The Twenty Year Triangle

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Winter 2001 

New Years Eve

"What the hell?"

We leap apart, literally leap. Olly is stammering out a bunch of sorrys, and I squeeze my eyes shut. I can't see her. I can't look at her face right now.

"This can't be real, please, why!?" She's crying...

Oh, good god, she's crying. What do I do? What have I done?

"We never meant for this to happen like... It was all just sudden and-" Olly is stammering as I stand there like a fool with my eyes closed. I bravely open them, bracing myself for the anger in Brandi's eyes.

However, she's not looking at me, she's focused solely on Olly. Her teary, heartbroken face nearly breaks me, too.

I'd give anything right now to go back in time. Five, ten minutes? All I had to do was tell him to end things with her and then come to me. But no... I had to have that midnight kiss, and now I've broken my best friend. A moment ago, I was drunk on vodka and hope, and now I'm suddenly feeling totally sober and guilt-ridden. I kind of want to throw up, but my stomach is tied so tightly in a knot I don't think I could.

"Nothing you can say can make this right," Brandi sobs. "Nothing!"

"B, I know I can't make it right, but please know I didn't mean to hurt you. I never thought this could happen and-" Olly pleads.

"Stop. Just stop," she sobs as she cuts him off. "You don't get to call me that anymore."

"I'm so sorry," he whimpers as his eyes fill with tears. I feel my own cheeks growing wet. When did I start crying?

"Olly, you were the good guy. You weren't supposed to be like him, but you are. You're the one who told me I'm worth more than that. You made me believe that, and then you did this.... It was all a lie."

"Nothing I told you was a lie."

"Yeah, right," she shoots back. "You know Wade said once, that I'm not the kind of girl that's someone's girlfriend. I'm the kind of girl you have a good time with, and being dramatic doesn't look good on me."

"And he's the world's biggest asshole. Those are the lies, Brandi. You are worth more than that, and you are the kind of girl any guy would love to be with."

"Oh, come off it. I'm sick of your stupid words that don't mean shit. You know what, Olly? You're worse than Wade!" She cries out and he visibly flinches at that.

"No!" I cry out. "He isn't, I am. This isn't his fault. None of it is his fault, Brandi. It's mine, it's all mine."

"It takes two people to kiss like that," she still hasn't looked away from Olly, whose face is shadowed with guilt.

"I know it does, but I swear to you this is on me," I say, and finally, her reddened gaze turns to me. "I've been trying to fight these feelings for a while now, and tonight, I couldn't stop myself. Olly came in here to check on me, and I cornered him. I practically forced him to kiss me."

"Kinsey, no, you-" Olly starts.

I cut him off with a quick look, and he takes a small step back with an understanding flickering in his eyes. It's better she be pissed at me right now than feeling like the crap Wade told her was true.

How could I have done this to her after everything she went through?

"How could you do this to me?" She asks as if reading my mind, her tears are slowing, and her eyes are filling with anger.