STEPH’S PSYCHIC LINE
Jordan
“And of course, we want to thank our host for the evening, Marcia La Croix.” The lady from the hospital clapped her hands as Marcia made her way up onto the stage.
“I hate to say it; she’s a pain in the ass and a complete head case, but this is the best gala I’ve been to in ages,” Monty whispered, leaning in. “The food is amazing. The drink menu is unique. Service staff are on. And the decorations are perfect. She knocked it out of the park,” he muttered, sounding bitter about it all. “And the worst part is she knows it. Told her dad she found her niche.”
“You love her, we both know it.” I sighed, hating this night more than any night I’d lived through. In the history of nights. Worst night ever.
Lacey was sitting up with her family, looking like shit if I was being honest. Marcia wasn’t doing much better. They both had clearly been crying, but they also appeared to be friends still. I couldn’t imagine how Lacey talked her way out of this.
She wasn’t talking her way out of it with me.
I couldn’t believe this was happening. Or that I was still here.
That was Monty and Stephen’s fault, talking me out of leaving. Saying that if I let this one girl ruin me, I might not ever recover. I’d end up like Grandpa Jack. Never committing to one person. Never falling in love. Never learning to compromise.
And like the angel and devil on each shoulder, they spoke, Monty certain there had to be a reason, and Stephen certain she was Satan set on ruining me.
Either way, I stayed, and now I was staring at her.
The way I always stared at her.
My guts burning.
My heart aching.
My soul empty.
My hands balled.
It was going to be a long night.
I sipped the scotch Stephen had brought to the table and tried not to look in my mom’s direction. She would know something was off. She was Hawkeye lately and sober as a judge. She’d been cleansing for three days before this event to get into a gown she hadn’t worn in years.
“Thank you, everyone.” Marcia smiled into the mic. “I want to start by thanking you all for coming. We’re so grateful to have such a supportive community. And I know all these donations will help a lot of young people recovering from cancer. Or just coping.” She shone up there, the kind of person people wanted to see on a stage. “Sometimes coping is all you get. We’re fortunate that our family’s story has a happy ending.” Her eyes lowered to where Lacey was sitting. “Martin has always been the little brother I never had. And when we found out he was sick, we knew something needed to be done to help. Seeing all these faces in the room, I can certainly say that your support has already gone a long way to help Martin and countless other kids in his shoes.” Her eyes glistened as she smiled down on Martin. She grinned and whispered at him, “I hate you.”
He said something that made her and the people near them laugh.
“I will hand you over to the mistress of ceremonies again while the servers ply you with liquor and sweets. I always find Daddy’s wallet is a lot more accessible after a few drinks and dessert.”
The crowd laughed, and she offered a slight bow as she left the stage. Servers entered the room by the dozens, each carrying trays filled with drinks or pushing carts of desserts, making everyone laugh a little more. The room erupted with talking again as people returned to socializing.
“And she didn’t even suck at that.” Monty was struggling with being upset.
“Why don’t you go and let her grovel? Get it over with. Sit back at your table.”
“No.” He turned to me. “I’m not leaving you.”
“We can do bros before hos another night. Go and see her.”
“You sure?” He didn’t sound convinced.
The music started to play again as the silent auction started back up and people left their tables to bid and chat.
“Yeah, go and bid at that table right there.” Stephen pointed. “She’ll see you and come up and lean in, then grab your hand and lead you off to that corner.”
“That’s super specific.” Monty scowled.
“That’s because he’s done it before,” Cynthia remarked, making us all laugh.
“True story.” Stephen nodded. “If she doesn’t come groveling, there’s a chance she’s going to twist this into your fault.” He beamed at Cynthia. “My advice is to allow that and fall on your sword like a man. There’s makeup sex and it’s worth it.”
Cynthia rolled her eyes at that.
Monty finished his drink and got up. “Wish me luck.”
“You don’t need luck, you didn’t do anything wrong,” I scoffed.
“That means nothing.” Stephen laughed. “He needs good luck to not get blamed. Good luck, man.” He lifted his drink.
“I don’t get women,” I muttered.
“And you won’t ever if you keep paying them to date you.” Stephen winked at me.
“Fuck you.” I got up and decided to go circulate and bid. The sooner I did that, the sooner I could go without looking like Lacey chased me off. I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction.
I was writing a bid up for a week in Aspen when I caught sight of my brother being psychic.
Marcia got up and sauntered over sheepishly to Monty. She spoke delicately to him, then took his hand in hers and led him away, going to the exact fucking corner Stephen had predicted.
I turned to see Stephen lift his drink in the air.
“Jesus.” He was impressive, I had to give him that.
“Just let me past!” a voice I knew shouted from the bathroom hallway. My mind begged me not the follow. My heart ached just hearing her speak. But my inner gentleman couldn’t let up.
I carried the pen and the bid book for the Aspen trip down the hall.
“Fuck you, bitch. You ruined my boy,” a guy shouted. “You and your little Test Dummy game. Everyone knows it was you who took that video.”
“Leave me alone. I didn’t ruin him; he’s a pig, and the fact that you’d dare defend someone like him doesn’t surprise me at all.” Lacey stood up for herself, sounding harsh. “He’s a rapist.”
“And you’re a whore.”
“Fuck you.”
“Thanks, but I’ve done my time.”
