, and since Jack and Reid are never more than a step away from their girls, I don’t see them either. All I see is Courtney and Liam staring at me from across the room. The air around them stinks of some kind of conspiracy, and I have a feeling that the ugly looks Liam was shooting at me before I left to go to the bathroom are part of Courtney’s plan to come between me and Bryan.
No longer able to stand their harsh scrutiny, I step out onto the porch where Bryan has taken his call. When I see him holding his phone in front of his face, instead of pressing it up against his ear, I know immediately who has called him.
Emmie.
I stay to the side because I don’t want her to see me on the screen. Bryan has told me that she has a difficult time adjusting to new people so I don’t want to overwhelm her. But Bryan catches sight of me out of the corner of his eye and he smiles over at me. He holds one finger up to the side to let me know that he’ll just be another minute. I nod and wrap my arms around my chest, trying to block out some of the chill in the late autumn air.
Through the loud, raucous intensity of inside, I can hear bits and pieces of the conversation.
“It’ll be okay, Emmie. I promise,” he coaxes her, but it’s obviously not working when he adds, “They’ll calm down. Just stay in your room. Tell me about your new book. Yeah, the one I downloaded for you. What do you think?”
Bryan’s face lights up like a flash of lightning when she starts talking about whatever book he must have set up for her. I’m lost staring at him and daydreaming about how sweet he is, when I catch the tail end of his last sentence.
“… no I’m not alone. You don’t have to worry, Emmie. I’m with my girlfriend, Melanie.” Bryan’s warm eyes look over to me and his face softens. I take a step closer to him, but still stay out of view. I’m close enough now that I can hear Emmie ask, “Can I see her?”
Bryan eyes me warily, unsure about how I’ll react. Surely, he’s thinking about how Courtney reacted, or maybe he’s thinking that I don’t want to talk to his sister. Keeping my voice low enough so that only he hears me, I say, “I can talk to her.”
He reaches out his hand to mine and pulls me to his side. Holding the phone in front of us, he centers it between our face so that Emmie can see both of us.
She bounces in her seat and laughs with such giddiness that it’s contagious. I chuckle and ask, “What’s so funny, Emmie?” I smile and make a silly side-eyed face as I stare into the screen of Bryan’s smartphone. I don’t want to make her feel uncomfortable, but there was something so bright and alive in her laughter that I couldn’t help but be playful in my question.
“You’re a kitty cat, Melanie!” She laughs again as she points up at my headband. I reach up to touch the ears that are sticking up at the top of my head. I kind of forgot about them. She’s still lost in her innocent laughter so I “meow” at her and she laughs even harder.
When her chuckles subside, she proudly holds up a pretty pink princess costume. Placing the sparkly crown on her head, I gasp and sigh. “Oh, Emmie, you are the prettiest princess ever.”
“Really?” I can hear the disbelief in her voice and I just want to climb through the phone and hug her tightly.
“Of course, you are! You’re a beautiful little princess and don’t ever let anyone tell you any differently.” Now, if only I could apply my own words to myself– that would be progress.
Emmie shrugs her shoulders and tucks her chin shyly into her chest. “I think you’re beautiful too, Melanie.” Her soft words force a ball of emotion to rise in my throat. It’s the first time in my life that I truly believe a compliment for what it is. It’s her innocence, her shyness and playfully attitude that help me see myself through different eyes.
Instinctively, I lace my fingers with Bryan’s and squeeze tightly. I lean into his shoulder and feel the heat rolling of his body. He lightly places his lips to the top of my head and whispers, “Thank you” so that only I can hear him.
Turning my attention back to Emmie, I let her know that I’m going to go now so that she can finish talking to Bryan. I stand to his side once again and I’m close enough to hear him say, “I know, Emmie. I think she’s
