After his meteoric rise to superstardom, Jim O'Brien is no longer a small-town boy who plays in bars and dreams of success. His handsome face is plastered on the covers of celebrity gossip magazines, and his voice alone is enough to make girls swoon...
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The sound of the door slamming echoed in my house. Tasha's parting words still hung in the air. According to her, I was stupid and naive. It wasn't her fault I didn't figure out the truth earlier.
I'd been so blinded by the childhood image of my friend and the loyalty I felt toward our little group I failed to see Tasha for who she really was — a jealous, self-centered person who would do anything to get what she wanted. She wanted Jim, and I stood in the way.
When she left, I felt relieved. The toxic vibes Ivy talked about were real, after all.
"I can't believe she knew," said Isla, sending me a look full of pity.
I sniffled. Instantly, the arms of my two friends were around me.
"She's not worthy of your tears, Ava," Ivy said. "It's high time we got rid of the person who doesn't give a damn about any of us. She betrayed you, and for what? For someone who will never look her way?"
"I don't know if he won't." I wiped the tears off my cheeks with the sleeve of my shirt. "I thought I knew him, but I don't."
Ivy sighed. "That's what Tasha wanted. She waited for his concert to make sure you saw him. Convenient, right?"
"I didn't think she would stoop so low," said Isla. "But what she said was a lie. There wasn't a Meet and Greet. The band rescheduled it. It was all over the Internet. I wanted to see the band answer questions, but they posted an update on Twitter saying that the lead singer couldn't be present because of family circumstances. Some fans were pissed."
"He came to see me," I said to the girls. "But I couldn't bring myself to listen to him. I was...I am too hurt."
Ivy nudged my ribs with her elbow. "See? He wanted to talk to you. Not Tasha. You."
"It doesn't mean anything," I said.
Ivy huffed. "Yeah, sure. I get that you feel betrayed, and you know it's chicks before dicks for me anytime, but it does mean something. Maybe he had his reasons. Tasha has been chasing the guy like a dog in heat since December, and he never gave her the time of day. What if he was so fed up with crazy stalkers he wanted something different for once?"
"He lied, Ivy," I said, rubbing my temples. The headache was on its way. I flinched at the prospect of working this afternoon in my miserable state.
Isla's soft voice brought me back to our conversation. "He might have lied, but it doesn't mean he doesn't care. He canceled the Meet and Greet of his biggest concert for you. I would say he's not indifferent."
"Thank you, girls." I forced a smile. "My head is killing me. I'm gonna lie down. Talk to you later?"
"Sure." Ivy kissed my cheek. "Hear the guy out, Ava. Don't make things easy for Tasha."
I said goodbye to my friends and went to my room, ready to continue wallowing in my pity.