I pushed through a small crowd to find her and France, the ex, shouting at each other.
“I know what a little cock tease you can be. But it’s all about head games with you. Which is why I found my fun elsewhere. Innocent virgin one minute and a complete freak in the sheets—” I didn’t hear the rest. I got lost in the pounding in my ears of blood and rage. I dove forward.
“Jordan!” She shouted my name at the same time that I felt my knuckles hurt and saw this dude’s face spouting blood. He hit me in the ribs, but I took the shot and punched him in the face again.
“Stephen!” she screamed somewhere in the distance.
Someone grabbed me from behind and pulled France from my arms.
It all moved in slow motion.
People shouted, I was dragged to the bathroom, and the door was slammed.
Stephen paced and shook his head as Monty came rushing in.
“What are you doing?” Stephen scolded me. “This is your second fight in, like, two weeks. And you almost hit Dad. Are you on drugs?”
“He—” I didn’t have an excuse. I pointed and then lost the fight in me. I was shaking with rage and ready to kill him still, but I’d lost my reason. He’d called her names she might have deserved. He’d ridiculed her in ways she might have earned. I didn’t know what she’d done to him, just me. And I was dying from it.
My knuckles bleeding again for her sake and my broken heart were proof.
The door opened, and her small face popped in, her eyes meeting mine.
I closed my eyes, certain I was dreaming.
“You can’t come in here,” Stephen shouted. “You’ve caused enough shit. Just go away. No one wants you around.”
“Hey!” Monty shouted, and when I opened my eyes, she was there in front of me with an agonizing stare, and we were alone. Monty had likely dragged Stephen out by his ears.
“I’m sorry,” Lacey said softly.
“For which part?” I laughed and spun around, turning the tap on to rinse my hands. “Making me crazy or humiliating me or—”
“For sending that email to Amy. I should have turned her down when I knew I liked you. And I should have told you what I was doing.” Her eyes lowered. “I broke your relationship up, even if it was fake, on purpose. But more than that, I broke your trust.”
“What?” That came out of nowhere. I shook my head a little, trying to see if my ears were broken from too many hits, though I didn’t think France had knocked me that hard.
“I used my friend to test you on purpose. It wasn’t just for Amy. I was testing you for me too. And when you hit on Hennie, even though I get why you did it, I sent it to Amy. I shouldn’t have tested you in the first place. And I’m sorry.”
“You liked me?” I stepped back, certain this was another game of hers.
“Yeah. Of course. I thought that was obvious. We had sex.” She blushed even more and lowered her voice on sex.
“You were making out with guys all summer to prove they cheated.”
“What?” It was her turn to look confused and take a step back.
“Theo. You made out with Theo to prove he was cheating. Hands up the shirt.” Somehow my hands ended up miming it, and we both grimaced.
“I did not!” Her eyes flashed rage. “I caught him making out with some random girl, and I recorded it and sent it to my friend as proof.”
“That wasn’t you?” Oh, fuck.
“Of course not. So that’s what you think of me, that I’m some whore because an asshole like France says it? That I would make out with guys to catch them? It went down identically to how it happened with you and Hennie. I never touched a single client.” Her eyes tried to murder me with hate lasers and a glare that would haunt my dreams forever. “Except you. And I knew you were a client, and I possibly ruined you for my own gain. And I also knew my cover would be blown the second you were introduced to Hennie as my friend. You’d see her and put two and two together. I just didn’t have the guts to tell you beforehand.” Her voice cracked and her eyes flooded. “I didn’t want you to know what I’d done to you. I couldn’t bear the thought of you hating me.”
“Oh, fuck.” I stumbled a little.
“But I never hooked up with anyone else. I want you to know that.” She blinked, and the tears streamed down her cheeks.
“But you acted like you hated me.”
“I tested you and you failed. You hit on my friend, after you’d met me.”
“There’s something I should probably tell you now. I paid for the test, Lacey.” I almost threw up. This was a giant mess.
“What do you mean?”
“I sent the email for the test, not Amy. I set myself up to offer proof as a way for Amy to be able to break things off with me so both our families were satisfied. I hit on Hennie on purpose. I knew she was the Test Dummy. She’s a terrible actor.”
“What!” Her eyes widened, and I saw my future. Flayed alive on the streets for all to see. This was spinning around to me, just like Stephen said it would.
She put her fingers to her temples. “I can’t even believe this. Here I’ve been, beating myself up for hiding something from you, when you’ve been the master manipulator all along. Oh my God.”
“Wait, what?”
“I’m such an idiot!” She turned and ran from me, through the door and along the wall with the decorations.
I chased after her, passing through the crowd where France was being tended to by some girl and surrounded by a flock of others. I was glad it was working out so well for him.
Stephen and Monty called after me, but I kept my eye on the prize.
When I got to the front door, I caught a glimpse of Lacey’s dress on the red carpet.
“Lacey!” I shouted, running faster.
But she darted to the crowd of photographers taking pictures of her. They didn’t let her through easily, so she slipped out of her shoes. I turned and sprinted after her. She rounded the corner of the building and headed for the east drive.
I ran for her shoes and almost picked them up, but then I realized if I spent even a second grabbing them, I’d miss her. It was the prince’s biggest mistake, stopping for the shoe.
Instead I followed Cinderella into the park.