002

Chapter 2 

  

Sienna

I stayed on the floor of the library for a full ten minutes, tears streaming down my face until my breathing finally evened out enough to stand. My head felt foggy and every inhale still hurt. Questions crashed through my mind without mercy. How long had they been doing this behind my back? Isla had sat beside me for months, laughed at my jokes, come over to my house, listened to me talk about Lucas like he was the center of my world. And the entire time Lucas had kept playing the part of the attentive boyfriend. All while the two of them were sneaking around like a pair of cowards.

Why hide it? If they wanted each other that badly, they could have just told me. It would have hurt, yes, but at least it would have been honest. Finding them like that—on the floor of the library—was a thousand times worse. The second I saw them together I knew they had crossed every line that mattered. Not just crossed it. They had burned it to the ground. Sleeping with the girl I had called my closest friend was lower than anything I could have imagined. There was no forgiving that. There was no pretending it never happened. They had used me. Played with my feelings. Made a complete fool out of me. And the worst part? They clearly believed I would never find out.

Lucas might not have known me as well as he thought, but Isla did. She knew exactly who I was. She knew what happened when someone betrayed me.

I was finished crying over those two pathetic excuses for people. Finished letting them hold any power over me. I was going to take my revenge, and it was going to be loud, public, and deeply satisfying. Isla’s punishment would be slow. She had earned that. We had years of friendship, years of shared memories. She deserved to watch every piece of her life unravel one by one. Lucas, on the other hand, would get something quick and sharp—just like the short life of our relationship. One perfect move. Something he would never forget.

I already had the outline of a plan forming in my mind. Just wait, you two.

The smartest decision I made was never letting them see me that day in the library. They had no idea I knew the truth, and that element of surprise was going to make everything so much sweeter. For the next two days I forced myself to sit across from them at lunch and pretend nothing had changed. Lucas kept acting like the perfect boyfriend. Isla kept acting like my loyal best friend. But now that my eyes were open, I saw every single thing I had missed before. The lingering looks. The secret little smiles. The casual brushes of their hands when they thought no one was watching. The way Isla’s expression softened every time her gaze landed on him. It was disgusting. It made my stomach turn.

I wasn’t going to confront her and beg for an explanation. I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of watching me fall apart. That would only hand her power, and she no longer deserved a single piece of it. I had better plans. I had always been a loyal, protective friend. But I was an even worse enemy. And by her own choices, Isla had just turned me into one.

“Alright, babe, I’ve got practice. See you later.” Lucas stood up from the lunch table and leaned down, clearly intending to kiss me goodbye.

The second he came closer I pulled back far enough that his mouth met only empty air. The entire table went quiet. Every pair of eyes locked onto us. Lucas froze, eyebrows climbing in confusion.

“Babe?”

“Sorry,” I said clearly, loud enough for everyone to hear. “You just ate onion rings, and you know how much I hate that smell.”

A heavier silence settled over the table. I had never done anything like this before. Never publicly embarrassed someone on purpose. I wasn’t a saint, but I also wasn’t cruel for the sake of it. I usually sat somewhere in the middle. Unlike my former best friend.

“You’ve never complained about it before,” Lucas said, his easy smile slipping. He clearly hadn’t expected that reaction from me, and the rejection stung his pride. One thing I knew for certain about Lucas Kane was that his ego was massive and his reputation mattered more to him than almost anything else.

“You’re kidding, right? She’s just kidding,” he said with a forced laugh, trying to smooth it over.

Out of the corner of my eye I caught Isla’s expression tightening with alarm. I simply shrugged like it was nothing and pushed myself to my feet.

“Anyway, I have practice too. See you all later.” I offered the table a polite wave, then turned and walked away without looking back. That little moment was definitely going to start some gossip. Maybe a few rumors. I didn’t care. This would all be finished soon enough.

I was halfway across the cafeteria when Isla hurried after me.

“What was that, Sienna?” she demanded. “You were so rude to Lucas.”

I stopped and turned to face her. Her wavy chestnut hair framed her face the way it always did, glasses sitting neatly on her nose, freckles scattered across her cheeks making her look soft and harmless. It was almost funny how misleading appearances could be.

“Oh? And why exactly do you care how I treat my boyfriend?” I asked, my voice sharper than usual.

Surprise flashed across her face. Just looking at her made me want to scream or put my fist through a wall. Maybe both. But I still had a plan, and I was going to stick to it.

She stared at me for a second before recovering. “Is something bothering you?” she asked in that soft, concerned tone. “You’ve been really snappy lately. That’s not like you.”

The fake worry almost made me laugh out loud. Hypocrite.

“I’m fine,” I answered. “Just stressed. The championship game is coming up soon.” I adjusted the strap of my bag on my shoulder. “Besides, I really need to get to practice with the girls. You have no idea how exhausting cheer can be on top of everything else.”

I said it on purpose. I knew Isla had never liked the attention that came with my popularity. Being a cheerleader meant invitations, friends, social circles, people who actually wanted to be around me. Isla only really had me. And even with that knowledge, I had always tried to make sure she never felt left out. I gave her priority. Invited her everywhere I could. Made room for her in every part of my life. I never wanted her to feel less important just because she wasn’t part of the same groups. And in return? I got a calculating traitor for a best friend.

“But we were supposed to go to the mall together,” she said. “And have our girls’ night.”

I gave her an apologetic smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Sorry. Can’t make it. Practice, the girls, and—”

“Yeah, yeah. I heard you for the first time. No need to repeat it.” Her smile tightened at the edges. “Actually, I just remembered I have plans after school too, so we’ll have to postpone.”

Of course she did. With my boyfriend.

My blood boiled under my skin, but I kept the pleasant expression on my face. “See you around, Isla.”

I turned and walked away without waiting for her reply, leaving her standing there in the middle of the cafeteria.

The days when I was soft and forgiving with her were over. The days when I would have done anything to protect our friendship were gone. Now she was going to learn exactly what happened when you betrayed the wrong person.

But first I

still had unfinished business.

And my first target was Lucas Kane.