All That and a Bag of Chips

Chapter 29

"If you didn't tell her, then who did?" Collin's nostrils were flaring with a fresh surge of rage. Who even knew about the bet? Tom, obviously, but he wouldn't have told Heather. So who else?

"Sit down," Sam said, gesturing to the green couch. "Do you want a beer?"

When Collin shook his head no, Sam sat down on the orange couch, leaning forward so her elbows rested on her knees. After a moment, Collin sat down, too.

"So?" Collin asked, his eyes boring into her. Any patience that he had left was rapidly disappearing.

Sam seemed to lean into his glare like a sail pointing into the wind. "Just listen. I know I fucked up, but I swear I didn't tell Heather."

How had she fucked up, yet not been the one to tell Heather? Collin's eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "I don't get it. What do you mean?"

Sam tilted her head up toward the ceiling and ran her fingers from the top of her eyes down to her jaw. "I–I told Avery... about the bet."

"You what?" Collin jumped to his feet.

Sam slumped back against the couch. "I know. I know! I shouldn't have. I just..." She waved her hands in the air. Helpless.

"Under what circumstances was that cool? You knew things between me and Heather were evolving. That the initial bet was irrelevant..." His voice was raising, bordering on shouting. He took a breath and got his volume under control. "I thought you were my friend. My friend. Why have you been getting so cozy with Avery?" He began to pace.

"I'm not cozy with Avery," Sam said defensively. "But she keeps reaching out. What am I supposed to do? Ignore her?"

"Uh, well, yeah. She did cheat on me after six years. Ignoring her seems like a reasonable response."

Sam took a deep breath. "Dude, you know it was more complicated than that."

He wanted to shout back at her. To unload all the injustices that had been placed on his shoulders and throw them in her face. Let her see the raw hurt and pain that he was feeling: first from Avery's betrayal and now from having his hopes with Heather dashed.

Instead, he just bit down on his lips and continued to pace back and forth along the living room's front wall.

Finally, Sam spoke again, her words quiet. "I was just trying to make her feel better. Letting her know I didn't think things with you and Heather were that serious. That maybe she still had a chance at winning you back... I didn't expect her to run and tell Heather."

Collin started twisting his hands. "So, are you saying that you know for sure that Avery told Heather? When?"

There was a pause as Sam hesitated. "It must have happened after yoga."

He let out a cynical laugh. "Must have? Were you there?"

"No, but..." She seemed to sink further into the couch.

"But what?" he demanded, standing in front of where she sat.

Sam finally met his eyes. "I think you need to talk with Avery."

"Hell no." He spun away from her, his hands running through his hair. Avery was the last person who he wanted to talk to.

Sam stood, but stayed by the couch. "Just talk," she said, her voice even, but firm.

"Sam, what the fuck? Seriously. Wh–why would you want that for me?" He took a step toward the front windows and felt a lump forming in his throat. This was all too much.

He heard Sam take a step forward. "You guys were like the golden couple, you know? Proof that true love existed–"

"Apparently not," he muttered, but she ignored his interruption.